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BAYONET Invented in 1641 in Bayonne, France, the bayonet is a sharp blade that
attaches to the end of a firearm. The first bayonet was just attached to a
plug that was inserted in the barrel. This precluded the firing of the
weapon, so later the ring bayonet (which attached to the outside of the
barrel) was invented to allow the wielder to both fire and slash
simultaneously.
Rifles were unwieldy and ineffective at close combat, so by converting it to a makeshift spear, riflemen became much more deadly. The individual soldier became an efficient fighting force, capable of bringing down enemies from both short and long range. Military tactics had to evolve to maximize the efficacy of these soldiers. This also brought about the end of pikemen, as they could not stand up to the direct fire of guns. From then on, the focus of military development became the firepower of a soldier. *Picture from Encarta Encyclopedia Sources: Ismailov, Ruslan A. "Evolution of Infantry" (2000). Translated by Alexander V. Lomski. Available December 30, 2003. <http://www.igstab.com/minsk/me3/articles/infantry.shtml>
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03/07/2004
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