Warfare in the Seventeenth Century

by Childs, John; Keegan, John; Keegan, John

• ISBN13: 9780304352890
• ISBN10: 0304352896
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Octopus Pub Group

Summary

During the 17th century, technological evolutions in fortifications and arms meant that wars grew longer, armies larger, and military formations more disciplined. Yet, militias remained primarily mercenary; although armaments developed from the pike to the socket bayonet and uniforms began to appear, professionalism remained low. From the multifaceted conflicts of the Thirty Years' War to the campaigns of Louis XIV, a richly detailed picture emerges of military life and structure in the 1600s--its conflicts and conduct, the rise of a standing army, the difficulties posed by reliance on paid soldiers, the changing weaponry, the politics overseeing it all, and the relentless world shift from ancient to modern. A Selection of History Book Club.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	5	(4)
Map List	9	(1)
Chronology of the Wars	10	(5)
Introduction Death of the `Military Revolution'	15	(6)
The Thirty Years War 1618-48	21	(64)
The Bohemian Revolt
The causes of the Thirty Years War
The Bohemain-Palatine War
Mercenaries and military enterprisers
The Danish War
Armies and their methods
Wallenstein
Gustavus Adolphus
The Swedish military system
Sweden's Baltic Wars
Swedish campaigns in Germany
Depredations and devastation
The Franco-Spanish War
The Peace of Westphalia
The Rise of the Standing Army 1648-1700	85	(26)
Standing armies in France, Germany, Denmark, England, Russia, Italy, the Holy Roman Empire and Poland
Recruitment
Conscription
Mercenaries
Training
Officers
Uniforms
Weapons
Equipment
The costs of war and fortification
The Wars of the Mid Century	111	(24)
The Franco-Spanish War, 1648-59
The Thirteen Years War, 1654-67
The Second Northern War, 1655-60
Civil wars in England, Ireland and Scotland
The Ottoman military system
The siege of Candia
The Austro-Turkish War, 1663-4
The siege of Vienna, 1683
The War of the Holy League
The Austro-Turkish War, 1683-99
The Conduct of War 1650-1700	135	(28)
The theatres of war
Strategic geography
Strategy
Logistics
Fortification
Siege warfare
Vauban
Supply
War finance
Weaponry
Formations and tactics
Infantry
Cavalry
Dragoons
Artillery
Command and control
Battle
The laws of war
The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-97	163	(50)
The War of Devolution, 1667-8
The Franco-Dutch War, 1672-8
The campaigns of 1672
The siege of Maastricht, 1673
Turenne's Rhineland campaigns, 1674-5
The Scanian War, 1674-9
Les reunions
Devastation of the Palatinate, 1688-9
The Nine Years War, 1688-97
The siege of Namur, 1695
Colonial warfare
Reflections
The pace and extent of military change in the seventeenth century	207	(6)
Glossary of Military Terminology	213	(1)
Biographical Notes	214	(4)
Further Reading	218	(2)
Index	220	(4)
Picture Credits	224