Changes In Warfare

was wondering when warfare changed from a open battlefield, thinking 1776 redcoats to using cover and such?
I'm thinking world war one.

thoughts

 

Sorry I have hard time following your question. The basic principles of warfighting hasn't change since the days our ancestor coming down from the tree and began fighting on who get the best tree

 

not exactly, in the early years many battles between "civilized" people were done in a open battle field, hand to hand. Then with the firearms that really didn't change. Then the American revolutionary war came along and the irregulars fought differently. They fought like eastern woodland indians using cover and what not. I guess I'm not able to put it into words.

 

I think that standing your ground in formation such as the Britsh "Infantry Square" fell out of use completely in the late 19th century.

The first trenches for use as cover were began in September 1914 I believe.

Gorrila warfare has been around since the 3rd century BC but not seen as "civilized " for a long time.

 

those darn tanks I reckon...

 

Technology allowed mobility both on land and in the air making trench warfare obsolete. New technologies will certainly change warfare.

 

Your tactic change depending on your resources. Small force? Small force tactics. Twenty men can snipe 1,000 but an open field battle is only going one way. Small forces are used to delay a large force so the main force can prepare or retreat. The tools are different but the ideas are not very different. Whether you snipe someone with arrows or rifles the concept is similar.

 

I think I understand. You're refrencing a western style of military tactics indicative to western European and American Armies during a certain time period probably beginning around 1100 and ending in the late 19th century. Which would be famous to the American Revolution?

If so, that to my understanding was indicative to the aristocracy. That was to a bygone era, where kings and nobles and their generals fought wars like chess.

Things evolve and theaters of combat change. It definitely changed in WW1 when the theater changed military tactics. It greatly changed in Vietnam when guerilla warfare (something that is our most raw and primitive of tactics) showed what money and education couldn't.

Those tactics are still there but its a mesh of military knowledge setup for a modern theater. There isn't just two massive armies marching towards each other with rudimentary arms that had short distances. Now its multifaceted w theater where various tactics and technology is used.

To put it really simply if you're fighting every and what once work dont work no more you gotta adapt or lose.

 

Technology changes so tactics adapt. They still teach the ancient battles because their lessons still apply. Some societies value life more than others so their tactics will change less. A frontal charge may not be a favourite anymore but it is still in every playbook.

 

Randy, Warfare that you reference in your OP was being conducted by native Americans long before Europeans ever got to the Americas. Please reference the French and Indian war. European social constructs are what developed what is known as western warfare/European warfare in which troops lined up while cannon and mortar shells rained down on them and they stood in line firing back and forth until marching straight into the enemy and going to bayonets, hand to hand, etc.
The American colonist realized the value of these tactics and started using them in non conventional war tactics against the British during the Revolution. These tactics included things like shooting officers at the onset of a skirmish/battle which was considered dishonorable to traditional soldiers on both sides.

These tactics were considered uncivilized by European and European trained military officers but were the tactics of choice by many militias as these were frontiersmen that had experience fighting the indians and the French that used the indians to attack frontier settlements.

What is considered non conventional warfare is usually the preferred tactics of peoples with fewer troops/defenders that are protecting there loved ones and there homes. Such tactics have been used by native peoples world wide as well as by revolution forces as well as guerilla fighters.

Dale