Why the Bayonet Replaced Pike and Shot: From 1650 to the Napoleonic Wars

The rise of the bayonet changed warfare in Europe strongly and lastingly. As more and more armies relied on this weapon in the 17th and 18th centuries, it increased not only the infantry's defensive capabilities but also its shock value and its firepower. This is because before the bayonet, the armies of Europe had relied on pikes and muskets to solve the most basic tactical problem of infantry, which was to balance the interplay of pike and shot. They wanted to optimize their firepower, but still needed pikemen to defend against cavalry charges. The bayonet solved this problem by uniting both types of weapons in a single instrument, the flintlock rifle musket with bayonet. So, let's look at how the bayonet conquered the armies of Europe and how it was used in battle.

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Muir, Rory, Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon, New Haven/London 1998.
Archer, Christon I./Ferris, John R./Herwig, Holger H./Travers, Timothy H. E., World History of Warfare, Lincoln 2002.