The Military Tactics That Dominated Europe for Two Centuries
By: Fearghal Fitzgibbon
Tags: Spain, Europe, Military, History, War

The Military Tactics That Dominated Europe for Two Centuries

Pike and shot

Swedish pike and shot in action. Image source: Warlord Games

The end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance was to see warfare change drastically in Europe. It saw the shift away from feudal levies to professional standing armies and the rise of gunpowder.

Three units dominated the battlefield, the gendarme (a professional version of knights), the pikeman, and the cannon. The pikeman defeated the gendarme, the cannon countered pikemen, and gendarmes could overrun cannons.

The Battle of Cerignola in 1503 was to dramatically change tactics in Europe. It is considered the first battle won by firearms and it marked the beginning of 140 years of Spanish dominance over the battlefield. That dominance was based on combining the pike and firearms in a combination known as pike and shot.

The Spanish tercio

The Spanish are generally credited with inspiring pike and shot in Europe. They were the first to marry pike and shot together in a deadly combination in large regiments of 1,500–3,000 men. The Spanish tercio combined the strengths of the Swiss pike square with firearms. The pikemen protected the shooters from cavalry and the shooters could devastate opposing pike squares.

The Spanish tercio was an intimidating sight on the battlefield, resembling a walking castle. Its speed was glacial but it had destructive firepower and was near impossible to break. The Spanish infantry gained such a reputation that they were nicknamed “the Invincibles” and “the Immortals” by envious foes.

The tercios dominated the battlefield for well over a century. This dominance inspired numerous imitations and variations hailing from several nations. The Battle of Rocroi in 1643 is seen as the end of its supremacy.

Spanish tercio deployed. Source: http://forum.milua.org/

The Dutch model

The Dutch had a different take on the tercio system. Soldiers were organised into provisional regiments of 800–1000 men that could be combined or split up depending on their commander’s needs. Regiments typically fought as mutually supporting pairs but could also fight alone.

The Dutch also had a higher proportion of firearms in their pike and shot formations. Dutch regiments usually had more shot than pike, with up to 65% of the unit using firearms. The Dutch were typically outnumbered by neighbouring states so they relied on firepower to maximise their strength on the battlefield.

The Dutch commander, Maurice of Nassau, was greatly influenced by ancient Greek and Roman texts. He did his best to emulate their tactics, modifying them for the gunpowder age. Additionally, their musketeers were more spread out than the Spanish formations which allowed more of them to shoot at once.

Dutch regiments deployed together. Source: http://forum.milua.org/

The Swedish salvo

Another pike and shot variation was used by the Swedish. They realised that their lack of manpower compared to other countries meant that they had to focus on firepower and mobility if they were to win wars.

The Swedes were similar to the Dutch in that they preferred to use smaller units working as a team rather than the large tercios used by the Spanish. Their regiments typically numbered around 600 soldiers. Musketeers would also be deployed on their own to support cavalry units.

Swedish tactics were aggressive. Musketeers would fire at the last possible moment, waiting until the enemy was between thirty and sixty-five metres away. They would then fire in a salvo (everyone firing in one or two volleys), creating a wall of bullets. The Swedes would then charge forward, usually routing the enemy.

These tactics were part of the reason for Swedish success in the Thirty Years War though they were also responsible for heavy casualties when fighting against veteran opponents.

Swedish brigade (3 regiments) deployed. Source: http://forum.milua.org/

The end

Pike and shot dominated European warfare for nearly two centuries. Its end came near the close of the seventeenth century as firearms became more sophisticated and quicker to reload. A major advance was the creation of the bayonet as this enabled musketeers to defend themselves from cavalry and other infantry without the need for pikemen.

Spanish tercio. Source: Pike and Shot.

The pike was phased out of most European armies by 1700. From then on, it would only appear as a weapon used by desperate rebels, one associated with peasant uprisings in countries such as Ireland or Poland.