Patrick Brugh, Gunpowder, Masculinity, and Warfare in German Texts, 1400-1700 (Dan Spencer)

Patrick Brugh

Gunpowder, Masculinity, and Warfare in German Texts, 1400-1700

(University of Rochester Press, 2019), 272 pp. $125.00

The adoption of gunpowder weapons was one of the most significant developments of the late Middle Ages. Over time this new technology gradually led to major changes in the organisation and conduct of war, the formation of states, and, more broadly, to the societies of Europe. One area that has lacked attention from scholars interested in gunpowder weapons, has been the cultural reception to these new weapons. Patrick Brugh addresses the issue in this engaging and thought-provoking monograph, which discusses a range of German texts from approximately 1400 to 1700. Starting with the Hussite Wars of the early fifteenth century and finishing in the late seventeenth century with the aftermath of the Thirty Years War. Brugh’s focus is on analysing textual and visual depictions of warfare, which reveal that gunpowder weapons not only transformed how wars were fought, but also irrevocably changed conceptions of conflict and combatants.

The structure of the book is broadly chronological. Chapter one begins by contrasting two suits of armour held at held at the Saint Louis Art Museum in St Louis, Missouri. The former dates from the early sixteenth century, intended for a lance-wielding man-at-arms, whereas the latter, dating from approximately 100 years later, was designed for a horseman equipped with pistols. This is an imaginative entry point that illustrates the transformation of the medieval Ritter (knight) into the early modern Reiter (horseman). Brugh goes on to identify three key implications for textual representations of warfare: aesthetic, gendered, and ethical-moral, which are repeatedly referred to in the subsequent chapters. A central argument is that the growing effectiveness of gunpowder weapons on the battlefield caused a disconnect between how writers thought wars should be waged and how they were actually fought. This posed a challenge to traditional views of warrior masculinity, derived as they were from the classical tradition, as guns, unlike other types of weapons, lacked historical ancestry.

The second chapter examines three early fifteenth century manuscript texts, Wittenwiler’s satirical Der Ring, and two widely circulated military treatises, Kyeser’s Bellifortis, and the anonymous Feuerwerkbuch von 1420. Brugh argues that the Bellifortis was a literary work designed to invoke aristocratic curiosity in the new technology of gunpowder, whereas the Feuerwerkbuch von 1420 was intended to promote the status of the nascent Büchsenmeister (artillery master). These are discussed in relation to the Hussite Wars, where the innovation of the Wagenburg (wagon-castle), a mobile fort defended with guns and other weapons, allowed the Hussites to win remarkable victories against German armies.

Chapter three provides an overview of the development of the Kriegsbuch (book of war) genre, from the early fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century. This type of book differed from the similar Kriegstraktat (war treatise), as it took the form of a compendium assembled from different sources. Kriegsbücher initially varied markedly in terms of their content and internal consistently, but by the 1600s had developed a more coherent format. This coincided with significant military changes, including the professionalisation of the officer class and new infantry tactics. The author who receives the most attention is Leonhard Fronsperger (1520-75), which is explored in more detail in chapter four. Fronsperger, as Brugh states, differs markedly from other writers of this genre in his unequivocal denunciation of gunpowder weapons. He contended that firearms were a plague inflicted on mankind as a punishment by God, which were unmanly to use and threatened traditional martial values.

The next two chapters looks at the depiction of battles by military broadsheets during the German campaigns of the Swedish king, Gustav Adolph, from 1630 to 1632, which formed part of the Thirty Years War. Chapter five focuses on the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631), which is used as a case study. Brugh demonstrates that visual depictions of gunpowder in these broadsheets, such as the firing of guns, were crucial in differentiating opposing sides, the course of engagements, and in identifying the victors. Yet the important point is made that artists and writers were more concerned with clearly indicating the outcome of battles, as opposed to being committed to factual accuracy in their portrayal of these engagements. The sixth chapter considers the demise of Gustav Adolph at the Battle of Lützen (1632). Brugh expresses surprise that gunpowder weapons were not condemned for the death of the “Lion of the North”, given that he was killed by gunfire. This is attributed to historical conventions, namely that negative views of firearms in literary works focused on the behaviour of soldiers in the later stages of the conflict following his demise. Whereas broadsheets were focused on circulating news as opposed to making explicit moral judgements.

Chapter seven examines the war novels of two German authors, Johann Michael Moscherosch (1601-69) and H. J. C. Grimmelshausen (1621/22-76). Gunpowder is perceived as problematic in the works of both men, especially for Moscherosch. The latter observes that a coward can easily kill a stronger braver man with a gun and includes a scene where the mythical inventor of the technology, Berthold Schwarz, is put on trial by heroic figures from German history. Brugh remarks that the heroic warrior of old was not only killed on the battlefield by firearms, but also in literature. The final chapter explores the emergence of the cavalier, the literary successor to the medieval knight. A romanticised figure who was adept in feats of arms and of a noble background. This examination finishes with a discussion of the novel of Eberhard Werner Happel’s Mandorell, which narrates the fictional adventures of the titular protagonist in south Asia.

There is much that can be commended in this book. The author’s stated aim to foster dialogue between cultural and military historians is admirable and should be taken into consideration by scholars. Each chapter offers valuable insights into the examined texts, including those, such as Kyeser’s Bellifortis, which have typically been analysed for their technological, as opposed to literary, qualities. The discussion of military broadsheets in chapters five and six, for example, is especially useful in providing a nuanced interpretation of their portrayal of battles, which are illustrated with images from these sources. Similarly, the preceding chapters on Kriegsbücher demonstrate the value of considering the cultural values inherent in what may otherwise appear as objective neutral texts. The historical context is skilfully integrated throughout the book, with technological and military changes discussed in relation to the examined sources. Brugh’s observation that gunpowder weapons were still viewed as a new disruptive technology in the early seventeenth century, despite having been introduced to Europe some three hundred years earlier, is an important one. Interestingly, this is attributed to the greater physical labour needed to operate a crossbow or trebuchet, as opposed to guns. Brugh’s principal arguments, notably that gunpowder weapons ultimately not only rendered warrior elites vulnerable on the battlefield, but also undermined their masculine identity, are convincing and well made.

Nevertheless, parts of the book are less developed than others. The wide chronological scope has the benefit of allowing the author to trace long-term trends over time, but this does have its downsides. Given the large number of surviving texts from the period, this means that a case study approach is frequently utilised. In places the discussion could be extended further. In particular, chapter eight is short in length and its foray into colonisation feels slightly out of place with the preceding content. The focus on a relatively small number of texts in each chapter makes it unclear whether criticisms of gunpowder weapons were unusual or not. This leads to the suspicion that the views of some, if not all, of these critical authors were exceptional, especially, as Brugh notes, because guns had been routinely used in civic defence from the fifteenth century onwards. An examination of “pro-gun” sources, such regulations encouraging the use of firearms, could have acted as an intriguing counterbalance. The lack of any international comparisons makes it unclear how typical or unique was the cultural impact of gunpowder weapons in German speaking lands, although this may reflect a lack of scholarship in this field. It is unfortunate that endnotes rather than footnotes are used given that this is a monograph.

None of these criticisms, however, should detract from an interesting and well-written book, whose novel approach makes it a valuable addition to the historiography of gunpowder weapons and warfare.

Dan Spencer
Independent Researcher
[email protected]

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