C1250-C1500:medieval Warfare and English society Flashcards
Feudal system
- Organized society into groups based on people’s roles
- land was granted in return for service to the lord.
Battle field roles
Mounted knights:
- charged through enemy lines
- scatter and attack infantry
Infantry:
Hold enemy attack
Defeat enemy infantry
Composition of armies?
Infantry: Peasants who fought on foot Mounted knights(cavalry): Gentry and nobles fought on horsebacks armed with swords and helmets
Social structure and army command
Feudal structure and attitudes of English society had a direct impact on how armies were commanded.
The longbows
Fired faster than crossbows
Increased power
Effective range
Likes and schiltrons
Schiltrons:tight formation of infantry gathered in circles or squares with likes facing out
Limitation and advantages of the cannon
Limitation:heavy,inaccurate,expensive,unreliable slow to reload,short range
Advantages:improvements in range and aim with new tech
Metal used for cannon balls instead of stone so more accurate and
Decline of the mounted knight
Mounted knight declined because:
Longbow was more effective in taking down knights,horses and infantry
Schiltrons effective at defeating cavalry,increasing infantry importance
Cavalry became more integrated
Change in recruitment of knights
Assize of arms:was a tax on wealth where all men on land with land to provide a number of fully equipped knights
Mercenaries and scutage:has replaced feudal service and the assize .Subjects paid scutage instead of military service
The royal households:were permanent troops paid by the king as his personal guards.
Change in recruitment of infantry
The statue of Winchester:extended the assize of Arms.All fit men between 16 and 60 had to be equipped for 40 day service
Commissioners of army:assessed recruits and their weapons across the country
Reasons increase in food and weapons for the army
England was involved in many wars More infantrymen to feed More horses needed to be fed More ammunition Gunpowder weapons needed specific ammunition and hard to transport
Changes in provisioning
Requisitioning:the crown forces merchants to sell goods and provide ships in order to supply their baggage trains
Weapon stores:were built
Supply depots:set up ahead of army and supplied by road or sea
Pillaging:common last resort
Impact of war on civilians:
Civilians:
forced to fight by king
Increasingly chose to pay money instead to avoid going to war
Fighting meant time away from family and risk of death and injury
Expected to provide their own equipment and provisions for 40 days
Impact of army plunder on civilians
Plunder:stealing supplies from communities
Raid:caused severe suffering on communities
Sieges:stripping down towns off food and water supplies forcing them to surrender causing severe suffering
Ransom:money could be demanded from enemy for protection
Reasons for outcome(English won) of Battle of Falkirk
English army was bigger
English army was better protected
EdwardI forced Wallace to fight in a position where the flanks were exposed
Edward’s use of longbows
