The Renaissance at War (Smithsonian History of Warfare)

226 Pages·2006·99.22 MB·English

by  Thomas Arnold

RENAISSANCE AT WAR

RENAISSANCE
AT WAR
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Thomas F. Arnold
General Editor: John Keegan
CASSELL&CO
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Firstpublished2001
Text copyright © Thomas F. Arnold 2001
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ISBN0-304-35270-5
Cartography: ArcadiaEditions
Pictureresearch: ElaineWillis
Design: MartinHendry
TypesetinMonotypeSabon
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Theteachingof historydoes not always getthepublicityitdeserves, thoughthe
writingofhistory woulddoubtless disappearif itwerenotfor theinspiringwork
oftheclassroomprofessional. My studyof theproblemsof Renaissance military
historybeganalmostexactlytwentyyearsago,inaseniorundergraduateseminar
onMachiavellitaught byMarcia Colish at OberlinCollege. Whileotherstudents
fellfor thetrippingverseoftheMandrakeRootorthesteel-coldpoliticalmaxims
of The Prince, I became fascinated with The Art of War, the first and most
influentialpublishedRenaissancetextto wrestle with theproblem of reconciling
ancientand modern militarypractice. Professor Colish'sencouragementof my
interestinMachiavellithe military reformerwas material to mydecision to try a
careerof decipheringthewars of four andfive centuries ago. Ithankherfor her
kindness toward a raw butenthusiasticyoungstudentof history. Otherteachers
andmentors deserve my thanks. Also at Oberlin,William Neil demonstratedthe
potentialmajestyofhistoryinhis beautifullycraftedlectures, alwaysdeliveredto
apackedhouse, andalwaysfollowed bytheapplauseoftheaudience. Ingraduate
school at Ohio State I was coached and prodded by two military historians in
particular,WilliamsonMurray andJohn Guilmartin. Aboveall, Ithank Geoffrey
Parker,myseniorcolleaguein myfirst yearsatYale,whohasdone morethan any
otherpersontosustainmycareeras ahistorianofRenaissancewar.
Thisbookisnotminealone. Itseditor,PennyGardiner,shepherdedtheproject
withgraceandwit. ElaineWillischaseddown myveryspecificandoftenobscure
picturerequests,andMalcolmSwanstonturnedideasandsketchesintomarvellous
maps.MartinHendryartfullyblendedtextandimagesintoawhole. Ithankthem
allfor theirhardandcarefulwork.
Finally, my wife Tiffany merits special acknowledgement: for her steadfast
felicity, andfor herdaily sufferanceof the author'sfascination withthe wars and
battlesoflongago andfar away.
THOMASF. ARNOLD
New Haven
Animaginedsiegescenefrom a1570Germantreatise.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5 5 DUELLING KINGS
MAPLIST 9
StrugglebetweenHabsburgandValoisfordynastic
CHRONOLOGY 10
primacyinEurope: CharlesVIIIinvadesNaples (1494);
WarinItalywiththebattlesofFornovo (1495),
INTRODUCTION
Cerignola (1503),Agnadello (1509),Ravenna (1512),
A
GUNPOWDER
Marignano (1515),Bicocca (1522),Pavia (1525),
REVOLUTION? 15 andthesackofRome (1527);HenryIItakes
Metz,ToulandVerdun (1553);BattlesofStQuentin
I THE NEW FURY (1557) andGravelines (1558);PeaceofCateau
Cambresis (1559) 139
ThefirstEuropeancannon;Thedevelopmentof
gunpowderartillery;Newforms ofmilitary 6 FAITH VERSUS FAITH
architecture,theartillerytowerandtheangle
bastion;Siegecraft 23 TheReformationsparksmulti-sidedEuropean
civilwar;TheGermanPeasants'Revolt (1524-6);
2 THE NEW LEGIONS TheAnabaptistkingdomofMunster (1535);
ThePilgrimageofGrace (1536);TheSchmalkaldic
Theprojectofinfantryreform;Thelegionsof
War (1546-7);TheFrenchReligiousWars (1562-94);
FrancisIofFrance;TheNassaufamilyinHolland;
TheDutchRevolt (1567-1609) 173
AlvianoinVenice;Machiavelli;TheSwiss;The
landsknechts;Thedisciplineofranksandfiles;
BIOGRAPHIES 214
Firearms;Inventionoftacticalformations 53 FURTHERREADING 218
INDEX 220
3 THE NEW CAESARS PICTURECREDITS 224
Europe'schangingmilitaryaristocracy;Themounted
man-at-arms;Otherformsofcavalry;Thepistoleer
andthecaracole;Emulationoftheancientgenerals;
Birthofstrategy 85
4 CROSS VERSUS CRESCENT
GlobalwarbetweenChristendomandIslam;
MehmedIItakesConstantinople(1453);Thesieges
ofOtrantoandRhodes (1480-81);Suleymantakes
Rhodes (1522);TheOttomanArmy;Thedestruction
ofHungary (1526);ThesiegeofVienna (1529);
TheriseofHabsburgSpain;CharlesVtakesTunis
(1535);thesiegeofMalta (1565);Thebattleof
Alcazarquivir (1578) 1°7
KEY TO MAPS
Militaryunits-types Generalmilitarysymbols
infantry siteofbattle
iiiiiM cavalry stronghold
o
siege
.. fieldgun
Militarymovements
attack
-r retreat
Geographicalsymbols
urbanarea
• J urbanarea(3Dmaps) canal
river internalborder
seasonalriver internationalborder
MAP LIST
I. THE REFORTIFICATION OF EUROPE, 1450-1600 42-43
2. FORTRESSES OFTHE WORLD, 1500-1600 43
3· CHRISTIAN EUROPEVSTHE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, 1450-1574 108-9
4· THE SIEGE OF RHODES, 1522 114-15
5· THE SIEGE OF MALTA, 1565 130-31
6. THE BATTLE OF ALCAZARQUIVIR, 1578 136-7
7· DUELLING KINGS, 1494-1559 141
8. THE BATTLE OF RAVENNA, 1512 148-9
9· THE BATTLE OF PAVIA, 1525 158-9
10. THE SACK OF ROME, 1527 165
II. CAMPAIGNS IN NORTHERN FRANCE, 1552-9 168
12. CHRISTENDOM DIVIDED, 1515-1609 174-5
13· THE GERMAN PEASANTS' REVOLT, 1524-6 178
14· THE BATTLE OFST DENIS, 1567 190-91
15· THE DUTCH REVOLT, 1566-1609 199
16. THE SIEGE OF ANTWERP, 1584-5 204-5
17· NAVARREVS PARMA, 1588-93 208
18. THE BATTLE OF NIEUPORT, 1600 212