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The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive federation of
merchant guilds based in harbour towns along the North Sea and
Baltic coasts of what are now Germany and her neighbours, which
eventually dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe and spread
its influence much further afield. The League was formed to protect
the economic and political interests of member cities throughout a
vast and complex trading network. The League continued to operate
well into the 17th century, but its golden age was between c.1200
and c.1500; thereafter it failed to take full advantage of the wave
of maritime exploration to the west, south and east of Europe.
During its 300 years of dominance the League's large ships - called
'cogs' - were at the forefront of maritime technology, were early
users of cannon, and were manned by strong fighting crews to defend
them from pirates in both open-sea and river warfare. The home
cities raised their own armies for mutual defence, and their riches
both allowed them, and required them, to invest in fortifications
and gunpowder weapons, since as very attractive targets they were
subjected to sieges at various times.
To coincide with the 2015 bicentennial of the Battle of Waterloo,
Osprey publishes "Waterloo 1815," a definitive three volume history
of the historic battle. Based on new research drawn from
unpublished first-hand accounts and illustrations, "Waterloo 1815"
provides a detailed resource for all aspects of the famous battle.
This first volume of the trilogy, "Quatre Bras," focuses on the
lead-up to Waterloo itself. Two days before the main battle, an
initial 8,000 Allied troops faced the 48,000 men of the French
Armee du Nord under Marshal Ney at the strategically vital
crossroads of Quatre Bras. Having been tricked by Napolean who was
trying to drive a wedge between the Prussians and the Anglo-allied
army, Wellington concentrated his troops at Quatre Bras, hoping to
link up with the Prussians. There Wellington just managed to hold
off Ney's attacks. The battle ended in a tactical stalemate but,
because he was unable to join with Blucher's Prussians, Wellington
retreated back along the road to Brussels to new positions at a
small Belgian village called Waterloo, and thus set the stage for
one of the greatest battles of all time.
With detailed maps, illustrations and battlefield dispositions,
"Quatre Bras" will lay the groundwork for any student of the Battle
of Waterloo.
Waterloo is one of the defining campaigns of European history. The
name conjures up images of the terrible scale and grandeur of the
Napoleonic Wars and the incredible combined effort that finally
ended Napoleon's aspirations of power in Europe. Drawn from
unpublished first-hand accounts, and using detailed illustrations,
this comprehensive volume is the ideal resource for studying the
intense fighting at the battles of Waterloo and Wavre, the final,
decisive engagements of the Waterloo campaign. Those two battles
are at the heart of this study, which explores the action at Mont
St Jean where Wellington managed to hold the French at bay until
the arrival of the Prussians under Blucher saw the Allies secure a
hard-fought victory at the dramatic climax of the 'Hundred days'.
Much myth and fantasy surrounds the events of the Wars of the Roses
(1455-1485): a bloody and prolonged dynastic struggle between the
houses of York and Lancaster. Terence Wise's fascinating text lays
bare the real story, and examines the armies, liveries and badges
of the conflict. The author's readable account provides a
comprehensive guide as to who fought whom, where, when, why and for
what, from the origins of the Wars to such famous battles as
Tewkesbury and Bosworth. The accompanying photographs,
illustrations and colour plates by Gerry Embleton clearly detail
the arms, armor and standards of the time.
Throughout the 16th Century, the Spanish had an aura of
invincibility. They controlled a vast colonial empire that
stretched across the Americas and the Pacific, and held
considerable territories in Europe, centring on the so-called
'Spanish Road'. The Dutch War of Independence (also known as the 80
Years' War) was a major challenge to their dominance. The Dutch
army created by Maurice of Nassau used innovative new tactics and
training to take the fight to Spain and in so doing created a model
that would be followed by European armies for generations to come.
The second in a two-part series on the Dutch armies of the 80
Years' War, focuses on the cavalry, artillery and engineers of the
evolving armies created by Maurice of Nassau. Using specially
commissioned artwork and photographs of historical artefacts, it
shows how the Dutch cavalry arm, artillery, and conduct of siege
warfare contributed to the long struggle against the might of the
Spanish Empire.
If there is one thing we can be sure of concerning the Saxons,
Vikings and Normans who inhabited the medieval world, it is that
they were a good deal more advanced than some writings would have
us believe. This fascinating book by Terence Wise explores the
history, organization, clothing, equipment and weapons of Saxon,
Viking and Norman peoples, covering wide-ranging topics such as
Anglo-Saxon shields, Viking raiding ships and the organization of
Norman armies.The absorbing and readable text is enriched by
numerous illustrations and museum photographs with commentaries,
plus eight superbly drawn full page colour plates by renowned
military artist Gerry Embleton.
A mixed infantry formation made up of about 3,000 men armed with
pikes, swords and handguns, the innovative and influential tercio
or 'Spanish square' was the basic combat unit of the armies of
Spain throughout much of the 16th and 17th centuries. Arguably the
first permanent tactical formation seen in Europe since the Roman
cohort, the tercio was the forerunner of modern formations such as
the battalion and regiment. The variety of different weapons
fielded in the tercio meant the Spanish infantry could resist
opposing cavalry forces while overcoming every kind of enemy
infantry deployed against them. Featuring full-colour artwork and
photographs of rare items held at the Spanish Army Museum, this
study covers the whole period during which the tercios were active,
opening with the third Italian war between the forces of France and
the Holy Roman Emperor and concluding with the final transformation
of the Spanish tercios into regiments in 1704.
For those interested in the actual appearance of the Prussian
soldiers who fought at Ligny, Wavre and Waterloo in 1815, this
colorful study combines the latest findings and expert analysis to
cast new light on the fateful Waterloo campaign.
The Prussian Army of the Lower Rhine, led by Generalfeldmarschall
Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher in 1815, played a - possibly the -
vital part in the Allied victory at Waterloo, forcing Napoleon to
divide his forces when Blucher's leading elements arrived to offer
Wellington crucial support at a time when his Anglo-Netherlands
army was doing no more than holding its own on the defensive.
During this campaign Blucher's army presented an enormously diverse
appearance, since its units had been issued clothing and equipment
from many sources, and many of them were still wearing the
distinctly hard-worn kit they had been issued over two years before
at the start of the 1813 Wars of Liberation.
Written by a leading authority, this book delves deeply into
original sources - including eyewitness accounts, and regimental
histories known only to German scholars - to recreate the actual
appearance of specific units, rather than simply copying generic
uniform regulations. The text details who the men that served in
these units were, how they were organised and drilled, and their
previous service; what specific elements of the army looked like in
1815; their march to the battlefield; and what they did when they
got there.
The Sarmatians - one of the many nomadic groups to emerge from the
great Eurasian Steppe - crossed the Don in about the 3rd century BC
to displace their western neighbours, the Scythians, in the lands
north of the Black Sea. Later they burst into Asia Minor and Rome's
Danube provinces, becoming famous for the prowess of their
lance-armed cavalry - first as enemies, and later as allies of
Rome. They influenced Rome's adoption of heavy armoured cavalry,
and in Roman service they were even posted to Britain. Drawing upon
a wide reading of Classical authors and of Russian archaeological
publications, this fascinating study is the first major English
language attempt to reconstruct their armour, equipment and
tactics.
King John the Good of France was captured by the English at the
Battle of Poitiers in 1356; his 14-year-old son Philip fought
valiantly by his side until the bitter end, and as soon as he was
in a position to do so, King John rewarded his son's courage and
devotion by designating him Duke of Burgundy, a title that by
chance had just become extinct. Philip was the first of the Valois
Dukes of Burgundy and this fascinating text by Nicholas Michael
examines the functioning and organization of the Burgundian armies
from the beginning of his reign until the time of the last of the
Valois Dukes: Charles the Bold.
An in-depth analysis of the Chinese Armies that fought a series of
increasingly fractious wars over nearly a century. Beginning with a
run through of the Chinese forces that combated the British and
French during the two Opium Wars, this history goes on to trace the
forces who were drawn into internal wars and rebellions in the
1850s and 60s, the open warfare in North Vietnam, the string of
defeats suffered during the First Sino-Japanese war and the Boxer
Rebellion. Providing an unparalleled insight into the dizzying
array of troop types and unique uniforms, this is a history of the
sometimes-painful modernization of China's military forces during
one of her most turbulent periods of history.
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