Warfare - Medieval Flashcards
1
Q
Medieval Warfare
A
1250-1500
2
Q
Context of medieval warfare
A
Henry III had fought a civil war against the barons, against the Welsh and the French
3
Q
Size of medieval armies
A
The royal army consisted of 10,000 men
The barons army consisted of 5000 men
4
Q
Composition of armies
A
- Cavalry - mounted soldiers, elite members kf the srmy who gained their position due to their social status. There were men-at-arms, these were men from the gentry who had wealthy families but no title
- Infantry - Common men who are foot soldiers. No social status
- 2:1 ratio of infantry to cavalry
5
Q
Command of armies
A
- Directly linked to social status in society
- Not linked to expreience or ability
- Attacks were prone to failure
- Desertion was an issue
- Nobles in the cavalry were not familiar with being controlled
6
Q
The Feudal System
A
- The order went King, Barons, Knights and Commoners
- The higher tier would give land to the tier below them
- In return, they were given support
- The barons were expected to control the armies
7
Q
Cavalry weapons in 1250
A
- Took two horses to war
- Fought on horseback
- Armed with lances or thrusting spears
- Sometimes swords
8
Q
Infantry weapons in 1250
A
- Armed with swords or daggers
- Some had club like weapons such as battle-axes
- Some used poles with axe heads (halberds)
- Some used ‘Brown-bills’ which were poles wuth broad-blades and a hook for hauling knights of their horses
- Some had bows or crossbows which were powerful and accurate over 100 metres
9
Q
Protection of cavalry in 1250
A
- Wore chainmail garments called hauberks
- Had a cloth hood called a coif
- Had metal helmets with a visor
10
Q
Protection of Infantrymen in 1250
A
- Wore leather armour
- Had short mail shirts
11
Q
Strategy in 1250
A
- Affected by social attitudes
- Commoners had no say
- Military force was use to impose decisions
- Kings and barons used warfare to stay in power
- Used force to seize power and used limited warfare and castles
12
Q
Limited warfare
A
- Warfare forced upon leaders due to the society at the time, for example:
- Henry III had limited resources, limited power, battles were avoided, the campaigning season and communications
13
Q
Henry III
A
- He had limited resources as he could only raise small armies with limited weapons
- He has limites power as he had to persuade nobles to support him
14
Q
Battles were avoided
A
- Since kings led armies, the battle meant that kings could be captured or killed and held for ransom
- Society in 1250 did not suit warfare
15
Q
The campaigning season
A
- There were few months in the season where the weather supported fighting
- This was after seeds had been sown and until crops needed to be harvested
- The weather made it much more difficult to fight
16
Q
Communications in 1250
A
- It was difficult for armies to know the positioning of rival armies
- They had to rely on spies, scouts, church bells and smoke signals
17
Q
Guerilla Warfare
A
- Used by Llewellyn the Last
- Avoided large battles
- Used mobile bands of warriors
- Ambush troops and supply lones
- They would then slip away in to woods or forrests
18
Q
Castles
A
- Essential part of defensive strategy in 1250
- Attackers had to divide their forces to besiege each castle
- Defenders would have bases to defend each part and launch counter attacks
- Attackers were at a disadvantage
19
Q
Tactical Formations in 1250
A
- Positioning was important in warfare
- A cokmmander could position his army at the top of a hill to make the enemy attack upwards
- It was important to protect the flanks of the infantry so that the enemy cavalry could not attack
- This would be done using maybe woods or a river
20
Q
Cavalry tactics in 1250
A
- The mounted charge - Cavalry could target a specific enemey and then hack down enemy lines such Prince Edward targeting Simon de Montfort at he battle of Evesham
- Rout and chase - Cavalry tried to scatter enemy infantry so they could be chased down
21
Q
Infantry tactics in 1250
A
- The shield wall - Men stood side by side with overlapping shields and spike to face enemy attackers
- Archers - Could weaken enemies from a long distance but had little significance
- The melee - If archers could not break the cavalry, then the infantry would attack in hand to hand combat with swords and daggers
22
Q
Recruitment of cavalry in 1250
A
- The feudal system provided a way for people to be recruited into the cavalry. This shows that the societ effected warfare
- The king granted control of large areas of England to earls or dukes and they became known as tenants-in-chief, they recognised this with military support
- The tenants gave control to lower nobles in return for military support
23
Q
Knight Service
A
40 days a year
How much a knight promised to fight for a tenant-in-chief
24
Q
Feudal Knights
A
- Served upon their feudal futy of 40 days
- Henry would be able to call upon 5000 knights fees at once
- Feudal System began to break down so it became harder to make knights serve upon their feudal duties
25
The Assize of Arms
- Extra method of recruitment
- Assessed people’s wealth and wether they should supplies arms
- All men with a land value over £15 should supply one knight, a horse, an iron helmet, a sword and a dagger
- Many landowners were required to fights as they were not able to supply the knight
26
Scutage
- Kings began to find it hard to find knights to serve their feudal duties or accept the Assize of Arms
- Instead, kings took money from people to pay for the cavalry to fight alongside the feudal knights
- This was called scutage
27
Mercenaries
- Scutage was used to pay for the
- Hired troops on a temporary basis
- Mounted knights cost 2 shillings whilst men-at-arms cost 1 shilling
- Better trained than feudal knights
- Some were foreign
- Better equiped
28
The Royal Household
- A small number of cavalrymen were employed on a permanent basis
- These were named the royal household
- About 500 troops
- Mainly mounted
29
Recruitmet of infantry - Feudal infantry
- No formal method of recruitment
- Some joined out of loyalty
- Others joined to escape poverty, regular food or a chance of plunder
30
The Assize of Arms for infantry
- Demanded that men of a fighting age should always be prepared to serve 40 days
- Commisioners of Array visited to assess the preparedness of people
- They would fine if they were not prepared
31
Infantry training
- The assize of arms stated how prepared everyone should be
| - In practice, they had no organised training
32
Cavalry training
- Provided training on horsemanship and the uses of weapons
- Taught chivalry
- No training on how to fight in groups
33
Provisioning
- Men were expected to provide for themselves for the first forty days
- Baggage trains of weapons and supplies
- Sometimes they were sent ahead and kept in supply depots
- Sometimes they demanded from local areas
34
War from 1250-1500
- Almost a continuous war between England and Scotland and Wales between 1250-1500
- From 1337 to 1453, England fought the Hundred Years’ war against France
- From 1455 to 1485, rival families fought in the War of the Roses
- In 1264, Henry III fought in the Battle of Evesham were the army was 10,000 strong
- In 1415, Henry V fought at the Battle of Agincourt were the army was 8000 strong
- In 1485, the size of Richard III’s army was 12,000
35
Continuity in the medieval era
- 10,000 - 8000 - 12,000
| - Lewes - Agincourt - Bosworth
36
Continuity - Strategy and command
- Limited warfare remained, chevauchees used were short raids intended to terrorise the local population
- Capturing or building castles remained as Edward I built castles to control Wales and Henry V captured French villages and fortified them
- Kings still made nobles their superiors in the army
37
Change - Schiltrons
- Pikes were long wooden poles with sharpened tips
- Scottish pikemen fromed large circles of 2000 men to distract the enemy and for large defences
- They were naturally defensive as the men were clustered together and horses were reluctant to charge at them
- They were used to defeat English forces at Bannockburn as they defeated the strong English cavalry
- This led to the decline of the mounted knight
38
Change - the longbow
- Long bow which took great strength to fire
- A trained longbow archer could fire ten to fifteen arrows per minute
- Could fire up to 200 metres
- Much more powerful than crossbows
- Effective at Falkirk and Agincourt as they created clouds of arrows
39
Factors to cause change
- Individuals
| - Technology
40
How individuals cause change in medieval times
The success of longbows from archers
41
How technology caused change in medieval times
The longbow caused changes to the design of armour
42
Tactics changed in medieval times
- The archers moved on horseback so they could move at the speed of the cavalry
- Archers were used to soften up the army
- Archers could be placed on the flanks to weaken enemy attacks and then melee
43
The change in the composition of armies in medieval times
- Armies began to have more infanry and fewer cavalry as the ratio became 3:1
- The dominance of the cavalry changed as they were lessened by schiltrons
44
Armour changing in medieval times
- Due to the increased used of the longbow
- From 1300, chainmail was reinforced by plate armour to protect the chest, elbows and legs
- From 1420, suits of armour were developed
- This protected people from swords and arrows but not firearms
45
Gunpowder and its impact
- An example of how science effected warfare
- Initially hardly used
- First developed by the chinese
46
The cannon, 1320-1430
- The earliest cannon had wooden barrels, metal bands at shot stone balls
- In 1327, Edward I’s army used cannon against the Scots
- In 1346, the English used cannon against the French in the Hundred Years war and made little impact
- In 1415, they made little impact in penetrating a castle wall
47
Cannon 1430-1500
- Metal was used
- The design was improved to make the more accurate
- Trunnions were used to adjust the cannon
- Specialist cannon were made
48
The impact of improved cannon
- Could enflict heavy casualties such as 1000 cavalrymen killed by French cannon
- Castle walls had become vulnerable
49
Firearms, 1400 onwards
- Handheld weapons using gunpowder
| - The Arquebus was developed and became common on the battlefield
50
Issues with the cannon
- Unreliable - In 1460, King James II of Scotland was killed when his cannon blew apart
- Slow to reload an inaccurate over long distances
- Only really useful in sieges
51
Issues with firearms
- Slow to load as the ball had to be rammed down the barrel and the powder had to be ignited
- Unreliable as it would fail in the rain
- Used very little by English armies
52
The decline of the mounted knight - background
- large part of the army
- key tactical force
- it was a social and military leader
53
Reasons for the decline of the mounted knight
- Change in weapons
- Change in technology
- Change in tactics
- Change in numbers
- Change in social structure
54
Decline of the mounted knight - change in weaponry
- Pikes were used to defend against and defeat the cavalry
- Longbows weakened the cavalry by showering arrows on the enemy
- Cannon and firearms later began to do the jobs of the longbow
55
Decline of the mounted knight - Technological change
The development of gunpowder led to the decline of the mounted knight as it was not an effective defence with the armour
56
Decline of the mounted kinght - tactical change
- started to be used as an integrated force meaning the army did not need as many of them
- changed their role as they became a patrol and raider
- they dismounted in battle joining the infantry in defence while archers weakened the charge
- mounted and chased fleeing troops
57
Decline of the mounted knight - change in numbers
- The ration became 3:1 of infantry to cavalry. A 1370 campaign to France had 1500 mounted knoghts and 4000 archers
- In 1400, the ratio became 10:1
58
Decline of the mounted knight - change in social structure
- the feudal system declined and many knights payed scutage instead of fighting. 5% of cavalry were nobles in 1375
- mercenaries were employed as mounted men-at-arms, they had their own command which weakened the command
59
Why the mounted knight remained in 1500
- a mounted knight overall weighed 120kg with all the armour, weapons and person. It would have been frightening to be chased down by one
- the horse add more weight adding up to around half a tonne
- they still struck great power
- they were smaller in 1500
60
Change amd continuity in medieval recruitment
- feudal troops were used until 1350
- the assize of arms was used continually until 1500
- the pay became the main way of recruiting
- mercenaries were used
61
Feudal troops in medieval times - decline
- Until 1330, kings could all upon 5000 mounted medieval troops which was a small number
- they were knly required to serve 40 days a year for which they expected pay
- they were poorly trained and chosen upon their social status rather than their skill
- poor quality of feudal infantry weapons
- the breakdown of the feudal system due to the collapse of the feudal system
62
Assize of arms - increase
- Edward I ordered the Statute of Winchester in 1285 which outlined the roles of the Assize of arms
- it would appoint the Commissioners of Array to each town and county
- it would muster all weapons from all mena ged 16-60
- every man, however poor, had to bring a bow with 24 arrows, a sword and a dagger
- wealthier men had to bring a shield, spear and warhorse
- it effectively recruited paid troops
63
Paid troops - increase
Kings were unable to raise troops who were compelling so payment was required
64
The Royal Household - increase
- the size and importance of the royal household increased as they were compelling and skilled troops
- In 1250, Henry III had a royal household of around 500 mounted troops
- In 1300, Edward I, had a royal household of around 5000
65
Mercenaries - increase
- paying for troops became the main method of recruiting troops
- In 1337, Edward III had the first army to entirely consist of paid troops
- they would cost around half a million today
66
Training in medieval times - change and continuity
- new recruitment led to better training
- feudal troops and infantry had no peacetime or organised training leading to the decline
- the commissioners of array led to an increase in weapon quality and training as the comissoners enforced a better quality of training
- The Statute of Winchester led to better facilities for training
- Archery pracitce increased
- Paid troops came with better training and quality ss they were better skilled
67
Medieval provisioning - change and continuity
- There was almost a constant war from 1250-1500 which put a stress on the land
- By the end of the 1300s, cavalrymen took 4 warhorses each. This increased the amount of fodder needed
- More weapons needed as more arrows were needed, troops could no longer supply their own arrows
68
Medieval requisitioning
- Food and fodder was lbtained through compulsory purchase
- This was calle purveyance
- These were sent to supply depots
- Food provisioning did not always work so armies had tl either starve for weeks or forage the countryside
69
The Royal Armoury
- During the Hundred Years War, the crown ordered for a weapon depot to be created at the Tower of London
- The armoury aupplied 11,000 bows and half a million arrows
- 87 Cannon were also stored there
70
Baggage trains
- Supplies for the army were transported in long trains of wagons
- These carts were pulled by horses who also needed to be fed
- This slowed the army’s advance
- They were often an enemy target
71
Impact of warfare on civilians
Three main impacts
- cost of warfare
- recruitment
- fighting during wars
72
Medieval cost of warfare
- England was almost constantly at war during medieval times
- England needed to raise money to buy supplies and pay soldiers
- Kings used taxes and between 1337 and 1422, the tax burden doubles
- This led to the peasent’s revolt
- Purveyance was never payed for as they were essentially given IOUs with tallies.
- These took years to pay off
- Ships were seized from civilians
73
Medieval impact of recruitment
- Feudal summons and the Assize of Arms forced men to join the army
- An increased number of people chose to pay scutae instead of fighting
- A lot of people deserted who had been summoned
- Some refused which resulted in fines
74
Medieval impact of fighting
- Some armies attacked civilians instead of fighting enemy forces
- Some armies raided towns and villages
- They would use brutal tactics to terrorise civilians
- Enemy stores led to the deprivation of food for civilians
- Some armies would camp near to a town and demand money for them not to attack
- Seiges caused great suffering to civilians as they would starve
- People would die and thats when towns would surrender
75
Benefits of medieval warfare for civilians
- Civilians could earn decent wages. A mounted archer could earn 6d. Soldiers could share ransom money and loot from plunder
- People could secure good wages from making items used in war such as clothes and carts
76
Background to the Battle of Falkirk - the Scottish Uprising 1297
- Edward I was in control of Scotland but the rule was resented
- An uprising began and rebel leader William Wallace threatened an English castle at Stirling
- Using pikes and schiltrons, Wallace defeated the Earl of Surrey at the battle of Stirling Bridge
- Wallace then led men into England
77
Background to Falkirk - Early issues
- Troops were summoned
- The methods to recruit troops were used to summon 21,000 troops
- But men started to draw back as the weather started to effect the campaign and by April 5000 men remained
- This force captured castles at Roxborough and Berwick
- Edward ordered for the campaign not to start until he arrived but only 1500 troops remained
78
Background to Falkirk - Edward marches north
- His route hugged the East coast so he could be supplied by the sea
- He captured multiple castles to create fortresses
- The countryside was barren as it was burned by Wallace and his forces to leave no valuable crops and the English army further brought suffering by burning houses as a punishment to the civilians
- Bad weather stopped ships from landing
79
Falkirk - 22 July 1298
- Both armies were moving towards Falkirk and Wallace decided to defend the area
- Both armies spotted each other so Edward decided to plan an all-out-attack
- Wallace chose to position his army on the high ground with his rear protected by woods but no protection for the flanks
80
Falkirk - the English army
- 2000 cavalry
| - 12,000 infantry with 5000 longbowmen
81
Falkirk - the Scottish Army
- 500 cavalry
- 9500 infantry with 1500 archers
- Wallace recruited soldiers the same method as Edward I
- Wallace was not popular with Scottish nobles as he was originally a commoner
82
Falkirk - the battle - 22 July 1298
- Edward consulted his council before attacking
- The attack on the Scots was slowed by a marsh
- There was an order sent to the feudal infantry not to attack before the cavalry arrived but they were undisciplined so they ignored the order
- A disorganised cavalry attack but it was able to fend off Scottish cavalry and enter the gaps between archers and schiltrons
83
Falkirk continued
- The schiltrons were well disciplimed and were able to fend off English cavalry
- This is when Edward deployed the 5000 longbowmen
- Clouds off arrows rained on the schiltrons who were unprotected
- Gaps appeared in the walls of the schiltrons and the cavalry were able to enter the schiltrons
- The infantry then attacked and hacked the remaining Scottish infantry to death
- Edward won, eventually captured Wallace and executed him
84
Falkirk - the role of Wallace
- the use of schiltrons nearly worked, even after the cavalry fleed, they were still able to fend off English cavalry
- Wallace’s positioning was good
- But he failed to protect the flanks
- Also, it was Wallace’s fault that his cavalry and archers were undisciplined
85
Falkirk - the role of Edward I
- His advanced planning to send troops by sea was admirable but barely succeeded
- Despite having a larger force, the cavalry could have ruined his attack. Edward was lucky
- His bold decision to attack proved successful as he targeted the flanks. He outmanoeuvred Wallace which was a key tactical component
- The use of longbows proved to be a turning point
86
Recruitment for the Battle of Agincourt
- Henry’s army was raised by paying noblemen to acts a captains
- The Duke of Clarence supplied 720 men-at-arms and 240 archers
- The Duke of York supplied 100 men-at-arms and 300 archers
- Henry agreed that a third of all loot captured could be given to troops
87
Agincourt - Henry’s invasion force
- Used ships from the Netherlands and boats taken on royal order from British owners
- Had 12,000 troops, three quarters were archers
- He had 3,000 mounted men-at-arms
88
Agincourt - Henry V’s strategy
- Henry’s aim was to capture French land in the north but he did not intend to through offensive battles
- He planned to seize French castles with a fast-moving army, destroying property and looting. He would then negotiate with the French king
- He would seize a port to ship over troops and create a stronghold at Calais for winter
89
Agincourt - Henry’s march across France
- Henry chose to march to show that he was not scared of the French army
- The French army shadowed the English army to try and force them into battle
- Dysentry broke out amongst the English army
- The French eventually trapped the English army and the route to Calais to force the English army into battle
90
Agincourt - Henry’s army
- After the invasion, Henry had 2000 men-at-arms with 6000 archers
91
Agincourt - the French Army
Consisted of 10,000 heavily armed cavalry and 5000 infantry with no archers
92
Agincort - positioning
- Henry sent knights to survey the land and placed his army in a narrow gap of 750 metres woth woods defending them. There was marsh land separating the two armies
- The men-at-arms dismounted and formed a defensive blockade
- Archers placed on the two flanks and Henry orderd them to slow the enemy charge
93
25th October 1415 - Agincourt begins
- Henry ordered his archers to fire from the forest. French knights believed this to be unchivalrous and began an unorganised charge in which the infantry followed
- Longbow archers fired volleys of arrows at the French cavalry
- The charge failed and the cavalry retreated into the infantry
- The infantry arrived at the frontline, exhausted from trudging through a marsh
- The archers then used swords to attack from the flanks. The men-at-arms advanced as well causing the French army to retreat
94
Agincourt - English victory
- 450 English died, Henry remained intact which kept the monarchy alive
- 4000 French died including their commander and a large chunk of nobility
- Showed the importance of the longbow
- Showed the strength of Henry’s seiges
95
Reasons for victory at Agincourt
- Henry chose an ideal defensive position
- The French relied too much upon their cavalry and the infantry and archers were underused
- The cavalry was poorly disciplined
- The longbow could ire up to 100,000 arrows per minute at the French
96
The role of Henry V at Agincourt
- Henry was lucky to win as his army was weakend from the march across France and he was outmanoeuvred and forced to fight in an awkward position
- But he showed his incredible miltiary tactics by chosing a good postion, specific placement of his men-at-arms and archers and the use of the longbow as a defence mechanism
- Henry showed bravery as well for directly getting involved
