c1250-c1500 - New Weapons And Formations

Question 1

When was the longbow introduced?

Answer 1

1290s

Question 2

How long were longbows a part of the army for?

Answer 2

150 years

Question 3

What were the advantages of a longbow?

Answer 3

• 15 arrows a minute could be fired (5x rate of crossbow)
• increased power so could pierce armour
• effective range of 200m, twice that of a crossbow

In 1298 this helped king edward defeat the scots

They were used in victory in the hundred years war vs france

Question 4

What were schiltrons?

Answer 4

Tight formations of infantry gathered together in a circle or square with pikes facing outwards towards the enemy.
Used to defeat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The Scottish schiltrons advanced and defeated a force of English cavalry. It was a tactic that increased the power of the infantry and reduced the strength of the mounted knights.

Question 5

Key points where schiltrons were used:

Answer 5

-battle against english infantry in 1297
-battle against english cavalry in 1314

Question 6

When was gunpowder introduced?

Answer 6

In the 13th century via china

Question 7

What was gunpowder first used for?

Answer 7

• to fire cannon

Question 8

What happened to the cannon by 1450s?

Answer 8

Became a standard siege weapon. This, in turn, affected the design of castles as old styles became increasingly vulnerable to cannon fire

Question 9

Limitations of the cannon when it was first introduced:

Answer 9

• heavy and expensive (hard to transport)
• inaccurate (only used against large targets)
• short range
• unreliable (likely to blow up or fail to fire)
• slow to reload
• trained personnel needed

Question 10

Improvements of the cannon:

Answer 10

• range and aim improved
• specialist cannon developed to launch cannonballs high over defensive walls or over longer distances
• metal was used rather than stone which made them more effective and accurate
• useful in destroying city and castle walls, shortening sieges

Question 11

How did new weapons lead to the decline of mounted knights and what was a consequence?

Answer 11

• longbow was more effective at taking down knights, horses and infantry
• schiltron was effective at defeating cavalry which increased infantry’s importance
• cavalry became more integrated (took on specialist tasks)
• they often dismounted to fight in defensive battles

This meant that kings paid for mercenaries rather than relying on the nobility for their military power.

Question 12

What was ‘On the march’?

Answer 12

Archers road on horseback - though still fought on foot.

Question 13

Changes in defence (archers):

Answer 13

They could be placed on the flanks so that when the enemy arrived they were met by showers of arrows, weakening their charge. The attackers were funnelled towards the men at arms. When the mêlée formed, the archers joined them

Question 14

What was plate armour?

Answer 14

Chainmail was reinforced by adding plates of metal in order to protect the shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, shins and feet

Question 15

Limitations of firearms:

Answer 15

• slow to load
• unreliable
• used very little by english armies before 1500

Question 16

How did the cavalry change their tactics?

Answer 16

• took specialist tasks, like patrolling, scouting and raiding
• dismounted in battle, joining the infantry in defence while archers weakened the enemy charge
• mounted and chased down fleeing troops, once enemy attack was repelled

Question 17

What were the change in numbers?

Answer 17

• by 1400, the ratio of cavalry to infantry had changed to 1:3

Question 18

What was the Cavalry like by 1500?

Answer 18

They were a smaller, socially different and more flexible force compared to 1250

Question 19

How did strategy and command show continuity?

Answer 19

• chevauchees: short raids on horseback by small armies 2-3000, intended to terrorise the local population and make it impossible for the enemy to raise taxes or grow crops

Question 20

What was the advantage of the ‘on the march’ tactic?

Answer 20

Archers were able to move at the same speed as the whole army