16. The Man Who Learned From the Ancients
The victories of Maurice of Nassau in the Ten Glory Years solidified the Dutch cause and established his reputation as the era’s greatest general. Many commanders who rose to prominence in the Thirty Years War and the English Civil War a generation or two later, learned their military skills while they served under Maurice. At the heart of his reforms was an emphasis on drill, streamlining logistics, and the simplification of battlefield tactics. He was an avid student of Roman and Byzantine military history. He read about the role of rigorous training in the success of Rome’s legions, and drew lessons from classical authors such as Vegetius, Aelian, Frontinus, and Emperor Leo VI of Byzantium.
Maurice pioneered the decentralization of units. He made his infantry more maneuverable and flexible by splitting large Spanish-style tercio regiments, of about 3000 men each, into smaller battalions of 580 men. He also simplified logistics when he reduced his artillery to just four basic calibers. In 1599, Maurice went a step further and had the entire army of the Dutch Republic reequipped with muskets of the same caliber and size. That greatly eased the lives of quartermasters. However, as seen below, the bedrock of Maurice’s reforms was drill and discipline.
