1250-1500 Flashcards
Composition of Army
Cavalry– lances and spears
Infantry – swords, daggers, battle-axes, halberds, brown bills, pikes.
Some had bows and crossbows.
Upper classes were generally in the cavalry
Command depended of social position
Tactics
Limited warfare
Castles and fortified towns essential parts of strategy.
Cavalry – mounted charges, rout and chase
Infantry – shield wall, archers, melee
Impact of new weapons
Pikes used differently (Schiltrons)
Some had bows and crossbows
Longbows (much more power, higher rate of fire, further range)
Cannon and firearms, used by 1500 but not that extensively
Key Area of change in Nature of medieval warfare 1250-1500
Longbow and use of pikes led to a decline in the importance of the mounted knight
Key areas of continuity
Size of armies stayed similar
Command still based on social position
Limited warfare continued
Impact of new weapons
Pikes used differently (Schiltrons)
Some had bows and crossbows
Longbows (much more power, higher rate of fire, further range)
Cannon and firearms, used by 1500 but not that extensively
Recruitment of Army
Via feudal system – most troops in 1250 were feudal knights.
Change in society (e.g. breakdown of feudal system) meant that recruitment changed
Payment of troops became more common after 1300s
Impact on civilians
Increased taxation
Suffered threat of plunder from armies. In home territory, armies might pay locals for supplies but in enemy territory, armies normally stole it
Many men forced to fight under feudal system
Key Area of change in experience of medieval warfare 1250-1500:
Recruitment was different by 1500 – end of feudal system
Cost of wars impacted civilians more
Key area of continuity in experience of medieval warfare 1250-1500:
Assize of Arms used up to 1500
Plunder continued to be a threat to civilians
Features of Falkirk 1298
Features of Agincourt 1415
