Just a question.Given how flintlocks have been invented in 1610,is there a reason as to why most armies only phased out pike and shot in favor of flintlock and bayonets in the late 17th to early 18th century?
Would this be an explanation why melee troops were never really phased out in India and East Asia?The lack of an effective bayonet. Pikes were used to protect the shooters from cavalry. With the development of an effective bayonet, the musket could double as a pike
They werent in Europe until the late 18th century either. A extremely common tactic was the Bayonet Charge. Basically, soliders would fire off a few rounds while marching towards the enemy, then as a formation charge the enemy with bayonets fixed.Would this be an explanation why melee troops were never really phased out in India and East Asia?