Tercios and ironclads

[TranquillityBase]

Duke,



Just wanted to add another reply but didn't want to clutter up NaPM.



I thought of guerilla war (on the Spanish question) but that has to go back to ever since there were kings.  But true, in a modern history since, that became a model I guess.



Your reply sent me to read about tercios, and those Crimean ironclads will be next.



One thing that shocked me was that Gibraltar was "biggest battle of War for American Independence".  Not used to thinking that other nations were involved and Europe was a theatre.



TqB

The other greatest battle of the (American) Revolution was also in 1782 - the naval battle of The Saint(e)s (also Domenica),  which the French lost badly.  We Americans tend to idly wonder why nothing much happened between Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris... in fact, a great deal did, with the Royal Navy and British Army "sent to say stop (Kipling)" to French and Spanish aspirations.  This they did, decisively, so Britain kept Gibraltar and her West Indies possessions.  Admiral Rodney, who commanded brilliantly at the Saintes, was in large measure responsible for the defeat at Yorktown -  he left an inadequate fleet off Virginia while he plundered in the West Indies.  Which was duly trounced, leaving Cornwallis no escape from Yorktown.



Speaking of guerilla war, it certainly has no recent origin, merely revivals - though with some ingredients like ideology, religion, and dynasties added or subtracted.  For example, the British did *not* try to regain sub-Canadian America:  say what you will of militias, but that "rifle behind every blade of grass" thing is a deeply seated dread for professional armies.



Art:  you're probably familiar with Velasquez's "Surrender of Breda," which has a similar spirit to "Floating Batteries" but more emphatic.  Tercios there.

In my younger days, I played war games (board games) with my ex-brother-in-law.  He always trounced me until I discovered a Thirty Years War game.  I forget which battle, but I finally defeated him in a game, playing the Imperialists to his Swedish side.  So I've always had a soft spot for the tercio system, but had never read about its structure and development. 

I almost used 
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entry_of_t...ix_012.jpg

for my ekphrastic poem.  An earlier tragedy in Constantinople's long downfall.

I collected a lot of games that I played solo, including a Crimean War set.  But the two that were always my favorites were Thirty Years War and Seige of Constantinople.

There were many naval games, but somehow those never attracted me so much.

Anyway, I've probably seen Surrender at Breda though it seemed new to me, because I've viewed many a painting of that time period, but thanks for sending it along.