Don Gonzalo de Córdoba: The military genius and the new art of war under the service of the Catholic Kings

Abstract

In this article we analyze the role played by Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba in the two big campaigns supported by France and the Catholic Kings in order to obtain the control of Italy, among the years 1495 and 1504. We study the most important events (the conquest of Atella and Ostia, the defense of Barletta, the battles of Cerignola and Garellano) that allowed to consolidate his prestige like general of the Spanish armies and created the myth of the Great Captain. Finally, we analyze the main innovations introduced by Gonzalo de Córdoba in the army, in the context of the Spanish military tradition: the development of the waste war and the ambushes against the French army,superior in number and resources, the introduction of arcabuz like offensive hand weapon, as well as the tactical reorganization of the infantry, thanks to the creation of smaller and more operative combat units that allowed to brake the attack of the terrible French cavalry. These were the origin of Spanish tercios.