The main problem the Spanish Army of Flanders had leading up to Rocroi is that because of conflicts and distrust between different commanders, certain units of the army basically functioned as separate armies. It was hard to coordinate and impose a disciplined battle plan.
The tercio tactics were still brilliant defensively but lacked mobility and cooperation with the cavalry offensively. This was even more hindered by the fact that Spanish cavalry was of inferior quality and the lack of central command to coordinate units like at Rocroi.
For example at Rocroi the Spanish commander Melo gave Issembourg's Alsatian cavalry independent role where it was first used in a useless task of guarding the fortress of Rocroi then engaging in a successful yet underutilized counterattack on the French without proper back up.
At the same time the modernized Protestant and French armies were able to coordinate with cavalry better, use musketeers as skirmishers and fall back behind cavalry when in danger, keeping the line flexible and mobile etc.
At Rocroi the French cavalry cooperated with infantry perfectly. Whenever a cavalry unit would broke it would withdraw behind infantry and regroup by its side and return to the battle. Meanwhile the Spanish cavalry was routed with no real support from infantry.
And without cavalry support it was too risky to send Spanish musketeers to engage the enemy and separate them from pikemen this way. This basically made the Spanish infantry an immobile fortress on the battlefield, slowly picked apart by cannons and attacks from all sides.
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Today 12 February is anniversary of the Battle of the Herrings during the Hundred Years' War in 1429. The French attacked the English supply convoy of around 300 wagons which carried weapons and food, including barrels of herring (type of fish)! The English beat the attackers!
The English had been besieging the city of Orléans and a supply convoy was headed from Paris led by Sir John Fastolf. He commanded a force of around 1000 archers and some light cavalry that escorted around 300 carts and wagons carried to the besiegers at Orléans!
Sir John Fastolf was a brave man and a very capable commander. An experienced veteran who was also a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter! He was entrusted to bring safely to Orléans the convoy which also carried salted fish, "herring and Lenten stuff"!
The Battle of Rocroi, the legendary last stand of the tercios! On 19 May 1643 the Spanish Army of Flanders was decisively defeated by the French near the fortress of Rocroi. During this chaotic and bloody battle, the bravery of Spanish tercios achieved great fame even in defeat!
The battle of Rocroi happened in the context of the Franco-Spanish War which began in 1635 when Catholic France cynically entered the Thirty Years' War as an ally of the Protestant Dutch and Swedish to combat their Habsburg rivals.
Spain had already been in war with the Dutch for decades and this new war with France pushed Spain to the limits as it now had to protect the "Spanish road" through which troops were transported to Flanders. On top of that, revolts broke out in Portugal and Catalonia.
This is where Napoleon first displayed his greatness.
The Siege of Toulon in 1793.
"I have no words to describe Bonaparte's merit: much technical skill, an equal degree of intelligence, and too much gallantry."
What was so impressive about this young Corsican man?
Let's see.
Like Napoleon said himself,
"It was in Toulon that my reputation began."
The siege of Toulon was a very important battle for revolutionary French Republic as they faced an alliance of local rebels and foreign powers of the anti-French coalition. They had recapture the very important and well fortified naval base of Toulon.
Today 1 February is the anniversary of the Skirmish at Bender when in 1713 around 600 Ottomans attacked Swedish King Charles XII protected by around 40 soldiers. Why did the Ottomans attack the Swedish King so far away from his home in modern-day Moldavia? I explain... (thread)
After the battle of Poltava in 1709 where the Russians defeated the Swedish, Swedish King Charles XII fled to the Ottoman Empire, an enemy of Russia. He would spend the next 4 years in the Ottoman lands!
The Swedish King was initially well accepted and settled in Bender, an Ottoman-controlled town in modern-day Moldavia which had a fortress.
During his long military career that spanned from 1476 to 1529, Nicholas of Salm fought against a "who's who" of legendary military units at the time. His experience was unmatched when he defended Vienna as a 70 year old veteran.
Let's take a look at his resume! (thread)
At 17 years of age he fought his first battle against the Burgundians at Morat in 1477 for Lower League alliance, facing the most powerful ruler in Europe at the time, Charles the Bold, the Duke of the West, and his feared knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece!
In 1483 he entered the service of Austrian Habsburgs and under their banner fought against the legendary Black Army of Hungary, the strongest army in Europe at the time. Ferocious mercenaries who fought for Matthias Corvinus of Hungary with a stellar record and brutal reputation.
The war between Teutonic Order and the Lithuanian pagans was one of the longest conflicts ever! There was some kind of fighting almost every year from 1283 to 1406, but very few big battles. It was basically a war of attrition, but with both sides getting stronger in the process.
The fighting revolved around raids into enemy territory where both sides pillaged enemy territory back and forth. However these raids had to be well organized and the logistics were very difficult. Campaigning was only possible for a limited time of the year!
This is primarily due to two things: geography and climate. These lands were covered by dense forests, bogs, lakes and rivers. There was a belt of uncleared land between the two enemies as a no man's land. This presented logistical challenges that were very difficult to overcome.