Composition Of The Army Flashcards
Armies were made up of
Infantry and cavalry
Infantry
Were peasants who fought on foot .They were the bottom of the social hierachy and were treated poorly compared to other soldiers .
Cavalry
Mounted knights who were gentry and nobility who fought on horseback and were superior in status to other types of soldiers.
What were the cavalry armed with
The cavalry were armed with swords and lances and protected with helmets and chainmail.
Armies had between
5000 and 10000 soldiers
In an army there were usually twice as many
Infsntry then cavalry
The mounted knights were the most
Poweful force on the battlefield
They weakened the enemy in the first round of attack by using the
Mounted charge
What was the mounted charge
Charging through the enemy lines to reach and kill the enemy commander
What was the rout and chase
Used to scatter the enemy infantry and attack they whist they were dispersed
What was the infantry task
To hold the enemy attack and then defeat the enemy infantry
What was the shield wall
With overlapping shields, and spears or pikes held enemy attacks
What was the melee
Was where the infantry engaged in hand to hand fighting with the swords, pikes and daggers
What did the feudal system do
Organised society into groups based on people’s land.Land was granted in return for service to the Lord..Thise serving their Lord in battle provided their own weapons and provisions .
When the feudal system began to break down and it was more difficult to persuade people to fight
Kings paid soldiers to fight for them - these were known as mercenaries
