Impact Of War On Civilians Flashcards
Civilians as soldiers
We know civilians where directly involved in recruitment. The social elite where compelled by feudal duties to do 40 days. The ordinary would also be compelled to serve as a foot soldier. Around 10 per cent of the adult male population were directly engaged in war at any time.
Victims of raids
Civilians could be victims to military raids where land, livestock and property where looted and burned. Mainly happened in the north but during the hundred year war there where raids in Southampton, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. One in 1355 destroyed 500 settlements.
Why raids and how did they effect the civilian population in other ways
It was used to weaken the enemy and limit resources as well as diminishing civilian morale and encouraging internal revolt. Civilians where deliberately targeted. They also provided opportunity for plunder.
Feeding and sheltering soldiers
In the Middle Ages armies wouldn’t be able to transport all the food they needed with them. This meant living of the land. Meaning they took shelter in civilian homes and getting food from them. Civilians where expected to do this and provide them with it which was an unpopular burden.
Armies would need a lot of food (horses as well). This meant kings had the right to compulsorily but food ( purveyance) it was unpopular and contributed to food shortages and inflation in the price of food. The crown didn’t pay good rates if they paid at all.
Civilians having to pay for war: taxation
Kings had three ways of funding wars
- loans from the wealthy
- direct taxation: this only worked if parliament allowed it. The higher property value of someone the more tax for them
- indirect taxation: an amount of money was added as a tax to the cost of goods exported or imported
Taxation was very regular in the Middle Ages and often funded war. High tax demands could spark serious revolt. Such as the poll tax in 1381 which the government tried to impose during the hundred year war which sparked the ‘peasants revolt’ it was unpopular due to it being a tax on the person and not properly making it unfair for the lower class.
How much did civilians know about war
In the 1200’s most civilians would have know very little. Most where illiterate so the sherif was the main way of communicating news. Apart from the sherif and royal orders there was little to no way for ordinary people to know about war. By the 1400’s literacy rates where rising and the population especially around London where well informed of the news surrounding war. Reactions from the public to defeat played major part in political events
