tactics

Introduction
Fundamentals
- Evolution of the term
- Victory through force and guile
- The need for flexibility
- The importance of terrain
Historical development
- Tribal and ancient tactics
  - The ambush and the trial of strength
  - The phalanx
  - The chariot
  - Light and heavy cavalry
  - Combined infantry and cavalry
  - The legion
- Medieval tactics in the West
  - The barbarians
  - The mounted knight
  - Bowmen and pikemen
  - Inferiority of medieval tactics
- The advent of firearms
  - Adaptation of pike and cavalry tactics
  - The state-owned army
  - Linear formation
  - The French Revolution
- Tactics from Waterloo to the Bulge
  - The growing scale of battle
  - The power of the defense
  - The armoured offensive
  - Changes in command
  - Limitations of the tank
- From conventional war to terrorism
  - Nuclear weapons
  - Continued growth of military technology
  - The end of technological warfare

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Learn about the regimented fighting and muskets used on both sides in the American Revolutionary War

At a Glance

tactics summary

Quizzes

Civil War era cannon overlooks Kennesaw Mountain National Battle. (military, artillery, American history)

Pick Your Battles Quiz

Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)

World Wars

D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.

A History of War

Related Questions

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Why can a larger military force be less flexible than a smaller force?
Why can secrecy make a surprise attack difficult to carry out?
Why did European knightly armies suffer defeats against Mongol forces in 1241?
Why did World War I battles often last weeks or months instead of hours or days?
Why did World War I commanders often direct battles from headquarters far behind the front?
Why did armies decentralize command as 19th-century battlefields became larger and more dispersed?
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Why did military schools teach subjects such as trigonometry and military engineering?
Why did tightly packed infantry formations become dangerous after firearms improved?
Why do military commanders need to adapt their plans during combat?
Why have commanders tried to outflank or encircle enemy armies?
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Why were primitive ambush forces usually small?
What is dazzle camouflage?
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History Wars, Battles & Armed Conflicts

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tactics

military

Written by

Martin van Creveld

Professor of History, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Author of The Transformation of War and others.

Martin van Creveld

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

History

tactics, in warfare, the art and science of fighting battles on land, on sea, and in the air. It is concerned with the approach to combat; the disposition of troops and other personalities; the use made of various arms, ships, or aircraft; and the execution of movements for attack or defense. This article discusses the tactics of land warfare and armed forces. For treatment of tactics on sea, see naval warfare, and for tactics in...

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