Reformation Battle Tactics

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Battle tactics during the Reformation differed due to the increasing costs of war. With the increasing dollar amount, generals were forced to find strategies to avoid spending as much money as possible. One simple solution was to avoid battle. Armies went on campaigns to destroy the opposition’s resources. Sometimes they were economic resources, like destroying a village and sometimes they were agricultural resources, like destroying a field of crops. The hope was that the soldiers who were losing their crops or their villages would eventually turn on their own commanding forces. While defending against the enemy on an open frontier was challenging enough, defending against a siege was becoming increasingly difficult as well. Innovations of the Renaissance brought advanced battle tactics…show more content…
It was quite dangerous to attack a city that has walls built around it that could also rain down gunfire, while also being weary of reinforcements coming to assist the besieged. In preparation for attacks from inside the castle and outside of it, the attacker dug series of trenches. One trench was dug around the outermost extents of the army, while another trench was dug to prevent the defenders from escaping the castle. Another trench would be dug to house the heavy cannons and a closer trench to protect the smaller guns. The last trench was dug very close to the castle so that mortars could be placed inside. With the upgrades in designing fortresses, besieging armies were much more inclined to simply wait out their opponents. Even during the Reformation, armies generally liked to fight this way, allowing starvation or disease to decide the war. This way, armies did not have to waste countless lives on trying to take the castle day after day, saving money as well. As technology grew, there became less reliance on taking a fortress and a move towards open field battle, making the size of an army crucial to
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