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Push of pike

The push of pike was a particular feature of Late Middle Ages and Early Modern warfare that occurred when two opposing columns of pikemen (often Swiss Reisläufer or German Landsknechte) met and became locked in position along a front of interleaved pikes.

Swiss mercenaries and Landsknechte engaged in a push of pike (engraving by Hans Holbein the Younger, early 16th century)
Right hand section of preceding drawing

Shoving match

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During push of pike, opposing blocks of pikemen would advance with their pikes "charged" horizontally at shoulder level to jab at one another until bodily contact was made. The two sides would then push physically until one or other of them gave way. The push of pike would continue until one of the opposing formations routed or fled, which would generally lead to massive casualties. Each man pressed on the one in front, and so sometimes the formations would crush against each other and many pikemen would have to fight in closer melee combat.[1][2] The rear ranks would sometimes join the fray but their primary role was to add more weight to the push.[3] Aside from getting impaled by enemy pikes, those in the front ranks died from getting crushed or suffocated due to the sheer number of bodies pressing from each side.[4] The Italians referred to this as 'Bad War'[5] after seeing Swiss pikemen become locked in heavy combat, where – because both formations refused to back down – both sides lost huge numbers of men in the bloody melee.

There are instances when both sides agree to a break for a short rest then the pikemen resume their clash.[3] Rodeleros along with the Doppelsöldner were used in order to break push of pike engagements. The push of pike still played a role in the English civil war; two-thirds of the infantry consisted of pikemen at the start of the war, declining to one-third as the war progressed and the matchlock gained dominance.[6] Pikemen often cut down the lengths of their pikes in order to make them more manageable.[7] This habit had on many occasions disastrous consequences as the side with the longest pikes had the advantage during push of pike.[8]

The push of pike was still crucial and it decided the outcome of many battles from the 14th to the early 18th century.[9]

Battles involving push of pike

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Italian Wars:

Marian civil war:

Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604):

Eighty Years' War:

Wars of the Three Kingdoms:

Irish Confederate Wars:

References

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  1. ^ "Gerards Pike". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Dunbar". Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b Scott, Christopher; Turton, Alan; Gruber von Arni, Eric (2006). Edgehill: The Battle Reinterpreted. South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. p. 113. ISBN 1844151336.
  4. ^ Nolan, Cathal (2017). The Allure of Battle: A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 66. ISBN 9780195383782.
  5. ^ Preskar, Peter (24 October 2022). "The Bad War — The Bloody Rivalry Between the Swiss And German Mercenaries". Medium. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  6. ^ Reid, Stuart (1987). Gunpowder Triumphant. Partizan Press. p. 2.
  7. ^ Reid, Stuart (1987). Gunpowder Triumphant. Partizan Press. p. 12.
  8. ^ "English Civil War". Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  9. ^ Curley, Robert (2012). The Science of War: Strategies, Tactics, and Logistics. New York: Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 9781615307500.
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