The Spanish Tercio at the Battle of Cerignola 1503

In Episode 140 of The Story of Spain, Lucas and Luna explore the Battle of Cerignola in 1503, a turning point in military history where the Spanish tercio first proved its devastating effectiveness. Fought during the Second Italian War between Spain and France, this clash saw Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, the 'Great Captain,' use a fortified position of ditches and stakes to nullify French cavalry charges, while Spanish arquebusiers and pikemen worked in coordinated units. The battle introduced the combined-arms tactics that would dominate European warfare for over a century. Lucas explains how Córdoba's reforms—blending Swiss pike tactics with new firearms—created the tercio model, and why Cerignola is considered the birth of modern infantry. Luna asks about the role of the Spanish infantry's discipline, the impact of the new 'fire by rank' technique, and how this victory set the stage for Spanish dominance in Italy. The episode also touches on the political backdrop: the rivalry between Ferdinand of Aragon and Louis XII over Naples, and the legacy of the Great Captain as a military innovator. #SpanishTercio #BattleOfCerignola #GonzaloFernandezDeCordoba #GreatCaptain #SecondItalianWar #1503 #MilitaryHistory #InfantryTactics #Arquebus #PikeAndShot #ItalianWars #Naples #FerdinandOfAragon #LouisXII #History #FexingoHistory #Spain #Europe Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo