c1250-c1500 Flashcards
How many soldiers did armies usually have in 1250-1500?
5,000-10,000
Describe the cavalry’s mounted charge
Charging through enemy lines to kill enemy commander
Describe the cavalry’s rout and chase
Scatter enemy infantry and kill them once dispersed
Describe the infantry’s shield wall
Overlapped shields and spears/pikes to hold enemy attacks
Was a commander’s combat experience important in the feudal system? Why?
No because feudal system focused on social status rather than skill in fighting
When was the longbow introduced in English armies?
1290s
Why longbows over crossbows (3 points)?
15 arrows a minute - 5 times more than crossbow
Increased power
Effective range of 200 m - twice that of crossbows
Who used schiltrons?
The Scots under William Wallace
What were schiltrons?
Tight formations of infantry gathered in a circle or square with pikes facing outward toward enemy
When was the cannon introduced to battle?
Around 1450
2 advantages of the cannon
Useful in destroying castle walls
Specialist cannons developed that could launch cannon balls over longer distances
2 limitations of the cannon
Heavy to transport
Slow to reload
2 reasons why there was a decline of the mounted knight over this period?
Longbow penetrated armour and took down knights and their horses
Schiltrons defeated cavalry
What was the feudal levy?
Tenants owed their lords a set number of knights, whom owed 40 days of service, depending on how much land the tenant owned
What was the Assize of Arms?
A tax on wealth, requiring all men with land to provide a number of equipped knights
What was scutage?
‘Shield money’ paid to the king to hire mercenaries instead of providing them
What were the Royal Household?
Permanent troops paid by the king as his personal guard
Why did feudal levy and Assize of Arms fall after 1340s?
Infantry began to be paid to their service
Why did demand for provisions increase in the period 1250-1500? (2 points)
More infantrymen to feed as they began to be paid for their service
More horses needed to be fed - each mounted knight took four
How did provisioning change in 1250-1500? (2 points)
Weapon stores were built up to meet increased weapon demand
Requisitioning was introduced
What was requisitioning?
The Crown forced merchants to sell goods to provide ships in order to supply their baggage trains
Why was training unorganised in early 1250-1500? (2 points)
No group training for mounted knights - they learned skills from tournaments
Kings relied on nobility and close relatives to lead armies - not based on profession, but role
How did training change in period 1250-1500? (2 points)
HINT: LONGBOW
In 1285, Statue of Winchester set up archery targets in every town
In 1363, Edward II ordered archery practice on every feast/holiday
How did feudal recruitment affect civilians? (2 points)
Civilians forced to fight by the king - time away from family and home and risk of injury
Civilians increasingly chose to pay money instead of fighting - poorer
What was purveyance?
Food and supplies bought by force from civilians
How did requisitioning affect civilians? (2 points)
Less food and supplies and out of pocket to the crown
What were some benefits of warfare for civilians? (2 points)
Pay in the army was better than on land
Demand for weaponry and supplies boosted industry and gave employment
How were enemy civilians affected in wars?
Plunder (stealing supplies) caused enemy civilians to starve
Ransom (money) was demanded from enemy civilians
When was the Battle of Falkirk?
July 1298
Who were the two sides in the Battle of Falkirk and who won?
English, Edward I, vs the Scots, William Wallace
The English won
How did the longbow influence the English victory in the Battle of Falkirk?
Edward used his 5,000 longbows to break Scottish schiltrons from above, causing gaps which were charged by English cavalry
How many troops did each side have in the Battle of Falkirk?
English had 14,000 and Scottish had 10,000
Good decisions from Edward I in Battle of Falkirk? (2 points)
Using 5,000 archers against Scottish schiltrons
Evading Wallace to attack from the flanks
Bad decisions from Wallace in Battle of Falkirk? (2 points)
Failing to protect his flanks
Deciding to fight with inferior numbers
When was the Battle of Agincourt?
1415
Who were the two sides in the Battle of Agincourt and who won?
English, Henry V, vs the French
The English won
How many troops did each side have in the Battle of Agincourt?
English had 8,000 and French had 15,000
Role of infantry and cavalry in Battle of Agincourt
As the English infantry advanced, the French cavalry were forced to retreat. As they retreated, they met their own advancing infantry
Role of archers in the Battle of Agincourt
English archers fired longbows directly onto French cavalry from the flanks
Why was Henry V’s choice of battleground good in the Battle of Agincourt? (2 points)
Heavy, wet clay separated the two forces - hard for French cavalry to pass
English archers used the woodlands as cover to fire and French
Good decisions of Henry V in the Battle of Agincourt? (2 points)
He chose excellent defensive position - with woodland to cover his flanks
He sent archers to provoke the French into attacking over unfavourable ground
How did French chivalry influence their loss in the Battle of Agincourt?
French knights were outraged at being attacked by archers from the sides - they believed it to be ‘unchivalrous’ and reacted recklessly
Ratio of Infantry to Cavalry in c1250-c1500?
About 2:1
