andkat

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I think this is a big open question; currently I still disagree. For one thing, the initial plagues weren't 90% death rate, but more like 50% IIRC. For another... well, when I get to this part in the book I'll have a better sense of how disorganized they became. My guess is that you are way overestimating it. Remember, I'm not saying the effect was negligible--I'm saying the effect wasn't so big as to undermine the conclusions I drew about tech and diplomacy advantages. (Or the conclusions I list in the "lessons" section). You are the one making the extreme claim here, as far as I understand you currently."

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I have seen... (read 765 more words →)

The Spanish infantry were widely considered the best in Europe for some centuries; the Spanish themselves developed the tercio towards the end of the Reconquista (I presume deriving from the model of Swiss mercenaries) and thereby pioneered the style of warfare (pike and shot) that would displace and dominate throughout European militaries for the next few centuries. It was the capacity for effective combined arms formation warfare (as opposed to fighting as individuals or relying on cavalry) that paved the way for European successes in Asia (as with the decisive Austrian conquest of Hungary from the Ottomans in the late 17th century). The primary advantage that the European developed (in part... (read 910 more words →)