Uhlan

German military unit

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Uhlan refers to a type of light cavalry, originally modeled after Tatar lancers. The term originated from German, derived from Polish ulan, which itself comes from the Turkish word oğlan, meaning boy or servant.1

These units were notably part of the Prussian military. For instance, Adolf, baron von Lützow, a Prussian major general, led the 6th Uhlans in a charge during the Napoleonic Wars. The Lützowsche Freikorps, also known as the "Black Band," was a volunteer unit that included Uhlans and operated behind French lines during the Wars of Liberation.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

lance
…regiments into lancers known as Uhlans. In 1914 they briefly carried their antique weapons into a machine-gun war, as did the British and French—men were run through with lances at the first Battle of the Marne. Through hard experience, the general staffs of Europe eventually (and reluctantly) conceded that a…
Read More
…regiments into lancers known as Uhlans. In 1914 they briefly carried their antique weapons into a machine-gun war, as did the British and French—men were run through with lances at the first Battle of the Marne. Through hard experience, the general staffs of Europe eventually (and reluctantly) conceded that a…
Read More