Medieval Period (1250-1500) Flashcards
What were size of British armies in this period?
5k-10k men
What was the common infantry to cavalry ratio in 1250-1500?
2:1
How many of the cavalry, who were elite, from the upper nobility?
30%
Name of a man from the cavalry in the lower nobility?
Sir Roger Bassett
What was a nobelman’s retinue and how many people in each?
A group of 5-25 men who led the rest of the cavalry who were men-at-arms
Explain how command was decided by social position rather than experience/nobility?
King rewards supporters with land (nobles). These nobles give land to gentry who support the king and the king expected gentry and nobles to command troops for him in return (feudal system)
Example of cavalry ignoring orders in medieval period?
Battle of Lewes (1264) when Prince Edward lost control of cavalry
What weapons did cavalrymen have?
2 horses to a war, swords and lances
What weapons did infantry have?
Swords, daggers. Some had ‘brown bills’, pikes and crossbows
How far could normal bows fire?
100m
What protection did cavalrymen have?
Hauberks (chainmail) with a coif (hood)
What did knights wear?
Colourful surcoats and flat-topped helmets
What did infantry wear for protection?
Gambesons (leather jackets) and metal/leather skull caps
What was the political state of England in 1250?
Not democratic
What affected strategy in medieval period?
Social attitudes
How was war fought and was it normal?
Normal part of society and just limited warfare and castles
What was used before the last resort of battles?
Outmanouvring the enemy into hopeless positions then negotiating a victory or besieging castles and stealing from enemy territory after
How did we see battle as a last resort in medieval period?
Llewylln the Last rejected Henry’s control of Wales and decided to raid camps and food before slipping away
How was limited warfare forced due to the nature of society?
Henry III had limited resources so could only raise a small army, he had limited power as he would have to persuade powerful nobles to fight for him.
Why was there a campaigning season?
Fighting could only happen from late spring to autumn due to the harvest and poor weather conditions
What did communications rely on in medieval period?
Spies, messengers and pigeons
How were attackers disadvantaged in sieges?
Army would have to divide forces to each castle and the defenders would have prepared bases for counterattacks
When did we see attackers have disadvantage in sieges?
Battle of Lewes (1264) as Simon de Monfort placed his army on Offham hill so royal army had to climb.
What were the two cavalry tactics?
Routed chase and mounted charge
What was the main infantry tactic?
Shield wall uses shields with overlapping pikes, just to withstand enemy attacks.
Why weren’t archers too significant before longbow?
Only used to weaken enemy
What happened if archers and cavalry couldn’t breake enemy lines?
Melee
How did the feudal system recruit cavalry?
King granted powerful supporters areas of land (king’s tenants-in-chief). They promise to provide military support and give some land to sub-tenants if they were willing to give military support to tenants-in-chiefs.
What was knight service limited to?
40 days per year
Who were the most common feudal troops?
Feudal knights
Why were new forms of recruitment needed?
Feudal system breaking by 1250 as king struggled to enforce feudal duties
What is the Assize of arms?
The wealthier you are, the more military support you provide
When did Henry III use Assize of arms?
1250, stated all men with £15 of land must supply a mounted knight, sword, dagger etc.
What did king start to accept rather than military service?
Scutage (‘shield money’)
What was scutage used for?
Mostly to employ mercenaries
How much did mercenaries cost?
2 shillings a day for mounted knightd and 1 shilling a day for men-at-arms.
What were the advantages of mercenaries?
Better disciplined and armed than feudal troops but more expensive
What was the royal household and how much were they paid?
Permanent troops who serve the king, made £5 a year.
Why did Henry III rely on informal measures to recruit infantry?
There wasn’t any feudal duty for ordinary people to serve as infantry
Why did feudal infantry join the army?
To defend country and loyalty, for adventure and to escape poverty.
What was plunder?
When enemy defeated, money and goods stolen and divided amongst winning army.
What did the Assize of arms begin to demand for infantry?
To be ready to serve king for 40 days with weapons as infantry
When did Henry III use Assize of arms to recruit infantry?
During Barons War (1264-67)
Who were commisioners of array?
People who visited parts of England to inspect weapons used in infantry assize of arms
Why was the Assize of arms not great at getting good infantry?
Stated you had to be skilled at using your weapon yet there was no organised training
How were cavalry from nobility and gentry mostly trained in?
Horsemanships and use of lances
What was the culture of chivalry from the cavalry in the nobility and gentry?
Knights shouldn’t train in large groups, should focus on individual combat, and should compete in tournaments
How was provisioning set out for first 40 days of service?
Had to bring own provisioned food etc.
How was provisioning supplied?
Baggage trains followed armies and supply depots sometimes went ahead of armies
How did armies often resort for provisioning?
Demanding from locals by either paying or steal
How were the uses of pikes changed?
Inspired by Scottish Pikemen to use schiltrons
Why were schiltrons good for defence?
Cavalry couldn’t attack it
