The Origin of the Cannon
Casting a bronze canon. Engraving. c.1600
The word “artillery” predates the invention of the cannon. It is thought to come from the Latin words “ars tolendi”, meaning the art of catapulting or shooting. Gunpowder was the result of 9th century Chinese alchemy experiments and was not widely used for weaponry until it reached Europe. The use of gunpowder cannons is known to be used as early as 1326 AD. During the 14th century cannons began to be manufactured out of bronze and iron, making them stronger. During the 15th century cannons began to be mounted on wheeled carts and on pivoting mounts. This allowed the cannon to be used in siege as well as the defense of fortifications.
Fortifications
Artillery fortress off the cost of Kent, England
With the new fire power on the battlefield, designers built fortifications with many new techniques. Angled bastions to deflect direct impact of cannonballs, thicker walls with pockets of earth inside of them, and build moats so that even if a wall was destroyed by artillery the invaders would still have difficulties entering the fortification. Artillery towers were also built so that the defenders could shoot back at the besiegers. This caused sieges to become lengthy and expensive.
Battlefield Application
Ottoman siege train attacking Vienna, 1529
By this time artillery had also been developed into specific uses. Siege artillery was typically larger and was used to destroy fortifications and take down walls while field artillery was generally smaller and used against enemy infantry to disrupt formations and, more or less, dissuade them from attack. The usage of artillery progressed even further during the time of Gustav II Adolf, or Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden from 1611-1632. He is known as the father of modern artillery and is credited with many innovations concerning artillery such as reducing the weight and size of the cannon and creating highly offensive tactics. He also created a standardized caliber and he was the first general to implement his own highly trained gunners rather than hired peasant gunners. This increased the overall effectiveness of the artillery formations.