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during the Battle Of The Somme in World War I .]] Infantry or ''footmen'' are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with , where the ''infantes'' (royal princes who were not heirs to the throne) commanded the footmen, hence known as ''infanteria''. HISTORY With few exceptions, most armies in history have been built around a core of infantry. While the specific Weapon s have varied, the common factor is that these soldiers have relied on their feet for operational movements (transportation behind the lines, especially in the pre-industrial era) and Tactical movement (movement in battle) although they may sometimes be transported to the battlefield by various means. In earliest days, infantry were essentially armed mobs, fighting in loosely organized opposing lines under the voice direction of individual commanders in the immediate vicinity (within earshot) of the troops under their command. However, the benefits of uniform equipment, weaponry and above all training led to the development of formations able to carry out pre-arranged tactical maneuvers in the heat of battle. Infantry organization has focused since recorded history began on striking a balance between heavily-armed formations (such as the Greek Phalanx ) fighting in rigid formations, and more lightly-armed but more mobile units (like the Roman Legion ) able to move relatively quickly around the battlefield and exploit opportunities as they arose. Mobility, weaponry, and protection have been the competing yet complementary factors to be balanced. Classical Period Infantry was the primary combat arm of the Classical Period . Examples of infantry units of the period are the Phalanx es of Ancient Greece and the Legion s of Imperial Rome . In contrast to the strictly organized phalanxes and legions, most armies of the ancient world also employed units of Irregulars (often Mercenaries ) who wore less armor and fought in more open formations usually as Skirmishers . ]] As the Roman Empire declined and fell to the depredations of Germanic tribes such as the Vandal s, Goths , and Visigoths in the 5th century AD, the political and military resources necessary for the maintenance of such rigid-formation units largely disappeared until the later Middle Ages. Middle Ages For most of the Middle Ages , warfare and society were dominated by the Cavalry ( Horse -mounted soldiers), composed of individual Knight s. Knights were generally drawn from the aristocracy, while the infantry levies were raised from commoners. This situation slowed the advance of Infantry Tactics and weapon technologies; those that were developed by the end of the Middle Ages included the use of long Spear s or Halberd s to counter the long reach of knights' Lance s, and the increased use of ranged weaponry to counter the cavalry's advantages of momentum, speed, height, and reach. However, from 1350 onwards the Knights themselves usually dismounted for battle, becoming super-heavy infantry themselves, as a countermeasure to development of massed archery tactics which would bring their horses down. This led to development of Combined Arms tactics of archery and dismounted knights. wearing Bicorne s and carrying Musket s.]] While bows remained in use long after the development of Firearm s, technological fine-tuning (along with the development of the Wheel-lock ) allowed firearms to supersede even the feared English Longbow as the ranged weapon of choice for infantry. The bow also declined in favor due to the ease with which Musketeer s could be trained (days or weeks to attain moderate proficiency, as opposed to many years for the longbow). After the Spanish Tercios , many other nations combined firearms with extremely long Pike s into units that were virtually invincible against cavalry formations. Eventually, with the development of the Bayonet , the pikemen were dropped from the formation, resulting in the first examples of an infantry unit as recognizable today. Modern Before the development of Railroad s in the 19th century, infantry armies got to the battlefield by walking, or sometimes by Ship . Marines were first conceived in the 16th century by the Spanish ( Infanteria De Marina ), followed in the 17th century by other European countries including the United Kingdom. Due to Britain's island status, a large army was unnecessary, however infantry soldiers were still required for eventual landings. A typical Royal Navy warship carried 600 men. Of these men, 120-180 would be Royal Marines. These men usually had a deck to themselves and had little to do with sailing the vessel. The men were proficient in the use of metal-working, gunpowder and modern weapons of the day and would form landing parties when exploring. The Marines also defended the vessel if boarded and would repair damaged weapons and cannons after a battle. |
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