The Army of Gustavus Adolphus (1): Infantry (Men-at-Arms 235)

The 'Lion of the North', King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, was one of the major players in the Thirty Years War of 1618-48. In 1630 Gustavus - the last champion of the Protestants - crushed the Catholics at Breitenfeld in a victory widely viewed as the fulfillment of a prophecy foretelling the defeat of the eagle (the German Emperor's emblem) by a golden lion. Killed in battle at L?tzen only two years later, Gustavus nevertheless won fame for his technical and tactical innovations. The first of two volumes, this book examines the equipment, uniforms and organization of the infantry that comprised Gustavus's army. Gustavus of Sweden had a marked effect on warfare in the 17th century, choosing to fight with small flexible units, instead of the cumbersome massed formations common at the time. This volume covers the uniforms, organization and equipment of his infantry. "The Lion of the North", saviour of German Protestantism and the outstanding tactical genius of his day, Gustavus Adolphus had a revolutionary effect on the warfare of the 17th century, as this book describes. The rapid rise to fame of Gustavus Adolphus was indeed extraordinary.