17th Century Warfare

Seventeenth-century warfare marked a transition from medieval strategies to more modern techniques. Armies relied on firearms, such as muskets and cannons, making battles deadlier. Tactics evolved to include formations like the "tercios," which combined pikemen and shot. Fortifications became more complex, with star-shaped designs to withstand artillery. The period also saw the rise of professional armies and the emergence of nation-states, often fighting for territorial control or religious reasons. Key conflicts included the Thirty Years' War and the English Civil War, which shaped European politics and military organization for centuries to come.