Spanish tercios

E511937

Spanish tercios were elite, mixed-arms infantry formations of the Spanish Empire renowned in the 16th and early 17th centuries for their discipline, innovative tactics, and dominance on European battlefields.

All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
Spanish tercios canonical 8
Spanish Tercios 2
Tercio (early modern Spanish infantry unit) 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (83)

Predicate Object
instanceOf military formation ⓘ
pike and shot formation ⓘ
activeFrom 16th century ⓘ
activeUntil early 18th century ⓘ
allegiance Catholic Habsburg monarchy ⓘ
combatStyle close-order drill ⓘ
coordinated volley fire ⓘ
pike charges ⓘ
commandStructure colonel-level commander ⓘ
country Spanish Empire ⓘ
declineReason increased effectiveness of firearms ⓘ
rise of linear infantry tactics ⓘ
doctrineInfluencedBy Swiss pikemen ⓘ
linked to: Swiss mercenaries
equipment arquebuses ⓘ
breastplates ⓘ
morion helmets ⓘ
muskets ⓘ
pikes ⓘ
swords ⓘ
etymology name derived from Spanish word "tercio" meaning "third" ⓘ
formationShape deep infantry block ⓘ
large square ⓘ
foughtIn Battle of Lepanto ⓘ
Battle of Mühlberg ⓘ
Battle of Nördlingen (1634) ⓘ
Battle of Pavia ⓘ
Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Eighty Years' War ⓘ
French Wars of Religion ⓘ
Italian Wars ⓘ
Siege of Breda ⓘ
Thirty Years' War ⓘ
garrisonedIn Flanders ⓘ
Italy ⓘ
Spain ⓘ
the Low Countries ⓘ
linked to: Low Countries
hasPart arquebusiers ⓘ
artillery detachments ⓘ
chaplains ⓘ
drummers ⓘ
engineers ⓘ
ensigns ⓘ
musketeers ⓘ
officers ⓘ
pikemen ⓘ
swordsmen ⓘ
historicalReputation backbone of Spanish military power in the 16th century ⓘ
elite troops of early modern Europe ⓘ
influenced Dutch military reforms ⓘ
Swedish brigade system ⓘ
early modern European infantry tactics ⓘ
knownFor battlefield cohesion ⓘ
discipline ⓘ
dominance on European battlefields ⓘ
high morale ⓘ
innovative tactics ⓘ
professionalism ⓘ
languageOfName Spanish ⓘ
militaryBranch infantry ⓘ
notableDefeat Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
notablePeriod 16th century ⓘ
early 17th century ⓘ
organizationalForm regiment-like unit ⓘ
originatedIn Aragon ⓘ
Castile ⓘ
partOf Spanish Army ⓘ
peakInfluence late 16th century ⓘ
recruitedFrom Aragonese ⓘ
linked to: Aragonese language

Castilians ⓘ
linked to: Spaniards

Flemings ⓘ
Germans ⓘ
Irish ⓘ
Italians ⓘ
Walloon soldiers ⓘ
reorganizedInto line infantry regiments ⓘ
role defensive infantry formation ⓘ
shock infantry ⓘ
tacticalDoctrine combined arms infantry tactics ⓘ
pike and shot tactics ⓘ
typicalStrength approximately 3000 soldiers ⓘ
between 2000 and 3000 men ⓘ
usedBy Habsburg Spain ⓘ
Spanish Monarchy ⓘ
linked to: Spanish monarchy

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Battle of St. Quentin → involvedUnitType → Spanish tercios ⓘ
Aspa de Borgoña → usedBy → Spanish tercios ⓘ
Tercios (regimental-level units) → hasNameOrigin → Tercio (early modern Spanish infantry unit) ⓘ
linked to: Spanish tercios
Tercios (regimental-level units) → inheritsTraditionsFrom → Tercio (early modern Spanish infantry unit) ⓘ
linked to: Spanish tercios
Battle of Alcântara (1580) → involved → Spanish tercios ⓘ
Spanish Road → usedBy → Spanish tercios ⓘ
Tercio de Armada → type → Tercio ⓘ
linked to: Spanish tercios
Castilian army → influenced → Spanish Tercios ⓘ
linked to: Spanish tercios
Battle of Zutphen → combatantStrength → Spanish tercios ⓘ
Spanish forces during Eighty Years War → usedMilitaryFormation → Spanish tercio ⓘ
linked to: Spanish tercios
Military history of Spain → includesInstitution → Spanish Tercios ⓘ
linked to: Spanish tercios
Battle of Rocroi → notableUnit → Spanish tercios ⓘ
subject linked to: Battle of Rocroy
Lope de Figueroa → partOf → Spanish tercios ⓘ