c1250–c1500: Medieval warfare and English society Flashcards
How did swords change from 13th to 14th century
13th century: broad and flat swords to tackle chainmail
14th century: thin and pointy to thrust through armour joins
Staff weapons
Wooden poles with sharpened end attached eg spear/spike
When were staff weapons useful? when werent they?
Staff weapons were useful in group defence such as schiltrons (used at Falkirk)
Not useful in hand-to-hand combat due to poor manouevreability
How effective were crossbows?
Fired metal bolts
slow rate of fire (2bolts/minute)
very accurate and could reach 100m distance
What was the importance of the longbow
Used in England from 1290
Fire rate of 10-15arrows/minute
Accurate for 200m
Powerful enough to pierce plate armour
When was the longbow used?
Effective in battle of Falkirk 1298 and Battle of Agincourt 1415
Battle of Poitiers 1356, English archers fire 60,000 arrows at French cavalry in 60 seconds, killing 40% of enemy knights
Required skill and training to use
More widely used after Edward I demanded weekly training in 1363 (GOVERNMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS CHANGE)
What turning point to warfare was introduced in 1320s
The cannon
gunpowder used in China from 900, but only made its way to England in 1320s
How effective were cannons 1320-1430
Cannons used but with limited impact
-Sound would scare enemy
-Large and heavy to transport
How did cannons improve from 1430-1500?
Metal cannon balls replaced stone
Longer barrels for increased range and accuracy
Trunnions invented - allowed adjusting of height and barrel and so could control height and distance of shots bettr
Specialised cannons invented - mortars to go over walls, light mobile cannon
However they were still unreliable, in 1460 King James II of Scotland killed by his own cannon
What was the composition of an English army in 1250?
5-10,000 soldiers in an army
Infantry to cavalry ratio of 2:1
What was the composition of an English army in 1400?
5-10,000 soldiers in an army
Infantry to cavalry ratio of 3:1
Who were given duty as cavalry?
Upper classes, positions given on social status not skill
What lead to the decline of the cavalry?
-Nobles often refused to follow orders (eg 1264 Battle of Lewes - prince Edwards cavalry ignored instructions and got seperated and lost the battle)
-1500 dominance of cavalry declined because archers became more significant
-majority of knights fought dismounted and infantry werre mainly longbowmen
What uniform did cavalrymen wear in 1250?
Hauberks (chainmel with hood and went to knees)
-heavy and expensive
What uniform did cavalrymen wear in 1300? What did this evolve into in 1420?
1300s: plate armour
1420: full suit armour
What uniform did infantrymen wear?
padded linen (gambesons)
wealthier infantry wore short mail skirts
Why was the military strategy of “limited warfare” used in 1250
Better to avoid battles if possible
-Henry III had limited resources so could only raise small armies and would need support of nobles
-losing a battle meant the king would be killed or held for ransom
-communications were limited so it was hard to know where your opponent was, had to rely on spies
-Weather meant battles were only possible at certain times
What was the military strategy of “limited warfare” in 1250
-manoeuvre enemy into hopeless position and then negotiate a victory or besiege land and steal
King from 1216-1272
Henry III
Example of limited warfare
in the 1250s, Llewelyn the last rejects Henry III’s control of Wales and avoided a large battle by sending his forces to raid English troop camps off their supplies then slipping away into forests and mountains. Also called guerilla warfare
What strategies were used with cavalry?
-Mounted charge (Eg Battle of Evesham 1265 - Prince Edward’s cavalry pushed through de Montforts lines)
-Route and Chase - disperse enemy infantry (divide and conquer)
What strategies were used with infantry?
-Shield wall
-Schiltrons: defensive strategy used by large circles of pikemen (up to 2000 men)
-difficult for cavalry to get through
-Often used by Scottish eg Battle of Falkirk 1298 and 1314
Bannockburn
-also for attack eg how scots beat british in battle of stirling bridge 1297
-Melee
Outline informal training
-no standing army
-combatants called upon by King when a battle needed it
-training of combatants was informal
What were the two types of summons used to recruit soldiers?
Feudal summons
General summons
What was feudal summons
-Issued by King to all nobles he had given land
-Those summoned had to server 40 days of fighting
-Unreliable (only 1/6 of those summoned showed up)
-L`ast used in 1327
What was general summons
-Issued by Kings to Knights, appealing to their sense of duty
-Knights responded hoping for financial gain or gaining a position
What were feudal and general summons replaced by?
Indentures
What are indentures?
contracts stating payment for a specific time of military service
In 1337 Edward III’s army became the first English army made up entirely of paid troops (when payment for troops become the normal)
How were knights trained?
-Chivalric culture important
-Jousts and Tournaments provided opportunities to train
-Based on individual prowess rather than team work
What was the Assize of Arms
Taxation - wealthier you were the more military support you had to give
1250: all men with £15 worth of land had to supply Henry III with a horse, hauberk, iron helmet, dagger and sword and serve in the army with their weapons
What was scutage?
Money given by those with feudal duty or having to serve due to assize of arms to the king to avoid serving military time
This money was then used to pay mercenaries (paid troops)
Limitations and benefits of hiring mercenaries
-more experienced
-more disciplined
-better armed
BUT
-expensive
What was the Royal Household
Permanent, paid (usually mounted) troops
estimated that Henry III had 500
(not standing army as they protected king and weren’t under government control used for wars)
How was feudal infantry recruited
Informal methods (no feudal obligation)
-some men joined out of love for their country
-others joined for adventure or to get regular food and PLUNDER enemies for supplies
Did not produce big or well equipped armies
Why was Assize of arms the most reliable way of recruiting infantry?
Began to demand all men served the king for 40 days
eg 1264-67 Barons war saw Assize of Arms supplying recruits.
Commisioners of Array (official recruiters) visited parts of the country to recruit men
How was infantry trained
Assize of arms called for recruits to be well trained with their weapons but there was no official training for members of infantry. Lords responsible for training of their own troops.
How was cavalry trained
Made up of higher classes and most young men were taught military skills, especially horsemanship. Competed at tournaments
HOWEVER this was individual training and did not teach about working as a team
What was chivalry
Knights code to have courtesy for eachother and respect for enemy
Provisioning (supplies) management
-Men expected to bring their own provision for first 40 days
-baggage trains full of provisions paid for by the king followed armies (slowed down army, could only walk 30km a day, 100 needed to feed 15,000)
-supplies sometimes stored in supply depots and the soldiers would walk to these
-plundering and asking locals for suppliess
what is requisitioning and purveyance
requisitioning: forcefully taking assets from civilians, no compensation or consent
purveyance: payment IOU for requisitioned items
How did purveyance affect civilians?
Promised payment for supplies would often take months or years to arrive.
Popular poem “Piers Plowman” from 1340 portrayed it as a cause of resentment
Example of requisitioning
1346, 700 ships requisitioned for Crecy campaign
How did recruitment affect civilians?
Civilians did not like being forced to fight
-increasing number paid scutage
-desertion (eg 1300 an army of 9000 reduced to 5000 in one month)
-sometimes they simply refused eg 1355 archers refused to join king’s army in scotland
How did raids and plunder affect civilians?
RAIDS
Suffering and panic among population.
eg sources say in 1296 a school with 200 scholars in it burnt down
Town people often gave invaders money or land to leave them alone
PLUNDER
Civilians and soldiers deprived off food as enemies would steal
How did ransoms affect civilians?
Enemy army would ask for money in exchange to not attack or kidnap townpeople and ask for ransom.
eg in 1380, 180 townspeople in Bergarac, France taken captive
and forced to pay for freedom
Possibility of beind abductedcreates terror and panic among civilians during warfare
How did sieges of towns and castles affect civilians?
Food/water supplies cut off and damages
eg Henry V in 1418 starved French town of Rouen and meant that over 10,000 people starved. Said that people were dying faster than carts could carry them off
Factors leading to change in feudal recruitment of knights?
1) until about 1330, King could only call upon a max of 5000 mounted troops
2) feudal troops expected pay after their 40 days of service completed
3)chosen by social status so were untrained and undisciplined
4)quality of weapons was poor as they were part time soldiers
5)attitudes in society - tenants stopped agreeing with feudal duties
Update to Assize of Arms due to feudal loyalty decreasing
1285 Statute of Winchester
-commissioners of array (1 per town) would annually muster able bodies men 16-60 (Called array of arms)
-every man had to bring bow, 24 arrows, sword, dagger
-wealthier men had to also bring warhorse and armour
-men serving over 40 days or abroad were paid
Why did Royal Household increase in size 1250-1500
Kings had to rely more on paid troops
1250: Henry III had 500 cavalry
1300: his son Edward I had 4000 cavalry
Example of 1337 onward use of paid troops rather than summoned
Captain Dagworth supplied Edward III with 900 troops for 2,500 marks
Evolution of training of troops
1250: knights could take part in tournaments but infantry usually had no peacetime training whatsoever
1285: statute of Winchester meant archery targets set up oin every town
1363: archery practice on every holiday
1400s: paid archers trained by centanaurs, teamwork by firing volleys
Benefits of warfare on civilians
Good pay as a soldier (6d/day for mounted archer against 4d for a master craftsman
Those who provided armaments such as fortifications had work and pay
BATTLE OF FALKIRK 1298
English vs Scottish army composition
Edward (England)
-2000 cavalry
-12,000 infantry (incl 5000 longbow archers, 500 crossbowmen)
William Wallace (Scot)
-500 cavalry
-9000 infantry (inc 1500 longbow archers)
Army made up of all classes including nobles, who were quick to desert
BATTLE OF FALKIRK 1298
What happened in the Battle?
22 july battle begins
1)Marsh infront of Scots slows the attack, English cavalry find way around it and confront flanks
2)undisciplined cavalry go against orders to not attack until Kings cavalry arrive
3)English cavalry luckily scared off most unloyal scottish cavalry and got into gaps in schiltrons to take out archers
4) English cavalry try take on scottish schiltrons, but they are disciplined and so English had no success
5) All English longbowmen fire at infantry and, unprotected by armour, hundreds died
6)Gaps in schiltrons then invaded by cavalry and those who did not escape were killed
BATTLE OF FALKIRK 1298
Role of William Wallace
-Pike schiltrons effective
-Choice of position with woods, marsh and slope was good
-failed to protect flanks: basic command error
-cavalry and archers played no useful part
BATTLE OF FALKIRK 1298
Role of Edward I
-Troops nearly defeated by hunger
-undisciplined cavalry could have led to a loss
-outmaneouvred Wallace by attacking flanks
-Use of longbows was successful
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
recruitment for the battle
-Indentures
-To reduce cost, troops and captain would each have 1/3 of the booty from the war
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
composition of Henry v army vs French
Henry V: 8000 infantry (incl 6000 longbwmen)
France: 10,000 heavily armed cavalry. 5000 infantry no archers
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
Henry’s positioning of troops
In a gap between two woods and with ploughed land between him and french army.
Archers angled stakes in the ground to slow cavalry attack
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
the battle
25 october 1415 battle begins
1)Henry V used galling (archers fire from woods) (100,000 arrows/minute)
2) Angered french cavalry to cause an undisciplined and disorientated charge
3)French cavalry charge failed due to longbowmen
4)French cavalry retreats into French infantry
5) Exhaused French infantry who just walked through ploughed land flanked by longbowmen who swapped to swords
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
results of the battle
450 English dead and 4000 French dead
Showed dominance of longbow
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
reasons for England victory
-undisciplined French cavalry
-Henry’s positioning
-weak french tactics, relying too much on cavalry
-the longbow
BATTLE OF AGINCOURT 1415
Henry V role
LUCK:
His march across France was risky and weakened his army
He was outmanoeuvred and forced to fight a battle he wanted to avoid
SKILL:
Good defensive position
Placement of men-at-arms and longbowmen
Use of longbows as decisive force
Fought with his army
