The Dutch military reforms during the Eighty Years' War influenced the nature of European warfare strongly and lastingly. Facing the Spanish Army, the true military giant of the time, the Dutch were hard pressed to improve their own army with quick but decisive innovation.
The backbone of the Spanish Pike and Shot tactic was the so-called ‘Tercio’, a deep square formation consisting of pike men and shot infantry usually supplemented by cavalry and artillery. The basic idea was that the muskets and arquebuses shoot the enemies to pieces while the pikes provide sufficient protection from enemy cavalry attacks. But how did the Dutch counter this military goliath?
Recent historiography explains it as follows: During the Eighty Years’ War it became clear to Maurice of Nassau, prince of Orange, that he had to change his army significantly if he wanted to defend the newly formed Dutch federation. But during this period most armed conflicts actually weren't open field battles but sieges. As long as they were entrenched in or themselves sieging a fortress, the expert on this topic Olaf Van Nimwegen explains, the Dutch were well capable to go toe to toe with the Spanish. But it was crucial to have an effective force that could credibly challenge opponents in open field to prevent becoming the enemy’s puppet. The English officer John Bingham, who had served in the Dutch army, summarized this as follows: “he who is master of the field may spoyle the Enemies Country at his pleasure, he may march where he thinketh best” Thus, the Dutch were primarily concerned with ameliorating their capabilities in open field battles.
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