Warfare 1250-1500 Flashcards
Who were Infantry?
they were peasants and were at the bottom of the social hierachy and treated poorly compared to other soldiers.
they wore Skull caps and leather jackets for protection
their job was To hold the enemy attack and defeat the enemy infantry
Who were mounted knights?
Gentry and nobility who fought on horseback and were superior in status to other types of soldier
They had swords and lances and were protected with helmets and chainmail
What was the mounted knights role on the battlefield?
they weakened the enemy in the first round of attack by using:
-the mounted charge, (charging through enemy lines to reach and kill the commander)
-the rout and chase, (used to scatter enemy infantry and attack them once they were dispersed)
What were tactics of infantry in 1250-1500
the shield wall - Men stood, overlapping shields and spears or pikes, to hold enemy attacks
the mêlée - If the archers and cavalry could not break the enemy, the infantry engaged in hand to hand fighting with swords, pikes and daggers
Who were archers and what was their role?
Infantry who used bows or crossbows
Worked with mounted knights to break down the enemy at the beginning of battle
What was the feudal system?
It organised society into groups based on peoples roles. Land was granted in return for service to the lord. Those serving in battle would provide their own equiptment and provisions
What happened when the feudal system broke down?
It became difficult to persuade people to fight, kings paid soldiers to fight for them. They were called ‘mercenaries’
Why did quality of leadership vary?
A persons combat experience or skills were less important than social status in feudal system
When was the longbow introduced?
1290s
How long were longbows a part of the army for?
150 years
What were the advantages of a longbow?
15 arrows a minute could be fired (5x rate of crossbow)
increased power so could pierce armour
effective range of 200m, twice that of a crossbow
In 1298 this helped king edward defeat the scots
They were used in victory in the hundred years war vs france
What were schiltrons?
Tight formations of infantry gathered together in a circle or square with pikes facing outwards towards the enemy.
Used to defeat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The Scottish schiltrons advanced and defeated a force of English cavalry. It was a tactic that increased the power of the infantry and reduced the strength of the mounted knights.
When was gunpowder introduced?
In the 13th century via china
What was gunpowder first used for?
to fire cannon
Limitations of the cannon when it was first introduced:
heavy and expensive (hard to transport)
inaccurate (only used against large targets)
short range
unreliable (likely to blow up or fail to fire)
slow to reload
trained personnel needed
Improvements of the cannon:
range and aim improved
specialist cannon developed to launch cannonballs high over defensive walls or over longer distances
metal was used rather than stone which made them more effective and accurate
useful in destroying city and castle walls, shortening sieges
How did new weapons lead to the decline of mounted knights and what was a consequence?
longbow was more effective at taking down knights, horses and infantry
schiltron was effective at defeating cavalry which increased infantry’s importance
cavalry became more integrated (took on specialist tasks)
they often dismounted to fight in defensive battles
This meant that kings paid for mercenaries rather than relying on the nobility for their military power.
What was plate armour?
Chainmail was reinforced by adding plates of metal in order to protect the shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, shins and feet
Limitations of early firearms:
slow to load
unreliable
used very little by english armies before 1500
What was the assize of arms?
it assessed people’s wealth to see if they should support the king with arms
Tax on wealth, requiring all men with land to provide a number of fully equipped knights
What did mercenaries and scutage replace?
Increasingly replaced feudal system and the assize. Subjects paid scutage (shield money) instead of performing military service - allowing king to hire mercenaries - trained troops that were paid to fight in battle
What was the royal household?
Permanent troops employed and paid by the king as his personal guard
What was the change to recruitment of infantry?
There was no feudal duty to serve as infantry. Instead, duty, escape, adventure or plunder were incentives
statute of winchester (1285) - it extended the assize of arms. Stated that all fit men between 16 and 60 were instructed to muster once a year ready and equipped for 40 days’ service
commisioners of array - officials appointed by the king to organise the recruitments of troops under the assize of arms. they assessed recruits and their weapons across the country
What happened after 1337 to the feudal system and assize of arms?
The feudal system and assize of arms began to fall away in favour of infantry being paid for their service. Only 5% of cavalry were nobles for the english campaign in france
