in an era when european armies were dominated by linear tactics , which shackled the initiative of commanders and troops like a straitjacket , suvorov developed and brilliantly employed column tactics in combination with an extended order -- a method of battle created in the west only during the great french revolution of the late 18th century and later developed by napoleon . -lsb- . sup -rsb- 11 -lsb- / -rsb-