Spahis

Home > History > Modern Europe > Turkish and Ottoman History

Spahis, a term which originated from the Persian word Sipahi (Turkish irregular cavalry), were irregular mounted levies, conscripted from the local populations of Algeria, Tunisia, and French Morocco into the French Armée d'Afrique (see France, 6(b)). But each of these French possessions also had its own Spahi regiments which were regular cavalry of the highest quality. During the fighting which preceded the fall of France in June 1940 six of the thirteen Spahi regiments fought as three brigades; the others formed reconnaissance groups. None was mechanized. All but three then returned to North Africa. One squadron of the three sent to Syria deserted to de Gaulle and the Free French, expanded, and fought at the second El Alamein battle. After the North African campaign landings, the Americans mechanized six regiments for reconnaissance, nearly all the indigenous troops being replaced by Europeans. Three regiments, equipped with Sherman tanks, later fought with the French Expeditionary Corps in the Italian campaign and one was part of Leclerc's 2nd Armoured Division in north-west Europe. Other Spahi regiments, some still mounted, fought in de Lattre de Tassigny's First French Army which took part in the French Riviera landings (as Armée B) and then in the battle for Germany.

Bibliography

Clayton, A. , France, Soldiers and Africa (London, 1988).

Spahis or Sipahis , Ottoman cavalry . The Spahis were organized in the 14th cent. on a feudal basis. The officers held fiefs ( timars ) granted to them by the sultan and commanded the personal loyalty of the peasants who worked the land. The Spahis were entitled to all income from the fief in return for military service to the sultan. Until the mid-16th cent. they provided the bulk of the Ottoman army. Committed to the tradition of light cavalry, they were slow to adopt firearms, whose development made the cavalry less important. They remained politically important until Mahmud II revoked their fiefs in 1828, two years after he crushed the Janissaries with modern artillery in his effort to build a modern army. In the French army certain Algerian and Senegalese cavalry units were also called Spahis. The term is sometimes spelled Sepahis.