2. The Template for Modern European Armies
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 by reducing his artillery to just four basic calibers. In 1599, Maurice went a step further and had the entire Dutch Republic’s army reequipped with muskets of the same caliber and size, greatly easing the lives of quartermasters. His key reform, however, was drill and discipline. Maurice trained his men constantly, and introduced drills to reduce tasks, such as loading and discharging cannons or firearms, to rote. Routine motions became operations that were, literally, done by the numbers. That enabled soldiers to function in the heat and chaos of battle, and perform their tasks by falling back on muscle memory from repetitive drilling. Maurice’s system of discipline and drill became the model for European armies for centuries to come.
