C1250-c1500: Medieval Warfare And British Society Flashcards
1
Q
- How were armies composed
A
- made up of infantry and mounted knights (cavalry)
-Infantry: peasants, bottom of society treaten poorly and fought on foot
-Mounted knights: Gentry and nobility, superiour in society, wouldve been armed and protected and on horses.
-5k to 10k soldiers, usually twice as many gentry as mounted knights
2
Q
- Battlefield roles
A
-Mounted knights were most powerful, weakened enemy by using:
- Mounted charge: charge through enemy lines and kill enemy commander
- Rout and chase: scatter enemy infantry and attack once they were dispersed
-Infantry’s task were to hold enemy attack and defeat enemy infantry
- Shield wall: overlapping shields, spears and pikes helt enemy attack
- Melee: hand to hand combat fighting with swords, pikes and daggers
3
Q
- Feudal system
A
-organised society into groups based on peoples roles.
-land granted in return for service to the Lord
-those serving their lord in battle provided for themselves, equipment and provisions
-when the system began to break, kings paid soldiers to fight, called Mercenaries
4
Q
- Social structure and army command
A
- Kings
- Lords (commanders)
- Nobleman and gentry (knights)
- Peasants (infantry)
5
Q
- New weapons and formations
A
- Longbow: introduced in 1290’s made a key oart of armies for 150 years.
- Fired 15 arrows a min, 5x more then a crossbow, effective range of 200m x2 a crossbow
- Could pierce through a knigjts chainmail (armour)
- Pikes and schiltrons
-Scots used schiltrons: tight formation of infantry gathered in a circle or squade with pikes facing enemy.
-Used effectively v England cavalry in 1297 and 1313
6
Q
- Gunpowder and the development of cannon
A
- in 13th century gunpowder arrived in europe from china. Was used to fire cannons. By 1450 cannons were a standard siege weapon
- limitations of cannons:
- Heavy and expensive, inaccurate, short range, slow to reload, unreliable
Advantages of cannons: - Useful in destroying city + castle walls, range and aim was improved, specialist cannons degeled could launch cannons long distances, metal was used making them more effective
- Heavy and expensive, inaccurate, short range, slow to reload, unreliable
7
Q
- Decline of mounted knight
A
- intro of new weapons led to decline because:
- Longbow was effective in taking down knights, horses, infantry
-schiltron effective in defending cavalry
-Cavalry became more specialised such as patrolling and scouting
- Longbow was effective in taking down knights, horses, infantry
- this reduced the link between social class and command as kings instead paid mercenaries
8
Q
- Change in recruitment of knights
A
- in 1250 mounted knights were recruited through the feudal levy. They owed 40 days service. Tenants owed their lords a set number of knights. Extra forms of recruitment emerged such as the
- Assize of arms: tax on wealth, all men with wealth required to provide a number of equipped knights
- Mercenaries and scutage: subjects paid scutage instead of doing military service
- Royal household: Permanent troops paid by King, they incteased rapidly in size ans importance
9
Q
- Change in recruitment of infantry
A
- incetntives for peasants to serve were duty, to escape, adventure, steal
- Statue of wincheter 1285: extended the assize of arms. All fit men between 16 and 60 were instructed to muster once a year, equipped for 40 days service.
- Commisoners of array: assembled recruits + their weapons accross the country
- After 1337, feudal system and azzise of arms began to fall away in favour of infantry being payed for their service
10
Q
- Why did demand for Provisioning and equipment increase?
A
Demand for food amd weapons increased because:
-England involved in many wars
- more infantrymen to feed
-more ammunition needed
11
Q
- Changes in provisioning
A
- Requisitioning: crown forced merchants to sell goods + provide ships in order to supply baggage trains
- weapons stores: such as the royal armoury were built up
- supply depots: set up ahead of the army, supplied by road or sea
- pillaging: especially in enemy territory (stealing)
12
Q
- Impact of longbow
A
1285: statue of winchester set up archery targets in every town
1353: Edward 111 ordered archaery practise on every feast day or holiday
13
Q
- Impact on civilians
A
- increase in tax, represented 1% of a persons income
- Feudal duties: people forced to fight by the king, cicilains increasingle decided to pay money instead of fight.
- pay was better in the army
14
Q
- Fighting, punder snd effect on enemy civilians
A
- soldiers plundered
-raids on communities caused severe suffering, so,etimes enemy was paid to go away
-ransom could be demanded for release of captives
15
Q
- The battke of Falkirk 1298
A
- between scottish and English, english won due to use of longbow, scots effectively used schiltron.
- Edward decided to use his 5000 longbows which killed many leaving gaps, wallaces troops fled and the english infantry joined the attack.
-Edwards good decisions:
Supplied troops on campaign by sea. Outmanoeuvring to attack him by side of the armies. Used his archers.
-Edwards bad decision:
Little control over his cavalry
-William wallace (scotland) good decisions
Good use of schiltrons positioned troops on a slope
-Bad decisions failed to protect flanks, inferiour numbers, uncontrolled nobles, didn’t use all his men
