Nature Of Warfare 1700-1900 Flashcards
Composition and command of armies in the beginning of the period (1500) (4)
- Ratio of cavalry to infantry changed all the time but with no particular pattern
- Most generals wanted 2:1 (infantry:cavalry) but this did not happen
- Successful soldiers given the command of the New Model Army during the civil war - Cromwell, Fairfax
- Officers in NMA were given positions on merit, not because of social class although this did not last into late 1600s
Continuity of Composition and command of armies throughout 1700-1900 (3)
- Infantry still dominant force
- Cavalry still valued highly despite decline in effectiveness - Crimean War of 1850s 5 infantry divisions and 1 Cavalry
- Officer class still dominated by upper classes who bought their commissions rather than based on merit
Change of Composition and command of armies in 1700-1900 (before 1850) (2)
- Standing army of approx.500,000 men during this period - grew larger in war time but still smaller than European powers - overall trend of slow growth
- Cavalry about 20% - in slow decline
Change of Composition and command of armies in 1700-1900 (after 1850) (2)
- Growth of army accelerated in late 1800s due to growth in Empire (250,000 by 1899)
- Cardwell Reforms - purchase of commission ended so officers were promoted on merit
Weapons and armour in the beginning (1700-1900) (4)
- Artillery was used much more in battles - range of about 500 metres could also fire grape shot and canisters
- Flintlock musket used by Infantry in 1700
- Cavalry generally armed with swords and pistols (mounted infantry - Dragoons)
- Muskets also had bayonets attached by the 1600s which made them more useful in hand to hand combat - meant that pikes were no longer necessary
Continuity of weapons and armour throughout 1700-1900 (4)
- Artillery continued to be a key weapon
- Flintlock called the Brown Bess introduced in 1715 used for over 130 years
- Cavalry had similar weapons
- Brown Bess continued to be fitted with a bayonet for close combat
Change of weapons and armour in 1700-1900 (before 1850) (2)
- Industrial revolution meant that new techniques were deployed to male lighter field artillery - could be pulled by horses and used in a variety of ways
- Minie bullets and rifles from 1840s
Change of weapons and armour in 1700-1900 (after 1850) (3)
Improvements in science, technology and industry caused many changes:
• Improved cannon - steel, rifled barrels, recoiling barrels, percussion shells by 1900, smokeless powder by 1890s
• Rifles - conical bullets, percussion bullets, magazines of bullets all significantly improved
• Machine guns - e.g Gatling Gun from 1860s, then Maxim Gun from 1890s (up to 500 rounds per minute)
Tactics and strategy in the beginning (1700)
- Infantry tactics using musketeers and pikemen together
- Musketeers and pikemen used in lines/squares
- From 1640s, Cavalry used as ‘shock troops’ again
Continuity of tactics and strategy through 1700-1900 (3)
- Infantry remained the dominant force on the battlefield
- Limited warfare remained the norm 1700-1850
- Raids, skirmishes and sieges more common than battles
Change of tactics and strategy in 1700-1900 (2) (before 1850)
- Improvement in musket fire and marching made infantry manoeuvres more rapid and gave generals more opportunities (e.g changing form lines, columns and squares more quickly as at Waterloo 1815)
- Artillery could also be moved more quickly and cavalry used more for scouting, harassing and skirmishing rather than frontal attacks
Change of tactics and strategy in 1700-1900 (after 1850) (3)
- Improvements in weapons greatly increased the power of defence - this meant that cavalry charges and infantry lines became even more dangerous. Crimean war showed that the British were slow to realise this
- Role of cavalry also diminished further (e,g balaclava) - cavalry still seen as important in a ‘traditional’ way
- Government also changed strategy - larger army was needed and with transport and communication changes, armies could now operate far from home
