The Military Reforms of Gustavus Adolphus

In the early 17th century, Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus undertook a set of measures to reform the Swedish military system. Sweden would develop a professional army around the conscription of soldiers on the basis of same geographical origin (cities, hamlets, villages) that would bring team spirit and cohesion to units that did not exist in most mercenary armies of the time. The tactical innovations included shallower and broader formations to maximize firepower, cross training between the army branches, and light, highly mobile field artillery. The new Swedish tactical doctrine was based on firepower and mobility, eschewing heavy artillery and slow-moving tercios.