Land Battles In The 16th Century

By André Geraque Kiffer

As the main characteristics of this period in the Terrestrial War, we highlight that the infantry underwent profound developments, evolving from a force that wielded swords and halberds to a more flexible arrangement of arquebusiers, pikemen and other troops. While the shock weapons of German landsknechts and Swiss mercenaries continued to dominate during the beginning of the Italian Wars, from 1521 onwards the power of firearms was demonstrated. In some battles the available bibliographic sources have gaps in organizations and historical maneuvers. In these cases I will fill these gaps in the most credible way possible, crossing and / or merging references, establishing an average in the numbers, and thus meet the needs of my hypothesis to be studied. In the simulation, all the possibilities of the study s purpose are completed, when the past of history is analyzed based on the theory of the present and designed for similar situations in the future. In the development of simulated battles we will use the rules, maps, command cards and data (random factor) from the “Command & Colors” game from GMT Games and the pieces from “Pavia: Climax of the Italian Wars” game by Decision Games.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Feb 4, 2024

Book preview

ANDRÉ  GERAQUE  KIFFER

An  historical  simulation

of  land  battles

in  the  16th  century

Author's  Edition

Resende

2020

---  Kiffer,  André  Geraque.

An  historical  simulation  of  land  battles  in  the  16th  century. André  Geraque  Kiffer.

Author's  Edition,  Resende,  2020.

Bibliography:  216  p.  75  im.  21  cm..

1.  History.  2.  Art  of  War.  3.  Science  of  War.  4.  Wargames. I.  Author.  II.  Title.

ISBN  978-65-00-07470-3

2

3 PROLOGUE

Supported  by  a  summary  of  the  historical  fact  (war, campaign  and  /  or  battle),  I  try  to  analyze  and highlight  the  decisive  factors,  before  simulating alternative  what  if…  hypotheses  through  a  board game.  In  the  simulation,  all  the  possibilities  of  the study's  purpose  are  completed,  when  the  past  of history  is  analyzed  based  on  the  theory  of  the present  and  designed  for  similar  situations  in  the future.  So  far  I  have  published  the  following  series: I.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Wars  of  the  First Empires  in  2010;  VIII.  Historical  Simulation  of  the First  World  War  in  2011;  II.  Historical  Simulation  of the  Wars  in  Classical  Greece  in  2012;  III. Historical  Simulation  of  the  Roman  Wars  in  2016; and  IV.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the Medieval  Era  in  2018.  I  plan  to  publish  the  following series:  V.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the Modern  Era  (1453  to  1774);  "VI.  Historical Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Age  of  Revolutions  (1775-

1860);  VII.  Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the

4

Industrial  Age  (1861  to  1913);  IX.  Historical Simulation  of  World  War  II;  and  X.  Historical Simulation  of  the  Cold  War  (1917  to  1989)".  After being  based  on  this  comprehensive  view  of  Military History  since  1560  BC  in  Ancient  Egypt,  and  on  the knowledge  acquired  in  my  studies  for  a  doctor’s degree  of  Military  Science  in  2000  and  a  bachelor's degree  in  History  in  2019,  I  will  complete  the  project by  writing  and  publishing  an  own  theory  on  the  Art and  Science  of  War. Keywords:  History.  Art  of  War.  Science  of  War.

Wargames.

5 SUMMARY

SIXTEENTH  CENTURY  LAND  BATTLES………….6 FORNOVO.…………………………………......……16 CERIGNOLA….……………………………………...36 GARIGLIANO………………………………………..53 RAVENNA……………………………………………68 NOVARA……………………………………………...90 CERESOLE…………………………………………103 MARCIANO…………………………………………120 MÜHLBERG………………………………………..135 DREUX……………………………………………...153 COURTRAS………………………………………...170 NIEUWPOORT……………………………………..184

ANNEXES........…………………………………….210

6 SIXTEENTH  CENTURY  LAND  BATTLES

Names  of  people  and  places  will  be  kept  in  their original  languages,  unless  there  is  an  English  form necessary  for  understanding.  Titles  or  technical terms  in  other  languages,  when  there  is  no  better translation  into  English,  will  be  kept  and  explained the  first  time  they  appear.

Im  1:  Art  and  Science  of  War  at  Early  Modern  Era.

As  the  main  characteristics  of  this  period  in  the Terrestrial  War,  we  highlight  that  the  infantry underwent  profound  developments,  evolving  from  a force  that  wielded  swords  and  halberds  to  a  more flexible  arrangement  of  arquebusiers,  pikemen  and other  troops.  While  the  shock  weapons  of  German

landsknechts  and  Swiss  mercenaries  continued  to

7

dominate  during  the  beginning  of  the  Italian  Wars, from  1521  onwards  the  power  of  firearms  was demonstrated.

The  landsknechts  1

1  2

2  were  an  important  military force  in  Europe  in  the  15th  and  16th  centuries. Consisting  predominantly  of  German  pikemen,  they were  the  universal  mercenaries  of  modern  Europe, sometimes  fighting  on  both  sides  of  a  conflict. Several  thousand  of  them  were  in  permanent service  to  Austria  between  1486  and  1560,  forming most  of  the  Imperial  Army  (Holy  Roman  Empire).

Its  organizational  structure  predicted:  a generalobrist  (for  more  than  one  regiment)  or generalfeldobrist  (for  more  than  one  weapon),  an obrist  (for  a  regiment  with  3  to  5,000  soldiers)  or feldobrist  (field  colonel  for  more  than  one  weapon), a  locumtenens  (lieutenant  colonel),  a  schultheiss (major  for  law  and  order),  fähnlein  (captains  for each  company  with  300  to  500  soldiers),  oberster

1

1  RICHARDS,  John.  Warrior:  Landsknecht  Soldier  1486-

1560.  Oxford,  England:  Osprey,  2002.

2

2  MILLER,  Douglas.  Men-at-Arms:  The  Landsknechts.

Oxford,  England:  Osprey,  1976.

8

feldweibel  (lieutenants  for  battle  order),  hurenweibel (regimental  sergeants),  gemeinweibel  (company sergeants)  and  doppelsöldner  (cables).

Landsknechts  fought  in  a  square  of  pikes  that they  called  gevierte  Ordnung,  forty  to  sixty  men deep.  Doppelsöldnern  (current  cables)  made  up  the first  two  rows  of  the  formation,  followed  by  flags  and pikemen.  These  were  supported  by  halberdiers, with  swordsmen  at  the  front  and  rear  to  break  the opponent's  legs  and  pikes.  Arquebusiers  were positioned  on  the  flanks.

The  use  of  firearms  in  the  Italian  Wars  3

3  it  was so  successful  that  Niccolò  Machiavelli,  often characterized  as  an  enemy  of  the  use  of  arquebus, wrote  in  his  treatise  on  The  Art  of  War  that  all citizens  of  a  city  should  know  how  to  fire  a  weapon.

Several  Spanish  soldiers  who  participated  in the  Italian  Wars  emigrated  to  the  Americas  and became  conquerors.  Among  the  men  who participated  in  Hernán  Cortés'  conquest  in  Mexico,

3

3  TAYLOR,  F.L..  The  Art  of  War  in  Italy  1494-1529.

Cambridge,  England:  University  Press,  1921.

9

there  were  veterans  who  instructed  others  on  the use  of  cannons.

Heavy  cavalry  -  the  ultimate  evolution  of  the armored  medieval  knight  -  remained  a  major  player on  the  battlefields  of  the  Italian  Wars.  In  these, French  gendarmes  (men-at-arms  in  the  Medieval Era)  were  generally  successful  against  heavy mounted  troops  from  other  states,  due  significantly to  their  excellent  horses.  However,  they  were  very vulnerable  to  the  formation  of  pikemen.  The Spaniards,  in  addition  to  using  heavy  cavalry,  also used  light  cavalry  (the  riders).

Field  artillery  became  an  indispensable  part  of any  first-class  army  during  the  Italian  Wars.  During the  invasion  of  Italy,  Charles  VIII  employed  the  first truly  mobile  siege  train:  colubrines  and  bombards mounted  on  wheeled  carriages,  which  could  be directed  against  an  enemy  fortress  immediately after  his  arrival.

This  arsenal  for  siege,  French,  brought  several technological  innovations.  Charles'  army  pulled

cannons  with  horses,  instead  of  the  oxen  normally

10

used  at  the  time.  In  addition,  French  cannons,  made using  bronze  church  bell  methods,  have  achieved  a lightness  and  mobility  never  seen  before.

Perhaps  the  most  important  improvement  that the  French  made  for  cannons,  however,  was  the creation  of  the  iron  bullet  (projectile).  Before  the Italian  Wars,  artillery  fired  stone  balls  that  often shattered  on  impact.  The  invention  of  the  water  mill allowed  the  ovens  to  generate  enough  heat  to  melt the  iron  and  be  melted  into  cannonballs.  With  this technology,  Charles'  army  could  raze,  in  a  matter  of hours,  castles  that  previously  resisted  sieges  for months  and  years.

Much  of  the  fighting  during  the  Italian  Wars  took place  during  sieges.  The  successive  invasions forced  Italy  to  adopt  increasing  levels  of  fortification, using  new  developments  as  detached  bastions  in relation  to  the  main  walls,  which  could  better withstand  the  surrounding  artillery  fire.  These innovations  in  fortification  techniques  reached  their peak  with  Dürer  in  the  Netherlands  and  Vauban  in

France.

11

Im  2:  Board  games.

In  the  development  of  simulated  battles  we  will use  the  rules,  maps,  command  cards  and  data (random  factor)  of  GMT  Games  Command  & Colors  4

4  and  Decision  Games  Pavia:  Climax  of the  Italian  Wars  5

5  pieces.

Translations  of  the  terms  of  the  games, abbreviations,  command  cads,  rules  and  tables  are available  in  the  Annexes  at  the  end  of  the  book, offering  a  quick  consultation  for  clarifying  and monitoring  the  simulations  of  all  battles.  The

4

4  WARGAME.  Command  &  Colors.  Richard  Borg.  Hanford,

California:  GMT  Games,  2012.

5

5  WARGAME.  Pavia:  Climax  of  the  Italian  Wars.  Bakersfield,

California:  Decision  Games,  2012.

12

identifications  of  the  parts  (units  and  chiefs)  will  be shown  in  the  figures.

The  pieces  and  situations  of  greater prominence  and  of  interest  to  our  simulated hypotheses,  the  first  time  they  occur,  will  receive  a brief  historical  quote,  as  our  concern  will  be  more  in addressing  the  aspects  of  chiefs,  military  units, weapon  systems,  tactics  and  techniques,  which characterize  timeless  models,  valid  in  other situations  in  time.

In  some  battles  the  available  bibliographic sources  have  gaps  in  organizations  and  historical maneuvers.  In  these  cases  I  will  fill  these  gaps  in the  most  believable  way  possible,  crossing  and  /  or merging  references,  establishing  an  average  in  the numbers,  and  thus  meet  the  needs  of  my hypothesis  to  be  studied.

For  the  purpose  of  locating  the  pieces  and actions,  the  references  Center,  Left  and  Right correspond  to  the  side  of  the  board  being

considered  in  the  play,  that  is,  the  white  of  the

13

League  at  the  bottom  or  the  black  of  France  at  the top.  Geographic  North  points  to  the  top  of  the  board.

Im  3:  Chess  and  the  Art  &  Science  of  War.

During  the  analysis  and  simulation  of  wars, campaigns  and  battles,  when  applicable,  we  will make  use  of  our  concepts  on  the  Art  and  Science  of War  combined  with  the  game  of  Chess  6

6  .

Therefore,  remember  that  in  the  Opening phase,  each  player  must  develop  his  pieces  to achieve  two  main  objectives:  to  be  ready  to  play with  all  his  strength  together  and  combined;  and, second,  to  interfere  in  the  development  of  the opponent  (s).  If  your  pieces  cannot  occupy  the central  square  (political,  strategic  or  tactical  core

6

6  KIFFER,  André  Geraque.  The  Study  of  Wars  and  the

Chess  Games.  Rio  de  Janeiro:  Clube  de  Autores,  2014.

14

of  the  board),  try  to  place  them  in  the  extended square.

From  there,  in  the  Middle  Game  phase  you need  to  keep  yourself  safe  in  the  spaces  of  your core  and  consider  your  war  plan,  particularly  aiming at  the  paths  (lines,  columns  and  diagonals  of  the board)  open  as  the  pawn  structure  evolves.  Will  you attack  the  opposing  king  (select  a  path,  concentrate and  invade)  or  will  you  dominate  the  center  and push  (advance  across  a  wide  front)  the  opposing line  back?  Or  maybe  you  can  put  pressure  on  the queen  with  her  bishops  (move  through  pathways and  side  spaces  or  on