Editing Bayonet (section)

===Napoleonic wars===
[[File:Großbeeren 1813.jpg|thumb|A bayonet charge during the [[Battle of Großbeeren]] (1813)]]

The bayonet charge was a common tactic used during the [[Napoleonic wars]]. Despite its effectiveness, a bayonet charge did not necessarily cause substantial casualties through the use of the weapon itself. Detailed battle casualty lists from the 18th century showed that in many battles, less than 2% of all wounds treated were caused by bayonets.<ref>Lynn, John A. Giant of the Grand Siècle: The French Army, 1610–1715. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. Print.</ref> [[Antoine-Henri Jomini]], a celebrated military author who served in numerous armies during the [[Napoleon]]ic period, stated that the majority of bayonet charges in the open resulted with one side fleeing before any contact was made. Combat with bayonets did occur, but mostly on a small scale when units of opposing sides encountered each other in a confined environment, such as during the storming of fortifications or during ambush skirmishes in broken terrain.<ref>Jomini, Antoine Henri. The Art of War. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1971. Print.</ref> In an age of fire by [[Volley fire|massed volley]], when compared to random unseen bullets, the threat of the bayonet was much more tangible and immediate – guaranteed to lead to a personal gruesome conclusion if both sides persisted. All this encouraged men to flee before the lines met. Thus, the bayonet was an immensely useful weapon for capturing ground from the enemy, despite seldom actually being used to inflict wounds.