The Leather Cannon and the Evolution of Artillery Warfare
How a Swedish king changed military theory forever
The earliest iterations of gunpowder artillery functioned in a similar role to that of Medieval catapults. They were cumbersome and very heavy. They took time to set up and deploy. Once deployed it was difficult to move them. Cannons provided a good offensive capability against walled targets. Early military planners used cannons in the same way they had used trebuchets.
The downsides to this strategy meant that these expensive, bulky, cannons were susceptible to being captured by intrepid cavalry probes and were often abandoned in the event of a hasty retreat. But the cannon was extremely useful. There were people who saw the massive upsides to using cannons at the time. They were more effective than catapults and they had the added benefit of being loud and intimidating.
It took the innovations of a Swedish king to change artillery warfare. He saw the usefulness of the cannon and adapted his military to use them in ways that changed military theory forever.
Making a lighter cannon
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden reigned in the early years of the 17th century and would go on to be an instrumental leader in the Thirty Years’ War. He knew that…
