Chechen Cavalry Regiment (Russian Empire)

The Chechen Cavalry Regiment (Чеченский конный полк or Chechenskiy Konnyy Polk) was a reserve irregular cavalry regiment of the Imperial Russian Army assigned to Chechnya.

History
In 1877, the need for indigenous local forces became apparent after the Great Eastern Crisis. As a result of the crisis, the russian empire raised many local units based in the western areas and caucasus. In April of 1877 the Chechen Irregular Cavalry Regiment was formed and consisted of six squadrons made from mostly volunteers from the tribes around the city of Grozny. The regiment's uniform was based on the Terek Cossack Army with small colour differences. Almost immediately after their formation, the regiment saw service in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 and 1878 where they were part of the Konno Irregular Brigade assigned to the Caucasus Military District. Following the end of the war, the regiment was disbanded.

In 1914 just after mobilisation for World War I, the Chechen Cavalry Regiment was formed from the same area and volunteers with four squadrons. The regiment kept the same uniform as their predecessor. By October, the regiment joined the 2nd Brigade of the new formed Caucasian Native Horse Division assigned to the South-Western Front. Upon joinined the brigade, the regiment formed an additional reserve squadron which later formed the 2nd line duplicate of the regiment. By 1915 another spare squadron was formed for a potential 3rd line reserve regiment. By 1916 the regiment was granted a banner. In that same year, the regiment was attached to the Caucasian Indigenous Horse Division as part of the 2nd Cavalry Corps within the 7th Army assigned to the Southwestern Front. By December the regiment joined the 7th Cavalry Corps and in 1917 the group joined the Natal Horse Corps. In September the regiment took a "hike" to Petrograd where it was disbanded the next month following the October Revolution.

Organisation
1877 1917
 * Regimental Staff
 * Reconnaissance Troop
 * 1st Squadron
 * 2nd Squadron
 * 3rd Squadron
 * 4th Squadron
 * 5th Squadron
 * 6th Squadron
 * Engineer Detachment
 * Regimental Staff
 * Reconnaissance Troop
 * 1st Squadron
 * 2nd Squadron
 * 3rd Squadron
 * 4th Squadron
 * 5th Squadron (1st Line Reserve)
 * 6th Squadron (2nd Line Reserve)
 * 7th Squadron (3rd Line Reserve)
 * Pioneer Troop
 * Machine-Gun Detachment
 * 1st Line Transport
 * 2nd Line Transport

Battles

 * Kerensky Offensive
 * Brusilov Offensive
 * 1st Battle of Kowel
 * 2nd Battle of Kowel
 * Battle of Transylvania

Commanders

 * 1914—1915 Colonel Alexander Sergeevich Svyatopolk-Mirsky
 * 1915—1917 Colonel Feyzulla Mirza Qajar
 * 1917—1917 Colonel Jemalutdin Musalaev