The Nature of Warfare In The Early Modern Period Flashcards
Give a brief overview of the changes in the army between c1500 - c1700.
Between 1500 and 1700, warfare became more professional. Men were employed full-time as professional soliders and were trained to fight with new weapons and tactics.
What was the composition of the armies between c1500 and c1700?
- Armies still included cavalry, infantry and artillery, assisted by labourers, engineers and baggage trains for supplies.
- Still 2 : 1 - infantry : cavalry ratio.
- Changes arose as training was needed for new weapons, such as muskets and cannon, and armies became much more professional.
- Artillery trains slowly increased in size and importance and field artillery improved.
Describe the role of the cavalry in the battlefield between c1500 and c1700
Cavalry was no longer the decisive force in battle (yet continued its specialist role).
- It harassed the enemy with pistols and skirmished with enemy cavalry.
- The mounted charge was little used until it re-emerged during the English Civil Wars.
- Dragoons (mounted infantry) took on the role of the mounted archer until 1700.
Describe the role of the infantry on the battlefield between c1500 and c1700.
Infantry became dominant as a result of new weapons and tactics, and was divided into two key roles:
- Musketeers gradually replaced archers.
- Armoured pikemen increasingly fought in large, disciplined squares or columns.
Describe the role of the government between c1500 and c1700.
Rulers increasingly used taxes to pay for hiring soldiers. The use of mercenaries also increased.
Soldiers owed loyalty to the mercenary leader that recruited them.
What is a standing army?
- A standing army is a permanent force of full-time professional soldiers. They gave rulers a lot of power and ensured that troops were well trained.
Why did England not have a standing army previously?
- Before the Civil War, England did not have a standing army because parliament controlled taxes and a standing army was very expensive.
- Parliament also feared a standing army would make the king too powerful, however during the Civil War, Parliament set up a standing army to fight the king.
Using dates explain the development of the standing army.
1639-40 : Limitations in English militia exposed during Scottish occupation of the North of England.
1645 : Parliament forms the New Model Army, a professional national army, to win Civil War.
1648 : Second Civil War leads to Oliver Cromwell becoming Protector of England. Army retained.
1660-88 : Return of the king. Army continues to be retained due to the constant threat of war.
1688 onwards : Army “renewed” each year to maintain principle of no standing army.
Explain the strategy and tactics used between c1500 and c1700.
- Pikemen could stop a cavalry charge, but were easy targets. Pikemen and musketeers had to act together to be effective.
- Lots of training needed to change formations when needed; under cavalry attack, pikemen would form a square around musketeers. By 1600, squares were replaced by lines of musketeers that provided a volley of fire.
When did the musket begin replacing the longbow? Why?
By 1550, the musket began replacing the longbow due to 3 main reasons :
- Developments in science and technology : new high-carbon steel armour mostly arrow-proof but could be penetrated by muskets. Mass production of bullets meant they were available to issue to any solider. You could easily store thousands of bullets in a barrel, unlike arrows, which were also expensive.
- Changes in thinking : reports of musketeers defeating pikemen in battle led to changes in tactics (eg Henry VIII received a battle report outlining success of German muskets against the previously unbeatable Swiss pikemen).
- Changes in society : growth of towns and changes in farming reduced the number of archers able to train. It also took years of practice to master the bow compared to a few days to master the musket.
What type of pistol was developed for cavalry? When?
- In the 1540s, the wheel-lock pistol was developed (smaller firearm, suitable for use by cavalry).
- Pistols + swords replaced lances and armour abandoned as improved firepower made it redundant.
- Use of the charge declined. Dragoons instead armed with arquebuses (or smaller muskets) which were used to skirmish and threaten an enemy’s flanks.
What replaced the matchlock musket? Why? When?
By the 1690s, the flintlock mechanism replaced the matchlock musket. This was because matchlock was:
- dangerous near gunpowder due to its exposed match flame
- unreliable in rain as the match would go out
- visible at night due to the exposed glow
What bayonets emerged during c1500 - c1700? When?
- 1660s : plug bayonet emerged.
- 1705 : pike replaced with the socket bayonet which converted musketeers into mêlée combatants so troops no longer needed to be split into two seperate roles and wasted.
What new technology made the rising power of the cannon weaken?
- New engineering methods led to stronger defensive walls as protection.
- From the 1530s, England spent vast sums constructing new style defenses.
- Low, thick, earth filled walls met blows from cannon balls without shattering.
- Walls were angled, so cannon balls would bounce off without damaging them.
- Bastions provided defensive positions for the return of canon fire.
