Way, Honour and Firearms: Origin and Evolution of the Spanish Tercios 1481-1600 (From Retinue to Regiment 1453-1618)

The end of the Reconquista, following the War of Granada (1481–1492), prompted the Catholic Monarchs to project their formidable military force onto the Italian peninsula, under the command of the Great Captain, aiming to establish their dominance over the French. In subsequent decades, the rulers of the House of Austria (Charles V and Philip II) sustained this immense struggle until its favourable resolution in 1559.Simultaneously, the emerging Hispanic Monarchy had to contend for continental supremacy against formidable rivals such as the Ottomans, German Protestants, the Dutch, and the English, through a constant defensive-offensive effort led by their renowned foreign intervention troops: the Tercios.Way, Honour and Firearms analyses the origin, evolution, and development of this powerful Spanish army, based on the flexible combination of ‘pike and shot’, along with cavalry and artillery, exploring their formations, experiences, battles, and principal leaders up to the year 1600, providing an engaging scholarly journey through European military history based on a wide range of consulted sources. Read more