| Abstract | Tema rada prati stratešku i taktičku poziciju konjice u ratovanju od kasnog srednjeg vijeka do Napoleonskih ratova. Rad je podijeljen u pet većih poglavlja. Prvo poglavlje postavlja temelje za glavni fokus rada. Ono prati razvoj i evoluciju konjice od njenog prvog spomena u izvorima za vrijeme Neoasirskog Carstva do razvijenog srednjeg vijeka. Odnosno prati razvoj konjice sponzorirane od države od Asirije do kasnijih mediteranskih civilizacija koje su ju prihvatile s fokusom na Perziju, Grčku i Rimsku Republiku. Rimsko je Carstvo fokus prvog poglavlja jer se upravo u tom periodu ističu konjanici kao bitan čimbenik vojske u kontrastu s Republikom koja se oslanjala na legionare. Taj se trend nastavlja kroz srednji vijek u zapadnoj Europi gdje se vojno umijeće konjice usavršilo. Kraj prvog poglavlja opisuje konjanike, odnosno vitezove, kao najutjecajnije i najbolje vojnike njihovog razdoblja. Sljedeća četiri poglavlja daju primjere koji se baziraju na četiri velika rata u Europi u različitim periodima, Stogodišnjem ratu, Talijanskim ratovima, Tridesetogodišnjem ratu i Sedmogodišnjem ratu. Stogodišnji rat koji je trajao od prve polovice 14. stoljeća do 1453. godine prvi je primjer. Izbor rata služi kao dobar primjer sukoba iz kasnog srednjeg vijeka ne samo zbog njegova dugog trajanja već i zbog kampanja i bitki koje su bile lice rata navedenog perioda. Nakon opisa strateške i taktičke pozadine rad opisuje širi kontekst tri velike bitke rata, bitki kod Crecyja, Poitiersa i Agincourta. Navedene bitke su opisane iz strateške i taktičke perspektive s objašnjenjem zašto je francuska konjica potučena svakom prilikom provodeći suptilnu ideju da pješaštvo, ukoliko je iskorišteno na pravi način, može pobijediti najjaču vojnu silu svog vremena prije pojave sofisticiranijeg vatrenog oružja. Sljedeće poglavlje posvećeno je Talijanskim ratovima. Ratovi na Apeninskom poluotoku uzeti su kao primjer radi njihove tranzicijske pozicije u povijesti ratovanja te mješavine starijih načina ratovanja uz sve veću penetraciju vatrenog oružja na bojištima. Stoga, strateške i taktičke dispozicije vojski su veoma varirale kroz navedene sukobe. Iz ovog razloga, strateške karakteristike kampanja su objašnjene prije primjera bitki kao taktičke komponente za razliku od prošlog poglavlja. Odnosno, stalne promjene na bojištima su uvjetovale drukčiji pristup tematici. Tradicionalne vojne postulate poljuljali su topovi Karla VIII., njihov iznenadan povratak obilježen je uspjehom francuske konjice kod Ravenne, i konačno, efektivnost španjolskih arkebuzira kod Pavije protiv francuske konjice predvođene njezinim kraljem završila je poglavlje ali otvorila nova pitanja koja se nastavljaju obrađivati u radu. Efektivnost vatrenog oružja koja je postala očita u trećem poglavlju porasla je dramatično do četvrtog poglavlja u kojem je Tridesetogodišnji rat uzet kao primjer daljnjeg razvoja vojne doktrine. Poput prošlog poglavlja strateške karakteristike i kampanje su opisane prije taktičkih primjera kroz tri odabrane bitke. Razlog takvom rasporedu su konstante promjene u vojnoj teoriji i praksi kroz trajanje sukoba. Nova oružja strategije, taktike i doktrina definirala je bojišta Tridesetogodišnjeg rata. Rat, poput znanosti, postao je pitanje eksperimentiranja a ne tradicije. Iz navedenih razloga kao taktički primjeri izabrane su tri bitke, Bila hora, Lützen i Rocroi. Konačno, peto je poglavlje uzelo inspiraciju iz drugog poglavlja o Stogodišnjem ratu. Njegovi strateški i taktički razvoji su objašnjeni prije faktografije i taktičkih inovacija koje su se manifestirale u samim bitkama. S velikim promjenama u ratovanju koje se počelo u potpunosti oslanjati na vatreno oružje konjica je redefinirala svoju ulogu. Dok su konjanici Tridesetogodišnjeg rata bili primarno naoružani vatrenim a zatim hladnim oružjem pruske reforme u konjici koje je inicirao Fridrik II. su vratile koplja i sablje u ruke konjice. Stoga, Sedmogodišnji je rat označio promjenu sa spomenutim reformama koje će definirati daljnji razvoj doktrine u budućnosti. Nakon opisa reformi poglavlje završava s taktičkim primjerima dvije velike bitke kod Rossbacha i Leuthena. |
| Abstract (english) | The topic of this paper follows strategic and tactical developments of the cavalry from the late Middle Ages to the Napoleonic wars. It is divided in the five main chapters. The first chapter lays the foundations for the grand scheme of the topic. It follows the developments and evolution of cavalry forces from its dawn during the Neoassyrian Empire to the high Middle Ages. Hence, it answers the question of the first state sponsored cavalrymen in the Assyrian army and their adoption in the Mediterranean civilizations with focus on Persia, Greece and Roman Republic. Roman Empire in and of itself is focus during the antiquity for it paved the way for a horseman to be adopted as a very important arsenal of its armed forces in contrast to the late Republic which relied on its well drilled legionaries. That trend continued throughout the Middle Ages of the western Europe where and when the military craft of the cavalry was perfected. The end of the first chapter establishes the cavalrymen in form of knights as the creme de la creme of the military machine of their age. Next four chapters are case studies based on four great wars of Europe in its various periods, the Hundred Years War, the Italian Wars, the Thirty Years War and the Seven Years War. The Hundred Years War as a first example spans from the first half of 14. century until its bitter end in 1453 AD. It is chosen as a good example of military conflicts of the late Middle Ages for its longevity, while its campaigns and battles represented fine portrayal of the face of war of its period. After the strategic and tactical background, the paper examines the wider context of three great battles of the war, Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt. Those three battles are examined from a strategic and tactical point of view with explanation why was the French cavalry soundly defeated on every occasion making the subtle point that infantry, if properly used, can defeat the greatest force of its time even before the appearance of gunpowder. Next chapter is dedicated to Italian Wars. Wars on the Apennine Peninsula were taken as a case study for its transitional position and blend of old ways of warfare and penetration of the gunfire-based weapons. Hence, its strategical and tactical disposition of armies varied greatly throughout the conflict. For this reason, strategical disposition was explained before each of the three battles unlike in the previous chapters. Everchanging situation on the battlefields yielded different approach on the subject. Traditions that were regarded as military maxims were fundamentally changed with the guns of the Charles VIII., surprising success of the French cavalry at Ravenna, and finally, the effectiveness of the Spanish arquebusiers against the French cavalry charge led by its king at Pavia. Effectiveness of the gunpowder weapons which became apparent in the third chapter was upscaled in the fourth chapter which takes Thirty Years War as an example of further development of military doctrine. Just as previous chapter, strategical disposition was explained before tactical examples of the battles for the constant changes in military theory and practice during the length of the conflict. New weapons, strategy, stratagems, tactics and doctrine defined the battlefields of the Thirty Years War. War, like science, became the question of experimentation rather than tradition. In that regard, three battles, Bila Hora, Lützen and Rocroi were chosen as an example of tactical changes that engulfed the warring parties of the conflict. Finally, the fifth chapter took an inspiration from the Hundred Years War. Its strategical and tactical developments were explained before the timeline and events that defined them. With the great changes in warfare and complete reliance on gunpowder cavalry redefined its role. While the cavalrymen of the Thirty Years War were armed with gunpowder weapons Prussian reforms of the cavalry initiated by Frederick II. returned the spears and sabers in the hands of the horsemen. The Seven Years war was the changing point with its reforms of cavalry which paved the way for the further development of the horsemanship in the future. The torch of reforms was carried by the Prussian military which is the topic of this chapter. After the establishment of those facts the chapter ends with tactical example of two great battles of the war, battles of Rossbach and Leuthen. |
