c1500–c1700: Warfare and English society in the early modern period

Question 1

hy were billmen replaced by pikemen?

Answer 1

New knowledge

Inspired by Scottish, where pikemen/schiltrons were very powerful
Required a lot of discipline and training

Question 2

Outline longbows to muskets advancements

Answer 2

1) Firearms developed during 1400s
2) 1550, arquebus replaced by matchlock musket (slow match that burns cord to set off gunpowder)

Question 3

pros and cons of matchlock muskets

Answer 3

*matchlock musket effective range 100m, couldnt fire in rain, 2shots/min

Question 4

What trends in society lead to changes in archery practice?

Answer 4

1) Enclosures (priavting land)meant more land went to sheep grazing which meant there was less land to train on (farmland meant labourers could easily train)

2)Growth of towns lead to less farmers (so not in farmland where it was easier to practice archery)

3) Inflation - men had to work more hours to make money to survive, so didnt have time for archery practice

Question 5

Why did England switch to the matchlock musket despite the longbow being faster?

Answer 5

High-carbon steel developed at end of 15th century was mostly arrow proof but not bullet proof

Firepower of large amount of musketeers could overwhelm pikemen, loud noise and bruises

All matchlock muskets had a standard bore (barrel diameter) so bullets could be mass produced and so cost was cheaper. Arrows were high quality craft objects

Archer can only carry 24 arrows, musketeer can have many bullets due to small size

Matchlock muskets took less practice, longbowmen had to practice so long (years) it showed in their skeletons: shoulders and spine showed stress injuries

Question 6

How many muskets in Tower of London 1547?

Answer 6

7000

Question 7

When was first mixed army of pikemen and musketeers

Answer 7

1548 in english attack against scotland

Question 8

What battle was the musket’s dominance over pikemen shown

Answer 8

Battle of Bicocca 1522: 2 columns of swiss pikemen slowed by ground fired at by Spanish musketeers

Question 9

When did the amount of people killed by accidents with muskets surpass accidents with longbows?

Answer 9

1556

Question 10

When did the government order the end of archer training?

Answer 10

1595

Question 11

When and for what purpose was the pistol invented?

Answer 11

Early 1540s as a cavalry gun, could be fired from one hand

Question 12

How did the pistol work?

Answer 12

Wheel-lock mechanism that spun to spark the gunpowder

Question 13

How did the pistol change cavalry?

Answer 13

Heavy armour and lances stopped being used
by 1700, cavalry no longer wore armour

Question 14

What were dragoons?

Answer 14

Mounted infantry with arquebuses (later small muskets), cheap horses, cheap armour and dismounted to fight on foot

Question 15

Why did musketeers and pikemen have to be combined?

Answer 15

Cavalry could charge musketeers because after the first shot they were stuck in a slow reload

pikemen on their own were a easy target to musketeers as they were packed together and slow moving

Question 16

disadvantages of matchlock musket

Answer 16

Misfire could occur because match could catch fire
Could not fire in rain because match cant catch fire
Suprise attacks impossible because match would glow when on fire

Question 17

How did the flintlock work?

Answer 17

piece of flint in the hammer, when trigger pulled the hammer fell and the flint was struck making a spark. Took half the time to load

Question 18

Advantages and disadvantages of flintlock

Answer 18

ADVANTAGES
Double rate of fire around 4bullets/min
no lit match so suprise attacks possible
no open lit match so can fire rain
new manufacturing made consistent dimensions so could be used in bayonets

DISADVANTAGES
much more expensive to produce
easily broke

Question 19

Where did the New Model Army use flintlocks in 1645?

Answer 19

For troops guarding artillery train and gunpowder, as a lit match would be particularly dangerous

Question 20

When did the whole New Model Army swap to flintlocks and why?

Answer 20

1690s, cheaper ways of manufacturing and more robust

Question 21

Why were bayonets created?

Answer 21

Pikemen and musketeer combination was very hard to get right, in close combat musketeers were useless

Question 22

Explain the 3 types of bayonets

Answer 22

PLUG BAYONET 1647: blade fit down barrel of musket like a plug. This meant firing couldnt be done at same time and time it took to fix bayonets, they could be charged by cavalry

RING BAYONET (second version of bayonet): fixed to the outside of the barrel by two rings, but often was not fitted securely and fell off in battle

SOCKET BAYONET (third version):fit over outside of barrel and had a locking system

Question 23

Why did the NMA wear red uniforms

Answer 23

red was cheapest dye to produce

Question 24

Tudor system of recruitment

Answer 24

militia system

-men 16-60 has to serve
-had to provide own weapons (type dependant on wealth outlined in Act of 1559)
-general musters every few years to check mens weapons and do some training
-fines for those who dont attend
-overseas wars meant soldiers were forced to go by Lord Lieutenants (runners of militia)

Question 25

What were Trained Bands

Answer 25

1573
Selection of men from each county who met once a month during summer to train

Question 26

Why were muster masters introduced and what were they

Answer 26

1580s due to danger of Spanish invasion and troops not being trained properly

Muster masters were professional soldiers who lead trainings and usually of lower social class than those they were training, which meant local gentlemen didnt like taking orders from them.

Question 27

Why were professional soldiers as muster masters removed

Answer 27

By 1590s, each county took over paying the muster masters, over 10 years the professionals were dropped and replaced by local gentlemen so troops didnt have to listen to lower class tell them what to do

Question 28

Which key factor lead to changes in muster masters?

Answer 28

Social attitudes
People would rather be trained by people of their class or higher than be properly trained by a class below them

This meant armies became weaker

Question 29

What was involved in training?

Answer 29

Hundreds of men having to perform the same moves at the same time.
Formations. Musketeers trained to be in 6 rows

Question 30

Was muster master training successful?

Answer 30

16th century: Wars against scottish were successful. However not properly tested, alleged war vs Spain in 1588 never actually happened

17th century: Only 10% of men who fought Germany in 1625 were alive after a year
wars against Scotland 139 & 1640 unsuccessful. Commander says on 200 of 5000 men knew how to fire their muskets and many deserted

Question 31

What was free quarter

Answer 31

In english civil war, soldiers often took food and supplies from local without paying

Question 32

When was New Model Army created

Answer 32

1645

Question 33

What was the New Model Army

Answer 33

Idea by Oliver Cromwell (who became second in command)

National standing army
Regularly paid
Lead by best soldiers not highest social status
three of parliaments armies disbanded to provide men

Lead by Thomas Fairfax

Question 34

What was the composition of the New Model Army

Answer 34

6000 cavalry
24 pence/day
well disciplined and trained

1000 dragoons

14,000 infantry
8pence/day same as a labourer
desertion was large problem

Question 35

reasons for having a “Standing army” (permanent army)

Answer 35

War was complicated and depended on well trained troops
Made the state, and ruler, look more powerful

Question 36

Why did parliament not want a standing army

Answer 36

=Wanted to keep power balance between monarchy and parliament (standing army gave monarchy more power)

=It would result in increase in tax as a standing army would be expensive to run

Question 37

When did not having a standing army harm England?

Answer 37

Scots occupied English territory in 1639-40 as militia was useless
Lead to civil war 1642 because parliament did not trust Charles I with an army as he might use it against them

HOWEVER in 1588 the navy stopped Spanish invasion with no need for standing army

Question 38

Standing army 1660-1775

Answer 38

NMA had
22,000 men in 1645
40,000 men in 1660
7,000 in 1663

1663-68 had constant oversea wars so there always was an army

1668 GLORIOUS REVOLUTION
-Parliament said no standing army but it continued to exist

1689-1754
-standing army still existed but parliament pretended it didnt

1755
-parliament pass act for standing army

Question 39

Impact of war on civilians before 1642 civil war

Answer 39

REQUISITIONING: essential war supplies requisitioned regularly, disrupting businesses and causing shortages

TAXES: taxes went up in wars and trade slowed so people were “squeezed” between higher taxes and lower incomes

RECRUITMENT: around 100,000 men conscripted to send overseas. War was frequent so conscription was common. When they got home their jobs were usually gone. Eg so many sailors pressed into serving navy that fishing boats were sailed by women

DAMAGE: limited to border with Scotland and coastal towns. Eg Spanish invaded and burnt burnt down parts of Cornwall in 1595

Question 40

impact of war on civilians during 1642 civil war

Answer 40

REQUISITIONING: free quarter (receipt to pay back but never happened, except NMA actually did pay back) , plunder and requisitioning of war supplies

TAXES: both sides paid high taxes. Eg Oxfordshire had a tax rise of 1700% (3k to 60k)

RECRUITMENT: volunteers left family and work disrupting the economy and life. Trained bands disrupted local areas. Men were pressed to joining army before the NMA came around.

DAMAGE: armies on a march could ruin crops for a year. Towns often ripped apart before incoming siege so enemy cant use it as cover. 11,000 houses destroyed and 55,000 people made homeless
SIEGES: 150 towns sieged during civil war - 10% of civil war deaths due to siege

Question 41

When was the Battle of Naseby (in civil war)

Answer 41

14 June 1645

Question 42

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
What was the strategy of Royalists and of Parliament

Answer 42

Parliament: Take out Charles I’s main army with the New Model Army
Royalists: Prevent NMA from meeting with Scottish army (NMA allied with Scots) and defeat them.

Question 43

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
Army composition of Royalists and of Parliament

Answer 43

Royalists: 12,500 men
slightly more cavalry than infantry

NMA: 17,000 men
equal cavalry and infantry

Question 44

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
the battle

Answer 44

Cromwell persuades Fairfax to take a weaker position to prevent royalists from backing out of the fight

1)Royalists attacked. No time for artillery, NMA used cannon but to no avail
2)NMA front line cavalry flee and lose ground, but second line holds
3)Fairfax brings up footsoldiers and dragoons and scared royalist cavalry away and infantry surrender

Question 45

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
aftermath

Answer 45

4500 royalist foot soldiers captured
DISCIPLINED cavalry chase escaping cavalry and kill hundreds rather than plundering royalist baggage train

Question 46

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
why did the NMA win?

Answer 46

-Royalist overconfidence: they attacked despite being outnumbered
-disciplined cavalry: cromwell made advantage on east wing by some chasing royalist cavalry and rest attack infantry
-Parliament had an army of experienced generals
-Second line held out long enough for a flank to be carried out by Cromwell
-Fairfax was inspirational and fought with his soldiers

Question 47

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
How important was Cromwell?

Answer 47

-One of the key leaders in setting up NMA with professionals as leaders rather than high social status
-As a general in 1643-44 he trained best cavalry in the war
-arrival right before battle was a morale boost
-advice to Fairfax to move position and assure Royalists attacked
-Leadership in east wing flank and cavalry attack in center were pivotal

Question 48

BATTLE OF NASEBY 1645
How important was Cromwell?

Answer 48

-One of the key leaders in setting up NMA with professionals as leaders rather than high social status
-As a general in 1643-44 he trained best cavalry in the war
-arrival right before battle was a morale boost
-advice to Fairfax to move position and assure Royalists attacked
-Leadership in east wing flank and cavalry attack in center were pivotal

Question 49

SElf denying ordinance 1645

Answer 49

Members of Parliament must decide to be either army leaders or politicians. Can’t be both

Question 50

Swedish Salvo and Dutch Countermarch

Answer 50

Swedish Salvo: 3 lines of men on different levels (floor, kneeling, standing)
Dutch countermarch: squares of 6 rows. fire then move to back of queue and reload

Question 51

Siege of Colchester 1648

Answer 51

11 week siege where locals and royalist troopshad to start eating dogs and soap

Question 52

English civil war percentage deaths vs first world war

Answer 52

3.6% of population died in civil war
2.6% of population died in ww1