In the period stretching between 1500 and 1800, Europe witnessed a meaningful change in its military, political, and socio-cultural setup, popularly called The Renaissance, The Age of Exploration, and the rise of the modern era. The model of civilization in this age, as seen by Louis DiMarco, had a significant impact for several reasons, with one of the horses taking center stage. It was the horse that demonstrated not just its traditional utility in farming and transport but also soared to new heights as a cornerstone in military tactics and political centralization. It played a significant role in the history of Europe as it was implemented both on the battlefields of the Old World and in the New World in the context of the colonization efforts. With that, it provided the basis for the strategies used by the cavalry and heavily influenced the outcomes of some crucial wars.
The horse’s role in this age proved to be the fundamental factor in the colonization of the New World to any degree. The Spanish and other European conquerors who took over used horses as their primary weapons due to their mobility and the psychological impact on people who were not used to equestrians for subjugating their indigenous population (Kelekna, 2009). Horses served as status symbols and as means by which technology was superior; they made manageable even a relatively small force to gain domination over the vast, expansive territories. The argument of subjugation of the Aztec and Inca empires by Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, respectively, can be illustrated by the meaningfulness of the horse in European power hold and colonialism (Parker, 1996).
The cavalry fighting typically conducted between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is the best proof of the horse’s power to win or lose a war. Leading from the revolution of heavy and light cavalry troops, whose primary positions became the battlefield’s only focus and center, the warfare in Europe had to change (Sidnell, 2006). Light cavalry performed reconnaissance and raids and harassed the enemy’s formations’ confidence; heavy cavalry’s mission was meant to break the enemy line and chase down shot-running soldiers. This plan was validated by several battles like the one of Breitenfeld (1631) during the Thirty Years’ War, in which Gustavus Adolphus from Sweden used the heavily equipped unit of cavalry that broke through the enemy lines of the Holy Roman Empire.
The actions of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) are another excellent example of how horses were the backbone of military campaigns. Napoleon Bonaparte used horse riders for intelligence and fear to get ahead of the enemy lines in a battle, representing his military art (Gates, 2011). The French cuirassiers’ and hussars’ heavy armor and mobility were the hallmarks of their tactics. They often ended in decisive victories over their opponents, like Austerlitz (1805), culminating in the Napoleonic campaigns. An army under Napoleon could easily traverse Europe’s varied landscapes with the help of a horse’s quick movement. It frequently led to his celebrated rapid marches and surprise attacks, which left his foes in a stutter.
The period from 1500 to 1800 was the point of change in the European military and political realms; the increasing role of horses brought in by the Renaissance could be listed as the cause of the significant change. The horse’s role on the battlefield was paramount in the Age of Horse Warfare, witnessed in American colonization in the New World, the evolution of cavalry tactics, and the grand campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. The horses dictate the results of many crucial events during the timeline and depict the equine’s significance in shaping history, which is evident in this era. Liah-Louis DiMarco, to this end, notes that the significant changes in military and political realms in the period have not fully been appreciated without thinking about the critical role of a horse.
References
Gates, D. (2011). The Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815. Random House.
Kelekna, P. (2009). The Horse in Human History. In Google Books. Cambridge University Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=m09_uTLuz3UC&oi=fnd&pg=PA21&dq=The+horse%27s+role+in+this+age+proved+to+be+the+fundamental+factor+in+the+colonization+of+the+New+World+to+any+degree&ots=fLst0-YIp3&sig=oHSHKZhCxbsIIQCh2409csmqtL4
Parker, G. (1996). The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West, 1500-1800. In Google Books. Cambridge University Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cIFiNRH3oWsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR10&dq=+Between+1500+and+1800
Sidnell, P. (2006). Warhorse: Cavalry in Ancient Warfare. In Google Books. A&C Black. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DP2EHwdMnq4C&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=The+cavalry+fighting+normally+conducted+between+seventeenth+and+eighteenth+centuries+are+the+best+proofs+of+the+power+of+the+horse+either+to+win+or+to+lose+a+war.+&ots=nZp1r4qBjm&sig=IXfKkw3hUcATSllikIp0UZrdLFI
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