In the wake of the Protestant Reformation in Europe (c.a. 1500-1650), warfare changed dramatically. Shown by this illustration from 1535 with two men loading fieldguns (look how fancy these cannon-sized weapons are), firearms were a major feature. Cannons and handguns replaced pikes and plate-mail armored soldiers, resulting in combats that were less direct, but caused far greater injuries. The arquebus was a four-foot long gun fashionable in the start of the period, but was replaced by longer and heavier muskets as time went on. Siege-guns that could weigh several tons destroyed Medieval walls, and earned names like “Monster”, “Lion”, and “Messenger”, showing how much power they wielded.
The ramifications that these new weapons had on how battles were fought were also profound. Battlelines grew longer, and volley-fire — where enemies were subject to continuous bombardment from the troops’ guns — became typical. More professional military drills were part of the soldiers’ training, enabling ranks to advance before firing and quickly manoeuvre. Cities all across Europe built new fortifications designed to resist canon fire – these were angled bastions, aka “trace italienne”. The bastions were thick, angled fortress walls made of earth, meant to force cannon balls to glance off their sides. The Dutch learned to cover them in turf to absorb the artillery more, and this type of defense was used in Europe until the 20th century.
Sources: _The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse _, by Andrew Cunningham and Ole Peter Grell, Cambridge UP 2000, pp 115-120. Image is plate 3.11, Erhard Schoen, Loading two fieldguns, (c 1535)
