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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Haltherrion" data-source="post: 5378629" data-attributes="member: 18253">Early cannons were anti-personal. Once they got large enough to be used against castles, they changed fortifications: From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege#Age_of_gunpowder" target="_blank">wikipedia </a>on siege craft:The introduction of gunpowder and the use of cannons brought about a new age in siege warfare. Cannons were first used in <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Song_Dynasty" target="_blank">Song Dynasty</a> China during the early 13th century, but did not become significant weapons for another 150 years or so. By the 16th century, they were an essential and regularized part of any campaigning army, or castle's defenses.The greatest advantage of cannons over other siege weapons was the ability to fire a heavier projectile, further, faster and more often than previous weapons. They could also fire projectiles in a straight line, so that they could destroy the bases of high walls. Thus, 'old fashioned' walls - that is high and, relatively, thin - were excellent targets and, over time, easily demolished. In 1453, the great walls of <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Constantinople" target="_blank">Constantinople</a>, the capital of the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire" target="_blank">Byzantine Empire</a>, were broken through in just six weeks by the 62 cannons of <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Mehmet_II" target="_blank">Mehmet II</a>'s army. However, new fortifications, designed to withstand gunpowder weapons, were soon constructed throughout Europe. During the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Renaissance" target="_blank">Renaissance</a> and the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Early_Modern" target="_blank">Early Modern</a> period, siege warfare continued to dominate the conduct of the European wars. and a little farther down on the same page:The castles that in earlier years had been formidable obstacles were easily breached by the new weapons. For example, in Spain, the newly equipped army of <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Ferdinand_and_Isabella" target="_blank">Ferdinand and Isabella</a> was able to conquer <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Moors" target="_blank">Moorish</a> strongholds in <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Granada" target="_blank">Granada</a> in 1482–92 that had held out for centuries before the invention of cannons.In the early 15th century, Italian architect <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Leon_Battista_Alberti" target="_blank">Leon Battista Alberti</a> wrote a treatise entitled De Re aedificatoria which theorized methods of building fortifications capable of withstanding the new guns. He proposed that walls be "built in uneven lines, like the teeth of a saw." He proposed star-shaped fortresses with low thick walls.However, few rulers paid any attention to his theories. A few towns in Italy began building in the new style late in the 1480s, but it was only with the French invasion of the Italian peninsula in 1494–95 that the new fortifications were built on a large scale. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Charles_VIII_of_France" target="_blank">Charles VIII</a> invaded Italy with an army of 18,000 men and a horse-drawn <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Siege-train" target="_blank">siege-train</a>. As a result he could defeat virtually any city or state, no matter how well defended. In a panic, military strategy was completely rethought throughout the Italian states of the time, with a strong emphasis on the new fortifications that could withstand a modern siege. The linkage between effect siege cannon and changes in fortifications is pretty clear cut. If you don't think it is, please give some concrete counter examples. As pre-cannon castles, how about:The Edwardian castles in the 1280s.Krak des chevaliers 1030-1250sChateau Gaillard 1198 These don't seem to fit your amusing characterization. As for a date of siege-effective cannon in Europe, it seems to be around 1350 at the very earliest but more like the fall of constantinople in 1453 that they were really used as wall smashers and the impact on fortification design gained momentum from that time. From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannon#Medieval_Europe" target="_blank">wikiepedia</a>: The first metal cannon was the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Pot-de-fer" target="_blank">pot-de-fer</a>. Loaded with an arrow-like <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Quarrel" target="_blank">bolt</a> that was probably wrapped in leather to allow greater thrusting power, it was set off through a <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Touch_hole" target="_blank">touch hole</a> with a heated wire. This weapon, and others similar, were used by both the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/France_in_the_Middle_Ages" target="_blank">French</a> and English during the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War" target="_blank">Hundred Years' War</a>, when cannon saw their first real use on the European battlefield.<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/#cite_note-Artillery_Through_the_Ages-33" target="_blank">[34]</a> While still a relatively rarely used weapon, cannon were employed in increasing numbers during the war. "Ribaldis", which shot large arrows and simplistic <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Grapeshot" target="_blank">grapeshot</a>, were first mentioned in the English Privy Wardrobe accounts during preparations for the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy" target="_blank">Battle of Crécy</a>, between 1345 and 1346.<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/#cite_note-Nicolle-35" target="_blank">[36]</a> The Florentine <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Giovanni_Villani" target="_blank">Giovanni Villani</a> recounts their destructiveness, indicating that by the end of the battle, "the whole plain was covered by men struck down by arrows and cannon balls."<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/#cite_note-Nicolle-35" target="_blank">[36]</a> Similar cannon were also used at the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/wiki/Siege_of_Calais" target="_blank">Siege of Calais</a>, in the same year, although it was not until the 1380s that the "ribaudekin" clearly became mounted on wheels.<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/#cite_note-Nicolle-35" target="_blank">[36]</a> I don't see how your statement holds.</blockquote>

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