The Thirty Years War
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onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
16th century tactics were terico-like blocks of infantry with pistol armed cavalry. heavy, unmovable artillery was in front of the formations. gustavus lightned the swedish muskets to get rid of the fork it rested on, broke the terico blocks into lineral formations ( 3 lines ) to improve rate of fire. the ratio of 2 pike to 1 musket was reversed. swedish artillery was lightned to make it more moblie. swedish cavalty lost the pistol and charged full speed with the sword ala" shock". logistics and artillery were made professional--previously they were civilians. many of these same things were done by maurice of orange also.
edit: posting the same time as onejayhawk, glad my info fits well with his site
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
Dont ignore Wallenstien. Gustav Aolph is called the first modern general, but that description fits Wallenstien better. He was essentially the inventor of staff command. He hired, organized, ran logistics and set the targets. His generals did all the battlefield adjustments and sent back reports. Rather like Ike in many ways.
J
J
willemvanoranje
Curitibano
Prince Mauritz "The Enforcer" van Oranje-Nassau
He got his nickname for taking many cities during the 80-year war, the Dutch independence war. The last 30 years of it are part of the 30-year war.
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
The Dutch contributions to the theory of defensive warfare are massive. The Spanish Hapsburgs had the best army in the world and motivation to use it, but to no avail. Amazing. On par with the Swiss vs the French.
J
J
Thaks for the info I have a few more questions.
To what extent, if any, were crossbows or even regular bows used?
What about maces and stuff? I cant find info on these wepons perhaps because they were no longer used.
What were Wallenstien's inovations what were his military methods?
Also were there any other inovators other than Wallenstien Maurce of Orange and Gustav Aolph?
Thanks for the ideas?
To what extent, if any, were crossbows or even regular bows used?
What about maces and stuff? I cant find info on these wepons perhaps because they were no longer used.
What were Wallenstien's inovations what were his military methods?
Also were there any other inovators other than Wallenstien Maurce of Orange and Gustav Aolph?
Thanks for the ideas?
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
The easy of training a musketeer had largely eliminated the Bow as a weapon by the end of the 100 years war. The bow was the superior weapon still, but very difficult to learn well. Firearms had also almost completely replaced crossbows as well, at least in large scale application. Like wise the long pole weapons had driven out the hand weapons except the cavalry saber. Simply put a pike has more reach than any person would reasonably challange without ranged weapons himself.
This is of course an oversimplification. Pikes and muskets, or more acurately arquebus's in most cases, were the prefered weapons of the general soldier. Armor and anti armor weapons and methods had fallen by the wayside, since the massed pike itself was so effective against armor, not to mention gunpowder weaapons. This does not mean that other weapons were not used, just that they were not used in significant numbers in battle.
Wallenstein's innovations were largely organizational. He hired mercenaries, and ran their commanders like a staff. He was vicious and vindictive, but also extremely keen in sensing weaknesses and exploiting them. Add that to the fact that he never asked the impossible, and he was able to control his battlefield commanders, without ever going into battle himself. In short he was the first of the great rear echelon generals. One writer called him a military general contractor.
Late in the war a French cavalry commander nemed Turrenne is worth a look. His methods were rather like the confederate army in the American Civil war.
This is of course an oversimplification. Pikes and muskets, or more acurately arquebus's in most cases, were the prefered weapons of the general soldier. Armor and anti armor weapons and methods had fallen by the wayside, since the massed pike itself was so effective against armor, not to mention gunpowder weaapons. This does not mean that other weapons were not used, just that they were not used in significant numbers in battle.
Wallenstein's innovations were largely organizational. He hired mercenaries, and ran their commanders like a staff. He was vicious and vindictive, but also extremely keen in sensing weaknesses and exploiting them. Add that to the fact that he never asked the impossible, and he was able to control his battlefield commanders, without ever going into battle himself. In short he was the first of the great rear echelon generals. One writer called him a military general contractor.
Late in the war a French cavalry commander nemed Turrenne is worth a look. His methods were rather like the confederate army in the American Civil war.
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