1st Cavalry Division ( Polish ) The Polish 1st Cavalry Division ( Polish : " 1 Dywizja Jazdy " , later " 1 Dywizja Kawalerii " ) was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars . Formed in 1919 , partially of veterans of the Polish Legions , the unit saw extensive action during the Polish - Bolshevik War . History . The unit was formed in 1919 , compromising of six regiments , each of those with a distinct own history and made up of World War I veterans who had served in the Austrian , French , German and Russian armies . As such , the division was made up from a distinct variety of soldiers with different equipment and training . On top of this , its soldiers had fought during the first world war in opposing armies . The 1st Cavalry Division was in this fact a prime example of the new Polish Army , which was composed in a very similar way of soldiers with completely different militaristic background but the common goal of defending their newly reestablished country . The division took part in the operation which resulted in the battle of Koziatyn and the capture of Kiev in late April and early May 1920 , then under the command of Jan Romer . After this , the unit fought in the battle of Wołodarka , where it faced the Russian " Konarmia " , led by Semyon Budyonny , who had served as a corporal under Aleksander Karnicki , now the 1st Cavalry Divisions commander , in the Imperial Russian Army . The division managed to stop a Russian breakthrough in this battle on 29 May , despite being outnumbered six to one . However , this success could not permanently stop the advance of the Russian forces towards the Polish rear and the division had to retreat . The division fought the " Konarmia " again in early June , around Koziatyn , before the Russian cavalry was called to attack Kiev . In another engagement between those two cavalry forces on 10 June , between Zhitomir and Koziatyn , the " Konarmia ' s " advance was again halted but the need for more troops on the northern front forced the Poles to retreat eventually . Upon Piłsudski ' s order , cavalry from the northern frontline was moved south in the beginning of July , to enforce the 1st Cavalry Division in an attempt to decisively defeat the " Konarmia " , which was seen as the major threat on the southern front for the Polish Army . This expanded force was put under the command of General Kazimierz Raszewski . Meanwhile , Budyonny ' s forces advanced and took Równe on 2 July . The " Konarmia " managed to advance as far as Brody by early August , when the 1st Cavalry Division , together with a Cavalry unit under General Kazimierz Sawicki , was ordered to counterattack , but had to shortly after withdraw to the north due to the worsening situation on the northern frontline . At the battle of Komarów on 31 August 1921 , when the division completely defeated the Russian 1st Cavalry Army , it was commanded by Juliusz Rómmel . The 1st Cavalry Division was severely reorganised in 1924 , as were the other Polish cavalry divisions . The previously separate mounted rifle regiments were integrated in the four cavalry divisions . The division was , alongside the 3rd and 4th Cavalry Division , disbanded in 1929 and 1930 upon order of Pilsudski , who had come to the conclusion that cavalry was outdated . Only the 2nd Division in Warsaw remained in existence as a back - up force for to counter a possible coup - attempt . Structure . Formation . The unit was formed in 1919 from six individual regiments . Reorganisation in 1924 . The Polish cavalry divisions were severely reorganised in 1924 . The 1st Cavalry was now one of four divisions , the divisional headquarter being based in Białystok . Of the others , the 2nd was based in Warsaw , the 3rd in Poznań and the 4th in Lwów . The new organisation , still consisting of six regiments , was : One of the main aims of this reorganisation was to integrate the mounted rifle regiments into the cavalry divisions , which had previously existed separately as a form of second - class cavalry . In history . A " 1st Cavalry Division " , made up partly of Polish lancers of the " 1st Regiment of Lighthorse - Lancers " , existed in the French Army under Napoleon , being part of the Imperial Guard , from 1807 until 1815 . This unit took part in most major engagements of the Napoleonic wars after 1807 and was highly regarded by Napoleon .