Napoleonic Infantry Tactics

My potshots are amazing. I feel attacked.

12:46 Rothenberg notes the lack of wounds due to bayonet. This maybe due to the death of the soldier and that he never got back for surgery for his wound to be counted. Similarly when metal helmets were introduced in WWI the amount of head wounds increased in the dressing stations. Seemly the helmets were worse than useless, but on the contrary as soldiers would previously receive a fatal head wound and never make it back to medical care, but were now only wounded and would possibly survive.

“Not free roaming soldiers taking potshots” picture of soviet womble Sounds about right.

About the bayonets. I found a diary of a Polish officer from the era (at first he served in the French army, later in the army of Duchy of Warsaw). He notes that bayonets were quite poor weapons in close combat, especially against cavalry. He points out that stopping or dropping a horse with a bayonet thrust is almost impossible so most soldiers had to rely on using their muskets' butts to hit enemy's horses heads and knees.

Sadly if Hollywood made a movie about this period the light infanterie would take accurate potshots and bayonet charges would result in intense hand to hand combat until only one side could stand upright

I would like to see how Napoleonic era marching camps and temporary forts were erected!

11:57 wait is that soviet womble?

I think Nosworthy's comment about useless squares refers to squares composed of cavalry, not infantry squares. Having horsemen form up in squares would negate their mobility, requiring refoming before any maneuver. Since cavalry are primarily maneuver forces, that which reduces that characteristic might be seen as "worse than useless."

"Napoleonic Infantry Tactics" Empire and Napoleon total war players: The Expert

Napoleon/ Empire total war players: Years of academy training not watsed!

Many, many years ago I read something similar about bayonet (and saber) wounds in the American Civil War. They were remarkably rare given how much training emphasized the bayonet. In fact, there are more accounts of regiments standing remarkably close (given that they all had rifles by the 1860s) and blasting away at each other for long periods of time than there are of attackers closing on defenders until it became a contest of bayonets. Usually, as you said, one side breaks before contact is actually made. I think it also needs to be remembered that while a bayonet is alright as a one vs. one weapon, it's not designed to be used properly in a closed order formation - you need some elbow room to employ it properly. You don't get issued a shield along with it as ancient Greeks did, and it isn't long enough to keep enemies at bay in most circumstances (Zulus at Rorke's Drift being an exception, since the short dagger Shaka made the Impi carry actually had LESS reach than a Martini-Henry with a bayonet, and the Zulus didn't throw the daggers, contrary to movies). Therefore I have to strongly disagree with Nosworthy about the effectiveness of the square against cavalry. Unlike what "Lord of the Rings" movies depict, horses will not charge home against a wall of pikes, and while turning your formation into a wall of bayonets is pretty useless in most circumstances it's great if the enemy has a ton of cavalry and nothing else. This tactic worked for the British at Waterloo when Ney threw his cavalry at them without waiting for any artillery or infantry support.

"my enemis are many, my equals are none"

Im haunted by your pronunciation of column

Very disciplined study! Many history/military science channels are dubious in their discipline for skeptical rigor. I immensely appreciate how you represent the uncertain in the works you are using. As a social scientist I have to say this is a refreshing channel to discover. Keep up the great work!

9:40 I recall that Britain was one of the few countries rich enough to give its recruits live fire training.

Imagine the embarassment while telling the general that your platoon suffers from premature evolleyation :D

The Column that you showed is known as an Attack Column. It is wider then a Marching Column which are practically just lines turned 90 degrees with different officer and NCO positions.These Marching Columns were used to move troops around, mostly outside of battle. The Attack Column was used during battle when units had to move around the battlefield and/or advance quickly on the enemy.

"an average of 2 round a minute should be assumed" Sean Bean breathing intensifies

I love it how you make soviet womble's picture to show "free roaming 'soldier' taking potshot". lmao