User blog:Elgb333/Oliver Cromwell vs Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba



Today in Deadliest Warrior, will be travelling back in time during the era of blackpowder weapons, where the countries of Europe was focused on the destruction of the other. It's time to take out our history books and study how these two greatest warriors of their time square off in a locker-room fight to the death.



Oliver Cromwell: The brilliant English military commander that butchered his enemies in the name of God!

vs

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba: The innovative Spanish master of arms, that sacked his opponents in a hailstorm of lead.

Who is Deadliest?!

Oliver Cromwell
Hailed as both a hero and a villain in British history, he was born in 1599 asOliver Cromwell. He was the son of a Robert Cromwell, a not particularly wealthy man, but still a member of the English gentry. Cromwell's early life was rather obscure until the 1630s, when he became a devout Puritan. In 1628, Cromwell was elected to Parliament, before, in 1629, Charles I of England avoided calling parliament and took personal, absolute power, however, in 1640, he needed money for supressing rebellion in Scotland, and so had to recall Parliament. Tensions over religion and the balance of power between the king and Parliament soon broke out, sparking the First English Civil War. Cromwell joined on the side of Parlimentarians or "Roundheads", leading a unit of cavalry. Cromwell's first major action was in the Battle of Marston Moor, his cavalry playing a major role in the Parliamentarian victory by breaking the Royalist lines, causing severe casualties to the Royalist infantry. During the Civil War, instituted a number of military reforms, known as the New Model Army.

This new army met the Royalists at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, where the Royalists were routed by Cromwell's superior forces. The battle led to the end of the first English Civil War. After a brief period of peace, failure to come to an agreement with Charles I led to a the outbreak of a brief second civil war, it which Cromwell's New Model Army crushed the Royalist forces in Wales and Scotland. After the victory, Charles I was executed by the order of Parliament in 1649. After the Civil War, Cromwell served as a member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, where he led an invasion of Ireland from 1649-1650, where his forces massacred countless civilians, though the exact nature and extent of Crowell's brutality is debated. In 1650-1651, Cromwell led a second campaign to Scotland after the Scots declared Charles II, the son of Charles I, as king. Cromwell's campaign to crush the rebels was also sucessful, and like in Ireland, Cromwell is often accused of committing atrocities.

In 1653, Cromwell dissolved Parliament and declared himself "Lord Protector", essentially becoming and religious-military dictator. Cromwell served as Lord Protector until his death in 1658 from disease, possibly malaria or sepsis related to a urinary tract infection.

Sword=Mortuary-hilt Sword The mortuary sword had close ties to the English Basket-hilt and is sometimes referred to as the English half-basket. The difference is that the former has a long, but wider, double-edged straight blade for thrusting and slashing, and a wire grip for control and preventing slipperiness. It also has a big pommel used for balancing, and pounding enemies to a pulp. A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear formerly used extensively by infantry. Unlike similarly designed weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown, and was designed to counter against both infantry and cavalry. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the early Middle Ages until around 1700, and wielded by foot soldiers deployed in close quarters. Well-disciplined pikemen, brave enough to hold their ground, could do tremendous damage to a cavalry charging straight at them. There are several examples of cavalry men having three or four horses killed under them in one battle. 10 feet was the minimum length of the pike.
 * 41 inches
 * Double edged
 * Long, but wider, double-edged straight blade for thrusting and slashing
 * Weighted pommel for melee
 * -|Polearm=Pike

Contrary to popular belief, the pike can be used in single combat and a number of 16th-century sources explain how it was to be used in a dueling situation; fencers of the time often practiced with and competed against each other with long staves in place of pikes. It is also flexible enough to be used as a striking staff weapon. George Silver considered the 18 ft pike one of the more advantageous weapons for single combat in the open, giving it odds over all weapons shorter than 8 ft or the sword and dagger/shield combination. The matchlock, which could be as long as five feet, had a firing range of up to 300 yards. They were both loaded in the same way; gunpowder was poured into the barrel and packed in hard with a stick. Then the lead ball would be put in followed by wadding to hold the ball in place.
 * 10 feet
 * Metal-tip
 * Used to skewer armoured men or horses.
 * -|Firearm=Matchlock musket

To fire the matchlock, the most common type of musket, the soldier would empty gunpowder into a pan and cover it to protect it. He would then press a lighted piece of flax into a metal trigger called the serpent. When the gun was fired the lighted flax in the serpent would come down into the pan and light the gunpowder. The flame from this would then enter the barrel of the gun and ignite the gunpowder that had been poured into it and the lead ball would be fired. Officially referred to as an "English lock" by most collectors and historians, it represents a step forward from the snaphaunce lock of the late 16th Century because it combines the hammer (most modern shooters refer to it as the frizzen) and the pan-cover, thus simplifying the lock and at the same time increasing its reliability. However, this innovation compromised safety because the hammer could no longer be swung away from the pan to disable the piece for safe carrying. In response to this, the dog was added as a safety feature. This piece, which engages the base of the cock and prevents it from moving forward, is so named because its action is reminiscent of a dog latching onto someone's heel.
 * .75 cal
 * 50 yards
 * -|Special=Doglock pistol

Pistols were the primary range weapons of cavalry at that time besides the swords and lances. Horsemen carried with them two pistols, but it was a common practice for these men to carry more than two pistols in battle. The common tactic of the time was charging full speed at the enemy. The horses were kept close together and just before impact the cavalry fired their pistols. They would then either attempt to fire again or hack with their melee weapons. Common painting and drawing of Cromwell has him wearing the common cuirassier armor. As its name implies, the armor is used by cavalry or "cuirassier". Cromwell's armor is a light, three-quarters armour that covered the entire upper body as well as the front half of the legs down to the knee. The head was protected by a close helm, burgonet or lobster-tailed pot helmet, usually worn with a gorget for the neck. This allows protection from the top, front, side and backside of the head. The arms and shoulders were fully armoured with pauldrons, rerebraces, elbow couters and vambraces.
 * .65 cal
 * 20 yards
 * -|Armor=Cuirassier armour

The torso was protected by a breast and back plate, sometimes reinforced by a 'placate', that composed the bottom part of the front of a medieval breastplate. The higher elevation of the mid sternum of the breast plate allow it to slightly resist musket balls and repel crossbow bolts.

Oliver Cromwell's tactics were very influential even to this day. Throughout his military career, he never lost a single battle. Although Cromwell had no military training, his experience as a large landowner gave him a good knowledge of horses. Oliver Cromwell noticed that cavalry men of his time were unorganized during the offensive. After they charged the enemy in formation, they quickly disperse in pursuit of individual targets. This was a careless tactic that allowed musket and pikemen to pick off the horsemen one-by-one as they scattered. Cromwell trained his cavalry to keep together after a charge. In this way his men could repeatedly charge at enemy formations and cavalry. This practice has been adopted by past and modern-day tank commanders. Cromwell also innovated the way armies were trained. Although Cromwell's soldiers, the New Model Army, were amateurs, Cromwell trained them exclusively. He personally chose his men, rather than rely on rich nobles, and hired commoners who have actually been in physical and laborous activites. Other reforms included the creation of a full-time professional army with standardized equipment, and promotions awarded through merit, rather than social class.
 * -|Battlefield Tactics=Battle of Dunbar

Cromwell's use of cavalry to attack an opponent's weak spot and impacting infantry can be seen during the Battle of Dunbar. Since entering Scotland in July 1650 Cromwell had played a cat and mouse game with the Scottish army under the command of General David Leslie. By August the campaign was taking its toll on the English army and they moved south down the east coast towards Berwick. Leslie intercepted them at Dunbar and took up position on high ground, to the south of the town, on the slopes of Doon Hill. This effectively blocked off the path of the English army’s retreat to England, leaving Cromwell with limited choices. He could attempt withdrawal by sea, but there was little prospect of relief by forces from Berwick because of the deployment of Scottish troops at Cockburnspath. Instead, Cromwell decided to fight, and he took up defensive positions in a town, waiting for the Scots to come down and make the first move. The Scottish army consisted of 9, 500 infantry and 2, 500 cavalry, while the English consisted of 7, 500 infantry and 3, 500 cavalry.

To make matter worse, was that the Scots outnumbered them 2:1, positioned themselves at higher ground, and have 9 artillery guns with them. It also didn't helped that bad weather plagued the armies, leaving Cromwell's men sick, tired and in very bad shape. Before the battle, Cromwell scouted the Scottish positions for any weak spots and spaces, before discovering that the Scottish right flank was weak. As time went on, Leslie was pressured by his superiors to hastily attack the weakening English army. As the Scots started moving down to attack the English, Cromwell then gave the order for his main infantry to attack the Scottish main body. Both armies clashed, and while Leslie had the upperhand, the unexpected happen. Cromwell's cavalry, whom he sneaked around the hill, suddenly attack the Scottish right flank. Cromwell and his cavalry decimated the right flank and was now pressing at the center, while his infantry fought furiously at the front. The Scottish army was suddenly being attacked in two direction, before finally crumbling. In the rout that followed, the English cavalry drove the Scots army from the field in disorder. The battle ended with over 4,000 Scots killed and 10, 000 prisoners, while Cromwell only lost 20 of his men.

Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, or simply Gonzalo de Córdoba (1 September 1453 – 2 December 1515), Duke of Terranova and Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa, was a Spanish general who fought in the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars. He reorganized the emerging Spanish army and its tactics, and was regarded as the "father of trench warfare". He was also called "The Great Captain" (Spanish: El Gran Capitán). Many influential men fought under him (including Francisco Pizarro's father), and he was admired by the generation of conquistadors which followed.

Cordoba assumed military leadership between 1482 and 1492. He contributed to the initiative that eventually ousted the Moors from his country and ended Muslim occupation of Spain. These early years in Cordoba's career familiarized him with various military strategies and increased his understanding of possible tactics. Cordoba was recognized for his personal bravery during this time. In one battle, the siege of Montefrio, he penetrated the Moors' defenses using ladders to scale the opponents' walls. In 1492, Cordoba captured the city of Granada from the Moors, bringing an end to the war against the kingdom of Granada. To achieve this victory he staged small skirmishes, creating confusion and deliberately capturing small villages. Cordoba emerged from this experience with an understanding of how to integrate mobile military initiatives with technical tools, such as siege craft and explosives. Cordoba's successful initiatives against the Moors attracted the favorable attention of the Spanish queen, Isabella of Castile, and her husband, Ferdinand of Aragon. In 1495, Isabella ordered Cordoba to lead an army of more than 2,000 soldiers into Italy. He was to assist the Italians in recapturing Naples from the French. Coordination efforts between the Italian and Spanish forces proved to be ineffective, and Cordoba's forces lacked the necessary training to prevail. Spain was defeated by the French at the Battle of Seminara.

Cordoba was inspired by the outcome of Seminara. He retreated temporarily in order to train his troops and rethink his strategy in dealing with the French occupation of Italian territory. Because Italian forces were much larger than Cordoba's forces, he employed effective guerrilla tactics to disrupt the movement of supplies to the French. Using such tactics, Cordoba was able to avoid large-scale battles that would have demolished his forces and to successfully disrupt French military operations in Italy. Cordoba used these tactics to gain a foothold in the country, and then move toward the French-occupied Italian cities. In less than a year, Cordoba had stopped the French initiative and captured Atella, taken the French commander (Montspensier) as prisoner, and recovered the Roman port of Ostia. He returned the captured territories to the Italians by 1498. The pope recognized Cordoba and expressed gratitude for his victory in Italy.

Córdoba was appointed Viceroy of Naples in 1504. Jealous of him, Ferdinand II of Aragon accused him of profligately spending the public treasury to reward his captains and soldiers; the 1504 death of Queen Isabel I of Castile deprived him of a protector, and he was recalled in 1507. Although Ferdinand praised Córdoba, he gave him nothing else to do until his death. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba died on 2 December 1515 at his villa near Granada from malaria at age 62.

Sword=Spada da lato The spada da lato or "side-sword" is the Italian term for the type of sword popular during the late 16th century, corresponding to the Spanish espada ropera. It is a continuation of the medieval arming sword and in turn the predecessor of the rapier of the Early Modern period. Its use was taught in the Dardi school of Italian fencing, influential on 17th century rapier fencing. The sword has a thin pointed blade designed for thrusting and pinpointing through unarmored parts.

They were ideal for handling the mix of armored and unarmored opponents of that time. A new technique of placing one's finger on the ricasso to improve the grip (a practice that would continue in the rapier) led to the production of hilts with a guard for the finger. A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. The word halberd may come from the German words Halm (staff), and Barte (axe). In modern-day German, the weapon is called a Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft. It always has a hook or thorn on the back side of the axe blade for grappling mounted combatants. The arquebus, or "hook tube", is an early muzzle-loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. It can be distinguished from its predecessor, the hand cannon, by the presence of a matchlock firing action. As a low-velocity firearm, the arquebus was used against enemies who were often partially or fully protected by steel-plate armor. Plate armor worn upon the torso was standard in European combat from about 1400 until the middle of the 17th century. Good suits of plate would usually stop an arquebus ball at long range. The development of volley fire - by the Dutch in Europe, and by the Chinese and the Portuguese in Asia - made the arquebus of practical advantage to modern militaries. Volley fire allowed armies to turn their usual formation into a rotating firing squad with each row of soldiers firing a shot then marching to the back of the formation to reload. The arquebus however, has one major flaw. It lacked a front sight which affected its accuracy. Used by both the Spanish and the Moors, A compound crossbow is a modern crossbow and is similar to a compound bow. The limbs are usually much stiffer than those of a recurve crossbow. This limb stiffness makes the compound bow more energy efficient than other bows, but the limbs are too stiff to be drawn comfortably with a string attached directly to them. The compound bow has the string attached to the pulleys, one or both of which has one or more cables attached to the opposite limb. When the string is drawn back, the string causes the pulleys to turn. This causes the pulleys to pull the cables, which in turn causes the limbs to bend and thus store energy. Other types of compound bows use either (one or both) cam shaped or eccentrically mounted pulleys in order to provide a "let off", such that the archer is not holding against the maximum draw weight of the bow while trying to aim. But in a crossbow the string is held back mechanically, so there is no advantage in providing a let off. The bow takes about 20 seconds to reload and fire again accuratley, with at least 5 of those seconds to load the bolt. The classical Spanish armor consists of the morion, breatplate and tassets. Spanish armor, mostly made in Toldeo, was among the finest in the world, and encased from head to foot in a steel shell. The morion is a heavy steel helm with a pronounced crest or comb on top and sweeping sides that came to points on either end. A full set of armor which consisted of a heavy breastplate, arm and leg greaves, a metal skirt and protection for the neck and throat called a gorget. Even parts of the body such as elbows and shoulders, which require movement, were protected by a series of overlapping plates, meaning that there were very few vulnerable spots on a fully armored Spanish. A full suit of metal armor weighed about sixty pounds and the weight was well-distributed over the body, allowing it to be worn for long periods of time without causing much fatigue. It generally included even armored boots and gloves or gauntlets. Cordoba is dubbed by many as the "father of trench warfare" because of his innovative use of firearm technology. Muskets at that time. were a new and unknown technology to many European countries, and as such many of the tactics of Cordoba's era were still based around the Medieval and Renaissance art of warfare. Although muskets proved to be very cheap and effective weapons for soldiers, which needed only little training to be used, nobody ever focused extensively on the utilization of the weapon. During the Conquest of Granada, Cordoba discovered the impact of how these weapons outranged and outgunned the crossbows used by the Moors. He and his men used the arquebus in tight formations to repel the attacks during the Battle at Illora.
 * 43 inches
 * Double edged
 * Thin pointed blade designed for thrusting
 * -|Polearm=Halberd
 * 6 feet
 * Blade axe, spear and hook hybrid
 * Can also be used to unhook horsemen
 * -|Firearm=Arquebus
 * .69 cal
 * 20 yards
 * -|Special=Composite crossbow
 * Crossbow bolt
 * 33 yards
 * -|Armor=Spanish armor
 * -|Battlefield Tactics=Battle of Cerignola

After the Reconquista, Cordoba would continue to train and learn his craft. Cordoba began arming the infantry with arquebuses so that the troops would be divided into two supporting groups; the harquebusiers to blast holes in the enemy lines and the assault troops to make the attack with swords and pikes and more traditional weapons. He trained his forces in effective coordination between the infantry, cavalry and artillery and organized the army into separate maneuver forces that could be directed by the commander rather than simply throwing a large mob of armed men against each other as had previously been the case in most European battles since the fall of Rome. In some of his memorable battles, Cordoba has been outnumbered and outprepared, yet he still manages to claim victory.

Cordoba's use of entrenched arquebus firing lines can be seen during the Battle of Cerignola. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba formed his infantry into new units called "Coronelías," that were the seed of the later Tercios. The Spanish troops had occupied the heights of Cerignola, and entrenched his soldiers with walls and stakes. The battle began with two charges by the French heavy cavalry, against the centre of the Spanish army, but was dispersed by Spanish heavy artillery and arquebus fire on both occasions. The next assault tried to force the right flank, but many of the French cavalrymen fell into the Spanish trench and the attack was then broken by a storm of fire from the Spanish arquebusiers. One of those killed by the arquebus volley was the French commander Duke of Nemours, making him probably the first general killed in action by small arms fire. With the Swiss commander, Chandieu, taking charge, the Swiss infantry attacked with the cavalry instead of waiting for the arrival of the French rear guard under d'Alègre. At the imminent assault upon the Spanish center the Spanish arquebusiers were withdrawn and the Landsknechts sent forward. The Swiss formations, soon joined by the Gascons, were unable to break into the defensive positions. Shot into the flank by the arquebusiers and harassed by the Spanish cavalry, the Swiss and French were driven back, taking heavy casualties including Chandieu.

De Córdoba then called for a counterattack against the now disorganized enemy by both the Spanish infantry and the heavy Spanish cavalry waiting in reserve. Mounted arquebusiers surrounded and routed the remaining French gendarmes, but the Swiss pikeman managed to retreat in a relatively organized fashion. The battle ended with 4,000 French casualties while Cordoba lost 100 of his men.