A Special Collections Exhibition
|
Military Mapping |
|
|
Plan
of Harlingen, 1572, drawn for Gaspar de Robles
During
the sixteenth century, military commanders began to see how maps might be used
to wage campaigns more effectively – an idea that Macchiavelli and others
thought that they had learned from the ancient Romans. The generals of Philip II
of Spain were among the most prominent of these map-users, and our image shows a
view of the town of Harlingen in the Netherlands, drawn about 1572 for Gaspar de
Robles.
Robles caused a set of twenty plans like this to be drawn, showing the
towns where his troops were likely to be involved; such images may have offset
to some degree the advantage in local knowledge that the Netherlanders had.
Certainly battlefield maps would eventually become indispensable to the generals
of countries like France and England.
© Special Collections Division
The University of Texas at Arlington Libraries
For further information:
