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From the late 16th century into the 18th century battalia, was a description used both for the positioning of units in an army (or navy) on a battle field and the formation in which individual units deployed for battle (
File:A plan of the Royalist dispositions at Marston Moor, drawn up by Sir Bernard de Gomme.jpg, A plan of the Royalist battalia at Marston Moor, drawn up by Sir
From the late 16th century into the 18th century battalia, was a description used both for the positioning of units in an army (or navy) on a battle field and the formation in which individual units deployed for battle (battle array
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
or battle order). Sometimes it was used to describe the main body of an army deploy for battle but excluding the wings and other units such as those deployed in front of the main line in skirmishing formation etc. Battalia differs from battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
which is generally the smallest military unit capable of independent operations and would have formed up in its battalia when going into battle.Battalion is derived from the French ''battaillon'' which is derived from the Italian ''battaglione'' "augmentative or diminutive of ''battaglia'' battle n.; compare Spanish ''batallon'' 'a pettie battell or army'."
See also
*Pike and shot
Pike and shot was a historical infantry tactical formation that first appeared during the Italian Wars of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, and was used until the development of the bayonet in the late 17th century. This type of formation ...
for details of different formation used in a battalia at the time the word was in common usage.
Gallery
Bernard de Gomme
Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname.
The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...
File:Tercio.jpg, A ''tercio'' in "bastioned square," in battle
Notes
References
* *Further reading
* — "What does it mean to say that Preston drew his army into battalia?" {{military-stub Military strategy