20th ( 2nd Württemberg ) Uhlans " King William I " The 20th ( 2nd Württemberg ) Uhlans " King William I " ( Ulanen - Regiment " König Wilhelm I . " ( 2 . Württembergisches ) Nr . 20 ) were a cavalry regiment of the Army of Württemberg . The regiment was formed in 1809 as dragoons , and was reorganized as uhlans in 1871 . The regiment took part in Napoleon ' s Russian campaign , the Austro - Prussian and Franco - Prussian war . In World War I it served as divisional cavalry for the 26th ( 1st Württemberg ) Division . Formally disbanded 1 May 1919 the regiment existed unit September 1920 as " Abwicklungsstelle " . The 1st Squadron / 18th Horse was bearing the regiment ' s tradition in the new Reichsheer . This particular regiment was also known as the " Queen ' s Guard " as the Queen was the " Colonel - In - Chief " of the regiment . It was her regiment . An Uhlan regiment Cavalry officer was used in close attack or pursuit of an enemy . Lances adorned with banners and streamers were used when routing the enemy from the field . The cavaliarst was also issued side arms and rifles . The side arms were typically a single action carbine rifle , pistol and a dress saber with the regiment and unit number and insignia engraved into the blade . Upon release from the service , an officer was responsible for his own clothing for the trip home . If he a brought his own clothing in he was expected to wear it out . Equipment and saddlery belonged to the army but could be purchased . As early as 1704 , the Prussians were using cavalry troops armed with lances . In 1745 , a unit known as " Bosniaken " was linked with the " Totenkopf - Husaren - Regiment " and wore a costume which derived from Bosnian and Polish national costume . By 1806 , the Prussian Army still retained units with strong Polish / Bosnian links . These were the " Towarczys " Regiment and a self - standing " Towarczy " Battalion , both of which were armed primarily with the lance , and were used for scouting and foraging duties for which the Uhlans became justly famous . These troops were used in East Prussia and the bordering Polish and Austrian - Hungarian states and had a distinctly Tartar - Slav appearance . Saxony also had its Ulanen - pulks in the 18th . century , and in Bavaria a lancer regiment was raised in 1813 , dressed in the ‘ Österreichischer ’ style . The Prussian Uhlan regiment , raised in 1806 / 7 from the former ‘ Towarczys " , had a strength of eight squadrons . but was later split in two to form two separate regiments of four squadrons each . By 1819 , the establishment of Uhlan Regiments had been increased to two Guard Regiments and eight line regiments distinguished by facing colours and different coloured buttons . The Garde - Regiments stemmed from the Leib - Ulanen - Eskadron re - titled the Garde - Ulanen - Eskadron in 1810 ; a second Garde - Ulanen - Regiment was raised in 1819 . The line regiments were raised from the Freiwillige and National cavalry regiments of the 18l3 - 1815 Freedom War , the Freikorps Lützow , Freikorps Hellwig and the Russo - German Legion . In 1860 , besides a 3rd Garde - Regiment , a further four line regiments were formed . In 1856 , the third line regiment received the title Ulanen - Regiment König Alexander II von Russland . In 1866 , Regiments 13 - 16 were formed . In 1884 the " West Preussen Ulanen Regiment No . 1 " was titled " Ulanen - Regiment Konig Alexander Ill von Russland ( West Preussisches ) No . 1 " . In 1889 Kaiser Wilhelm II was declared the Regimental Chief of the " Ist Hannoverschen Ulanen - Regiment No . 13 " which , on the same day , was re - titled " Konigs - Ulanen - Regiment ( 1 Hannoversches ) No . 13 " . In 1902 the " Ulanen - Regiment Hennings von Treffenfeld ( Altmarkisches ) No . 16 " , was granted the distinction of wearing the cypher of King George of Saxony , and in the next year the " Thüringische - Ulanen - Regiment No . 6 " , was granted similar - distinction in respect of King Christian IX of Denmark . By 1871 the Wüerttemburg cavalry had been re - organized as two Dragoon and two Uhlan Regiments . The Uhlans became the 19th . and 20th . Uhlan Regiments in the national numbered sequence . The Royal Armies of both Saxony and Württemberg retained their own War Ministries and Headquarters Staffs and Establishments and were bracketed in the 1st . and 2nd . Royal Saxon Army Corps ( XII and XIX of the National Army ) and the Royal Württemberg Army Corps ( XIII of the National Army ) . These armies retained many characteristics of their old uniforms . The 1st . and 2nd . Saxon Uhlans which were both raised in 1867 were given the numbers 17 and 18 in the national numbered sequence in 187 1 . A further Saxon Regiment was raised in 1905 and took the number 21 . The Royal Bavarian Army remained completely autonomous under the command of its King and with its own Headquarters Staff and Establishments . It was formed in the I , II and III Bavarian Army Corps and retained its old uniforms but accepting some characteristics of the Prussian uniform and adapting these to their own needs . Both the Ist . and 2nd . Bavarian Uhlan Regiments were raised on the 21 . 12 . 1863 and did not figure in the numbered sequence of the national army .