Warfare - Early Modern 1500-1700 Flashcards
1
Q
Change in the size of armies
A
- In the last 50 years of the period, armies got bigger
- 75% of the army would be used at castles etc
- 130,000 fighting at the Battle of Landeb only represented 25% of available troops
2
Q
Change in the composition of armies
A
- Most generals wanted a 2:1 ratio of infantry to cavalry
- But there was no permanent structure
3
Q
Change in artillery
A
- Became more important
- Used in seiges
- Hard to move
- Gradually, field artillery got smaller and lighter. The British army had up to 90 cannon
- People had to be trained
4
Q
Impact of chaneges in weaponry - billmen to pikemen
A
- During medieval times, the English army made little use of the pike
- But in the Early Modern era, billmen were replaced by pikemen
- Unlike the schiltron, these men were armoured
- This chanbe began in the 1590s
- These were based off Swiss pikemen who were unbeatable
- But, large units of pikemen were prone to musket fire
5
Q
Impact of changes in weaponry - longbow to musket
A
- The matchlock musket was replaced the arquebus in 1550
- These were really heavy and a rest was needed so the musketeer could fire it
- It was effective over 100 metres
- But the musket could only fire two bullets a minute whilst the longbkw could fire around 12
6
Q
Why did the musket replace the longbow
A
- Tudors changed farming methods from open to closed farming which took up more space which meant less space to practice
- There were fewer available men due to more men needed to be shepherd
- Towns grew meaning there was less space to practice
- Inflation rose meaning men had to make more money and had less time to practice archery
7
Q
Pistols for the cavalry
A
- The cavalry needed a light weapon to use on horseback
- Developed in the 1540s and was 30-60cm long which was a one handed weapon
- These replaced armoured cavalry with lances
- They wore back, breast and a helmet
- They were trained to ride by the army
- They became more of a shock troop
8
Q
Dragoons
A
- Mounted infantry with small muskete, cheap horses and no armour
- Usually used in skirmish
- Also used to attack flanks
- Howver they were converted to cavalry in 1700
9
Q
Artilley and fortifications in the early modern era
A
- Cannon could now smash down walls
- But walls were deceloped that would not smash
- ## Defenders were now stronger than the attackers
10
Q
Walls to survive seiges
A
- Walls were now low, thick and filled with earth. They were hard to hit and the Earth acted as a shock absorber
- Bastions were constructed which gave defenders a place to fire cannon at attackers
- The walls and bastions were angeled so cannon balls would bounce off the wall
11
Q
Strategy and tactics in the Early modern era
A
- Wars in the early modern era were not only about battles but seiges and the control of territory
- Land was not only defended by an army but forts and fortified towns
- The infantry were organised into regiments with musketeers and pikemen as a unit
- They needed to work together because without the other, they would be vulnerable to attack
12
Q
Strategy and tactics in the Early Modern Era continued
A
- Cavalry could ride down musketeers as they took a while to reload
- The pikemen would defend against cavalry as they could create a cluster of pikes and horses could nto get close enough to cause damage
- ## As pikemen were close together, they were slow to move and prone to a musketeer attack. Musketeers could defend against them
13
Q
Why the matchlock musket failed
A
- It used a slow burning cord to light the gunpowder
- This locked onto a hammer which fired the bullet
- A misfire could occur as a flame could set the cord off
- Rain could put out the cord
- At night, the cord could be seen
14
Q
Flintlock Musket
A
- Replacement of the matchlock
- When the trigger was pulled, a hammer would strike a piece of flint creating a spark and lighting The gunpowder
- This doubled the rate of fire but was twice as expensive to make
15
Q
The Bayonet
A
- Pikemen and musketeers needed to work together
- At one point, musketeers would be wasted as they would be reloading
- The solution was the bayonet
- They could stab whilst reloading
- This was not an instant success
16
Q
Evolution of the bayonet
A
- The plug bayonet was first developed in 1647. This fitted down the barrel of the musket. A musketeers could not fire whilst the bayonet was equipped. This wasted time
- Next came the ring bayonet which fixed to the outside of the barrel with two rings. The fittings were not very secure and it often slipped off whilst fighting
- Finally, the socket bayonet was used in 1690 which had a locking system
17
Q
Attitudes slowing the development of the bayonet
A
People felt the pike was more honourable
18
Q
Experience of war 1500-1700
A
- Spent most of the 200 years at war
- Troops were paid for by the monarch
- 2 types of war
- War at home - fighting rebellions or invaders
- War overseas - fighting battles in Europe including Ireland
- 1500 - 1642 - systems were created by the tudors which flourished and failed
- 1642 - 60 - the years of the English Civil War, crash of the monarchy and rise of a republic
- 1660 - 99 - restoration and war abroad
19
Q
Tudor System of recruitment
A
- The Tudors ended the War of the Roses
- Recruitment gave lots of power to nobles
- Tudors wanted to change this
- They wanted to create an army that gave little power to nobles
- They chose a militia organism
20
Q
Features of the Tudor militia system
A
- All men from 16-60 were supposed to serve
- They had to provide their own weapons and it was dependent on the ten levels of wealth
- General musteres were meetings where men had to show their armour and weaponry. They would also train
- There were fines for not attending or not showing correct arms
- The monarch appointed lord lieutenants in each county to run the militia
- The law stated that the militia could not serve overseas
21
Q
What if a war was abroad?
A
The government told the lord lieutenants how many men had to serve from the county and it was compulsory for them to serve
22
Q
Trained Bands
A
- The system was not providing well trained men
- Selected men from each county were to meet in the summer for a month to train
23
Q
Muster Masters
A
- In the 1580s, a Spanish invasion was a threat
- The government realised the soldiers were not well enough trained
- They soldiers called muster masters to run specialist training
- Local gentlemen did not like taking orders from the masters as they were commoners and social order dictated against this
- But, the counties began to run each muster and the training got worse
24
Q
Training
A
- Training was vital as intricate moves had to be learned
- Firing and reloading a musket was a difficult task
- Musketeers had to line up, fire and then move to the back
- There could be no mistakes
