page_title: History of infantry
section_title: Modern era
hierarchical_section_title: History of infantry / Modern era
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Bersaglieri mit Fahrrädern English: Bersaglieri with Bicycles Français&#160;: Bersaglieri avec des bicyclettes
context_page_description: Although the term infantry dates from the 15th century, the foot troops of the previous eras in history who fought with a variety of weapons before the introduction of the firearms are also referred to as infantry. During the Ancient and Middle Ages Infantry were categorized by the types of weapons and armour they used, such as heavy infantry and light infantry. Since the introduction of firearms, classifications have changed initially to reflect their formations on the battlefield as line infantry, and later to reflect modes of transport and type of tactics used by specific units as Mechanized infantry or airborne infantry.
  The word infantry was borrowed into other Romance languages from the Latin infantem, a "foot soldier" who served in groups composed of those soldiers who were too-inexperienced or too low in rank for membership to the cavalry. As a meaning for an organised type of combat troops, the word dates to 1579 in the French infantrie and Spanish infanteria. However, in military history it has become a common English term to apply to troops from earlier historical periods.
context_section_description: Before the development of railroads in the 19th century, infantry armies got to the battlefield by walking, or sometimes by ship. The Republic of Venice set up the "Fanti da mar", the first corps of troops specifically trained for fighting from ships, in the 15th century or possibly even before; the oldest still-existing Marine corps in the world was established in the 16th century by the Spanish (Infanteria de Marina), followed in the 17th century by other European countries including the United Kingdom. Because of Britain's island status, a large army was unnecessary; however, infantry soldiers were still required for eventual landings. A typical Royal Navy warship carried 600 men, of which 120-180 would have been Royal Marines. These men usually had a deck to themselves and had little to do with sailing the vessel. The men were proficient in the use of metal-working, gunpowder and modern weapons of the day and would form landing parties when exploring. The Marines also defended the vessel if boarded and would repair damaged weapons and cannons after a battle.
  In the mid-19th century—up to and through the American Civil War—the United States made extensive use of infantry both in battle, as well as part of opening the western frontier to settlement. The Buffalo Soldiers were an example of the use of both infantry and cavalry during the period immediately following that war and well beyond.
  In the 1890s and later, some countries, such as Italy with their Bersaglieri, used bicycle infantry, but the real revolution in mobility started in the 1920s with the use of motor vehicles, resulting in motorized infantry. Action in World War II demonstrated the importance of protecting the soldiers while they are moving around, resulting in the development of mechanized infantry, who use armored vehicles for transport. World War II also saw the first widespread use of paratroopers. These were soldiers that parachuted from airplanes into combat, and they played key roles in several campaigns in the European theater.
  During the 19th century, advances in firearms technology rendered the use of close formations obsolete.  Widespread use of rifled guns (including cannons), and the advent of reliable breech-loading weapons and automated weapons like the Gatling gun, altered the tactical landscape.  These weapons fired at greater range with accuracy, and technological improvements in aiming them also simplified the targeting of large bodies of enemy forces. By the late 19th century, the concept of fighting in formation was on the wane, and the distinctions between skirmishers and heavy infantry has now disappeared. During World War I due to the increasing lethality of more modern weapons, such as artillery and machine guns, infantry tactics shifted to trench warfare.
caption: Photo showing Bersaglieri with Bicycles strapped to their backs. Image before 1911.
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