SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: Jim S who wrote (16898)1/23/2007 3:12:55 PM
From: TimF   of 71588
 
Pre-civil war, massed formations might not have been smart if the terrain was against you (try moving your formation through hilly wooded country, while skirmishers or (in later periods) snipers keep whittling away at it), but in the open field massed formations usually beat dispersed units.

Some of the best fighters for their times, like the Mongols, had the ability to get some advantage from each. They could disperse to take care of different tasks, or to scout effectively but still could combine to strike with power. Other forces would use "combined arms" where they had scouts and skirmishers to find and weaken the enemy, and massed formations to land the killing blow.

But the Gatling guns (and also the increase in number and accuracy of rifles, and development and improvement of artillery) finally ended the mass formation. (Can you imagine trying to fight in such a formation with today's weapons? It would be over quick, but you wouldn't have many people left to tell the tale).

The revolutionary period was in some ways more like ancient battles then modern battles. I read a speculative article that Alexander's army would have had a chance against armies up to the point of the Napoleonic era, if the men and horses could somehow be trained to be used to the effects of gunpowder. I'm not totally sure about that (the phalanx formations would make nice inflexible targets for even very early artillery) but its not as far fetched as it sounds. But within the lifetime of many of the Napoleonic era soldiers, Alexander's, or Napoleon's armies, wouldn't have stood a chance.
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  

HomeMailHotSubjectMarksPeopleMarksKeepersSettings
Terms Of UseContact UsCopyright/IP PolicyPrivacy PolicyAbout UsFAQAdvertise on SI
© 2025 Knight Sac Media.  Data provided by Twelve Data, Alpha Vantage, and CityFALCON News