Eldridge - Blog 14

Neuf-Brisach, France

Neuf-Brisach is one of the star forts we talked about in class. I visited this fort as a child but don't remember it very well. Star forts were developed in response to the cannon. Curtain walls from old medieval castles would get pulverized by cannons. The low earthen walls of the star forts could absorb cannon fire with minimum damage. Additionally, the star shape provided multiple attack angles for the defenders to use. To assault a fort like this, an attacker would have to build a parallel trench to the defender's fortifications and line it with cannon. Then the attacker would dig zig zag trenches getting closer and closer to the wall. On each parallel trench, cannon would be re-positioned to provide closer support. Commanders typically just bypassed the forts rather than trying to assault them. Star forts later became obsolete with the invention of the explosive shell.

Sources:

http://arquitecturaurbanismo-usaz.blogspot.com/2014/11/renascimento-desenho-urbano-continuacao.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuf-Brisach_12.jpg