A pike is a long thrusting spear that was used in European warfare in the past, from the Late Middle Ages (ca. 1300–1500) to much of the early modern period (ca. 1500–1700), the pike was one of the most popular weapons in European armies.
The pike was used by foot soldiers, arranged in a pike block, a dense formation of soldiers with long spears. Eventually, the pike was almost completely replaced by muskets with bayonets.
The pike was especially known as the main weapon of the Spanish tercios (from the 1500s), the Swiss mercenaries (from the 1400s), the German Landsknechten (1480–1600) and the sans-culottes in the French Revolution (1789–1799).
Pikes in Antiquity
A similar weapon, the sarissa, was already used in Antiquity, by the army of Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) in the Macedonian phalanxes and later by the Greek-Hellenistic armies from Italy to India.
Description of the Pike
The pike was 3 to 7 meters long. A spear is called a pike when it is too long to be used with one hand.
The weight usually ranged between 2 and 6 kilos. The English soldier Sir John Smythe wrote in the 16th century that lighter pikes were better than heavy ones.
The pike consisted of a wooden stick, often made of ash wood, a steel point and metal reinforcement straps, langets, to prevent the enemy from cutting off the point. When two armies fought each other with pikes, they constantly tried to make longer and stronger pikes — a kind of arms race.
It is a common mistake to call all pole weapons with a blade-shaped point pikes. Other pole weapons are, for example, the halberd, glaive, ranseur, bill or voulge.
Use in Combat
The great length made it possible to direct a wall of spear points toward the enemy. But in man-to-man combat, the pike was very cumbersome. Therefore, pikemen also carried a dagger or sword for close combat. They often had no shield, or only a very small shield.
Tactics
Because pikes were difficult to handle, they were usually used defensively, together with soldiers carrying firearms, crossbows or halberds. However, well-trained troops could also launch an aggressive attack, with multiple rows thrusting their pikes forward at the same time.
A well-organized pike block could roll over enemy infantry, but the formation had weak points, it could not turn quickly, the sides and back were vulnerable, on rough terrain the formation quickly fell into disarray (such as in the Scottish formation at the Battle of Flodden, 1513).
If a pike block fell into disarray, the fight turned into a chaotic melee in which pikemen were at a disadvantage.
Two Ways of Pike-on-Pike Combat
According to Sir John Smythe (16th century), there were two ways in which two pike blocks would meet:
- 1. Cautiously – poking at distance with pikes (Smythe found this ridiculous).
- 2. Aggressively – approaching quickly, with the first five rows each delivering one hard thrust.
If that didn't break the enemy, the men in the front row used swords and daggers. And climbed through the pikes toward the enemy line.
Although it was a military weapon, the pike could also be effective in duels. In the 16th century, fencers sometimes practiced with long staffs. The English master George Silver found a pike of 5.5 meters very strong in one-on-one combat.
History
Greek Phalanx
The earliest true pike was the sarissa of the Macedonians under Philip II and Alexander the Great. This dominated warfare for centuries.
After the fall of Macedonia, the pike disappeared for about 1,000 years, except possibly among some Germanic tribes. The Roman writer Tacitus described in the 2nd century Germanic warriors with "very long spears".
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, the pike was widely used by infantry units. Especially Flemish urban militias and Scottish peasant armies made effective use of it in battles against heavily armed knights. The pike allowed relatively poorly armed foot soldiers to repel cavalry charges and provided a strategic advantage in group formation.
Important Battles
A well-known example is the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, in which the Scots used the schiltron – a dense circle of pikemen with their spears pointing outward – to stop the English cavalry.
The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 also shows how well-organized Flemings with long spears French knights managed to resist. These battles proved that well-trained infantry, even consisting of peasants or urban militias, could successfully stop knights.
Vulnerability of Pikemen
Despite their effectiveness, pikemen were vulnerable to artillery and ranged weapons such as bows and crossbows. Especially lightly armed units had little protection against arrows. Often, standing pikes provided the only effective protection against arrows.
Some major defeats of pikemen included the Battle of Roosebeke in 1382, where Flemish troops were defeated by French armies, and the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, where Scottish infantry suffered heavy losses against English archers.
Strategic Importance
The use of the pike shows that military tactics in the Middle Ages evolved. The shift from the dominance of knights to organized foot soldiers marked an important change in warfare.
Pikemen became the backbone of many armies, and their success often depended on discipline, formation and support from archers or artillery.
Successful Attacks
Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297) – Scottish pikeman units overwhelmed the English.
Battle of Laupen (1339) – Bernese pikemen defeated a Habsburg-Burgundian army with a strong pike attack.
The Swiss and the Landsknechten
The Swiss developed in the 15th century very well-trained pike blocks with drum rolls, discipline and great speed.
Their success led to the German Landsknechten, who applied the same methods.
In Milan, a law in 1391 determined that pikes had to be at least 4.35 meters long. In 1397 it was established that half of the Milanese army had to carry pikes.
Peak: 1400–1600
During the Renaissance, a period of great cultural and military change in Europe, pike blocks remained particularly effective in battle.
Important Successes in the Burgundian Wars
The pike blocks achieved their greatest successes during the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477), a series of conflicts between the Duchy of Burgundy and the Swiss Confederacy, supported by various European allies. Especially the Swiss made efficient use of pike blocks against the heavily armed Burgundian knights.
Battle of Grandson (1476): The Swiss infantry defeated the Burgundian troops, with the discipline and coherence of their pike blocks being decisive.
Battle of Murten (1476): Again, the Swiss, with their compact formation, managed to neutralize the Burgundian cavalry and achieve a decisive victory.
Battle of Nancy (1477): This conflict led to the end of Burgundian power after the death of Duke Charles the Bold, partly through the successful use of pike blocks by Swiss soldiers.
