Middle Ages Flashcards
KEY WEAPONS USED IN THE MIDDLE AGES (1000-1500)
- Swords
- Longbows
- Pikes/Spears
- Crossbows
Advantages of Swords
Designed to thrust between joints of metal plate armour
Disadvantages of Swords
Only for close range hand-to-hand combat
Advantages of Longbows
Range of around 350 metres, very accurate, skilled person could shoot 8-12 arrows per minute
Disadvantages of Longbows
Only truly accurate up to 200 metres, need training and strength to use
Advantages of Pikes/Spears
Can form schiltrons and impenetrable walls/circles around soldiers
Disadvantages of Pikes/Spears
Little use in hand-to-hand combat , hard to control (very long)
Advantages of Crossbows
Fire bolts with very large force
Disadvantages of Crossbows
Hard to draw back, slow fire rate (often only 2 bolts per minute)
Who were the Infantry?
Soldiers that fought on foot, e.g archers, spearmen
Who were the Cavalry?
Soldiers that fought on horses ,e.g knights
Reasons why the composition of armies changed in the Middle Ages:
- Archers became more significant (specifically longbowmen)
- Cavalry became less significant (longbowmen able to shoot them easily)
What was an Indenture?
A contract the king made with a knight for their military service
What was a Feudal Summons?
A summoning of all noblemen and their citizens to fight for the king for a 40 day period. (The noblemen owed the king for the land they had been given)
What was a General Summons?
An appeal to all knights asking them to volunteer to fight to show loyalty (Most hoped for a reward)
Disadvantages of Indentures:
- The king had to pay people in return
- A lot of paperwork
Disadvantages of Feudal Summons’:
- Only there for the 40 day period (most wars lasted longer)
- Some noblemen just payed a fee to not go to war (like a ticket)
- No way of telling whether all of the men actually showed up, most didn’t
Disadvantages of General Summons’
- No direct payment
- Some soldiers had bad motivations for doing it (just to loot/kill)
How did recruitment impact civilians?
- Feudal Summons forced them to fight for the king and Assize of Arms
- Some people deserted battles, refused to serve
- No more than 10% of adult male population were directly involved in foreign war at a time
How did the cost of warfare impact civilians?
- Kings raised taxes to pay for wars (e.g doubled between 1377-1422)
- Purveyance= requisitioning(forcibly gathering) food/supplies from civilians
- Took goods/ships for transport from locals (e.g seized 700 ships in 1346 for the Crecy Campaign
How did fighting impact civilians?
- Armies raided towns in enemy territory (plundering), stole supplies/goods
- Soldiers sometimes kidnapped civilians to hold for ransom to get money(e.g in 1380, 168 civilians were taken in Bergerac (France) and forced to pay for their freedom)
What were the benefits of war for civilians?
- Good wages (archer got 6p a day, 3 times the average labourer’s)
- Soldiers able to share ransom money/goods from raids(plundering)
- Benefits from making products used in war (weapons, clothing)
When was the Battle of Falkirk and who was King of England at the time?
1298, King Edward I
Who was England facing in the Battle of Falkirk and who led the army?
Scotland, William Wallace (a Scottish noblemen/ military leader fighting for control over Scotland)
Who won the Battle of Falkirk and why?
England, because they had a lot of longbowmen that were able to shoot through Scotland’s schiltrons and King Edward I was able to change the plan in the middle of battle
When was the Battle of Agincourt and who was King of England at the time?
1415 (during the Hundred Years War), King Henry V
Who were England against in the Battle of Agincourt , how many were there in their army and how many losses did they have?
France, around 30,000 soldiers, 6000 lost
How many soldiers did England have during the Battle of Agincourt and how many losses were there?
8000 (mainly archers), 400 lost
