At the end of the 15th century, Maximilian I introduced the professional Landsknecht units, marking a gradual transition from a feudal to a paid and professional army. His army was based on a combination of heavy cavalry and disciplined infantry, armed with pikes, swords, and firearms. The introduction of regular drills and the standardization of weaponry improved combat effectiveness. Maximilian also strengthened artillery, especially for sieges (bombards, howitzers, and tarasnic), thereby introducing early elements of the military revolution. In 1511, the Innsbruck Libel was adopted, and based on the regional regulations there, he reorganized the Habsburg defensive structure. In the Slovenian lands, uraban settlements were fortified in response to the Ottoman threat. The defensive capacity of the Slovenian territories relied on a diverse network of fortresses, churches, and castles, supported by lighter artillery, crossbows, and hackbuts. After the Battle of Mohács (1526) and Ferdinand’s election as King of Hungary and Croatia, the formation of the Military Frontier accelerated significantly, establishing a new defensive belt against the Ottomans.
In the Ottoman army, the first use of cannons was recorded during the siege of Constantinople at the end of the 14th century, but they became tactically important in the 15th century during wars with Hungary. Under sultans such as Murad I and Bayezid II, the army became increasingly professionalized. The Janissaries, a permanent infantry force, gained a central role, initially armed with bows and later with muskets. Specialized units were also established, including artillerymen, Janissary armorers, bombardiers, and engineers. They employed siege cannons such as the sayka, balyemez, and badaluşka, medium field guns like the kolunburna and darbzen, smaller cannons like eynek, prangi and şakaloz, as well as muskets.
|
