The Age of Fragmented Warfare: 17th-Century Tactics
Military operations before the 18th century resembled choreographed dances rather than the total wars of modern imagination. The campaigns of François de Luxembourg—a marshal whose Flanders campaigns became textbook examples—reveal a world where armies prioritized comfort over combat readiness. Camps were routinely established with backs to rivers or marshes, often facing their own territory rather than enemy positions. This seemingly illogical practice stemmed from viewing encampments as “theater backstages”—spaces for respite rather than tactical positions.
Cavalry dominated these forces, their mobility constrained by rigid formations that demanded open battlefields. Battles occurred by mutual consent, like dueling gentlemen selecting a meadow. Luxembourg’s engagements at Fleurus (1690), Steenkerque (1692), and Neerwinden (1693) began challenging these norms, yet the broader military culture remained wedded to tradition. Artillery traveled separately on safer routes, while cavalry wings ceremoniously swapped positions to share the prestige of the right flank.
The Turning Point: Prussia’s Military Revolution
The Silesian Wars (1740-1765) marked a seismic shift. Prussian innovations under Frederick the Great transformed armies from loosely connected units into cohesive instruments of war. No longer were campaigns divided into distinct “combat” and “non-combat” phases like a blade and its hilt. Modern warfare became a continuous alloy—each element inseparable from the whole.
Three states defined this new paradigm:
1. Billeting: Troops dispersed in civilian quarters
2. Marching: Strategic mobility as a combat multiplier
3. Encampment: Temporary positions with tactical intent
These blurred the line between strategy and tactics. A marching column’s route could decide a campaign’s outcome; a billeting arrangement might determine supply lines for months.
The Anatomy of Modern Deployment
Eight principles emerged for effective army positioning:
1. Logistical Accessibility: Proximity to farmland and major roads
2. Shelter Capacity: Availability of towns for billeting
3. Rear Security: Protected withdrawal routes
4. Frontal Visibility: Open terrain for observation
5. Defensive Terrain: Complex ground to hinder attackers
6. Strategic Anchors: Geographic strongpoints like rivers
7. Force Dispersion: Calculated division of units
The art of spacing became critical. Advanced guards required placement within one forced march’s distance (ensuring timely reinforcement). Flank units needed 1-2 miles of clearance—enough space to detect enemy maneuvers yet close enough to regroup. A corps could operate 3-4 miles from the main force, leveraging terrain to delay adversaries while maintaining operational cohesion.
The Cultural Impact: From Ceremony to Total War
This revolution reshaped European society. The aristocratic pageantry of Luxembourg’s era gave way to Prussian efficiency, where every peasant recruit became a cog in the military machine. The “gentleman’s war” mentality died at Mollwitz (1741), when Frederick’s drilled infantry proved discipline trumped noble cavalry charges.
Urbanization accelerated as armies demanded better road networks. The science of cartography flourished—Napoleon would later carry detailed maps of Germany unseen in Luxembourg’s time. Even language evolved: phrases like “he went to fight” (implying combat was optional) vanished from military lexicons.
Enduring Legacy: The DNA of Modern Conflict
Contemporary warfare still operates on these 18th-century foundations. The U.S. Army’s “division slice” (combat units plus support elements) mirrors Frederick’s combined-arms approach. NATO’s forward-deployed units in Eastern Europe apply the same spacing principles that once governed Prussian flank guards.
Cyber warfare introduces new “terrain”—data networks require the same strategic anchoring as physical rivers. Yet the core lesson endures: victory belongs to those who synchronize every element, from supply trucks to satellite links, into a single unbroken blade of war.
The march from Luxembourg’s ceremonial camps to today’s integrated battle networks reveals warfare’s fundamental truth: success favors not the strongest arms, but the most unified system. In that progression lies the history of modern strategy itself.