Modern Warfare.— By Gustavus Adolphus, uthe father of the modern art of war," as Ira is called by Colonel Dodge, his biographer, the new weapon was accepted at its true worth, and, arming his corps with them, he evolved the then original plan of preparing an attack with artillery. The adoption of the musket, however, was not the only development im warfare that may be traced to this great strategist, for it was he who first substituted the line for the mass formation, one of the greatest innovations in modern tactics. It was not until the close of the Middle Ages, there fore, that military science, having slept for centuries, awoke to the possibilities of greater perfection in armament as well as in discipline. From the time of Gustavus Adolphus and Frederick the Great up to and after the close of the Civil War in America, military methods were undergoing such a change that the period may be regarded as that of the rehabilitation of the science of warfare, for nearly every kind of arm or maneuver that was in use dur ing the Middle Ages has now become obsolete. In the accomplishment of all this improvement in armament and tactics credit is due to all the great generals, including Napoleon, who hired the best mechanics to malce experiments for him and who gave to Europe its first breech loader. To-day, however, everything but the small calibre rifle, and possibly the bayonet, has been relegated to the scrap heap, just as the antique fighting tactics, like the various variations of the phalanx and mass forma tions, have given place to a more and more open formation, as the perfection in the fight ing arms has required such alterations in the fighting methods of the world's armies.
Decisive Battles.— Creasy, the historian of warfare, who treats of incidental battles rather than of connected wars, selects the following as the ((Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World*: i. Marathon, at which, on 28 Sept. 490 n.c., 11,000 Greeks defeated a Persian force numbering more than 110,000 men. The Grecian army was commanded by such mends of genius as Mlltiades, Aristides and Themistocles. The Persiansarmy was forced to retreat to Asia.
2. Syracuse. 419 e.c., when the besieged S turned upon the invading Athenians,. almost comp errelranlide stroying their forces. driving them, ' with heavy slaughter. over the cliffs, which an hour or two before they had scaled full of hopes and confident of success." 3. Arbela, the battle between Alexander the Great and Darius Codomanus which decided the fate of the Persians; 1 Oct. 331 D.C.
4. Metaurus, at which Haadrubal. the brother of Han nibal, was defeated and slain by the Roman army under the comnand of Livius and Claudius Nero; 207 Lc.
S. Teutoburg. 9 A.D.. the battle at which Vans and the Rornwis were defeated by the Germans, and which waa regarded at Rome as such a national calamity that Augustus is said to have cried aloud in agony, " Varna, give me my legions! " 6. Chalons, at which, in 451 A.D., Aetna. defeated Attila
the Hun. compelling him to retire into Pannonia.
7. Tours, at which Charles Martel saved Europe by his great victory over the invadbig hosts of the Saracens. This conflict is ssonsetimee known as the battle of Poitiers: 732 A.D.
8. Hastings, at which. on 14 Oct. 1066, Harold /I of England lost Ms life and kingdom in battle against William Duke of Normandy.
9. Orleans, besieged by the English during October 1428; it was bravely defended by Goucour. who realised that its fall would bring ruin to the cause of Charles IV of France. On 8 May 1429, the siege was raised as the result of the heroism of Joan of Arc.
10. The Spanish Armada, the nasal battle at which the Spanish fleet was almost completely destroyed by the British.
11. Blenheim, at which the French and Bevarians were defeated by the English under the Duke of Marlborough. 2 Aug. 1704.
12. Pultowa, where Charles XII of Sweden was completely defeated by the Saxons; 1 May 1703.
13. Saratoga, the engagement regarded as the greatest check suffered by the British forces during the Revolutionary War in America. At this battle, fought on 17 Oct. 1777. the British general, Burgoyne, still flushed by his victory at Ger mantown. was obliged to surrender his entire force of 5,791 men to the American commander. General Gates.
14. Valmy. where the French, commanded by Kellerman. defeated the Prussians, commanded by the Duke of Bruns wick, 20 Sept. 1792.
15. Waterloo, at which the great Napoleon was corn pelled to accept defeat at the hands of the Duke of Welling ton's forces; 13 June 1815.
And to them we now add the prolonged battle of the Manse in 1918 when the Allies under Foch turned back the German tide.
"" Wars of the World.— Irrespective of the character of the individual battles the follow ing list of the most important wars that have been waged between the various nations since the Middle Ages is generally regarded as reasonably complete and thoroughly repre sentative: 1455-1485. The War of the Roses, which ended with the defeat and death of Richard III at Bosworth, 22 Aug. 1485. The war was between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists and obtained its name from the fact that the former wore the red rose as their emblem. and the latter. the white. The union of the roses was consummated in 1486, when Henry VII was married to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV.
1587-1588. War of the Armada. In 1587 Philip II, king of Spain, collected and equipped what he believed to be an imnncible fleet. for the purpose of effecting the subju gation of England. Although it consisted of more than 130 ships and vvas manned by picked men. it was practically de stroyed by the British fleet. commanded by Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins and Lord Charles Howard, 29 July 1588.