Hussars, << hu ZAHRZ, >> were European light cavalrymen armed with carbines, swords, and sometimes pistols. The term came from the Magyar words husz, or twenty, and ar, or pay. Every 20th house in a village provided one mounted soldier. The hussars wore bright, colorful uniforms, including a high cylindrical hat called a busby and a loose cape called a dolman. Hussars, first used by the Magyars in the 1400’s, reached their peak of efficiency under Napoleon. Their primary missions were scouting the enemy, raiding, and screening the main army. Hussars became obsolete soon after World War I (1914-1918).
