14. The Badass Swedish General Whose Template Was Followed for Centuries
King Gustavus Adolphus II (1594 – 1632) ruled Sweden from 1611 to 1632, during which time he transformed his kingdom into a great power. He reformed the Swedish army and introduced military innovations that emphasized linear tactics and the efficient use of combined arms. That made Sweden the premier military force in the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648), and revolutionized warfare by creating a model that was copied by military commanders for hundreds of years afterward. The Swedish monarch built upon the innovations of Maurice of Nassau, and simplified logistics with the standardization of his army’s artillery and muskets.
Like the Dutch general from whom he liberally borrowed, Gustavus Adolphus paid attention to drill and discipline, until his Swedes became Europe’s most professional soldiers. The Swedish king went Maurice of Nassau one better when he cross-trained his men, such as teaching Swedish infantry and cavalry how to operate artillery pieces. That enabled them to serve as gunners at a pinch if their own artillerists fell in battle. Also, if they captured enemy guns, they could immediately turn them on their foes. In like vein, if the need arose, a killed cavalryman could be replaced by an infantryman or vice versa.
