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
Q
The Assize of Arms
A
- 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
Q
Scutage
A
- 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
Q
Mercenaries
A
- 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
Q
The Royal Household
A
- A small number of cavalrymen were employed on a permanent basis
- These were named the royal household
- About 500 troops
- Mainly mounted
29
Q
Recruitmet of infantry - Feudal infantry
A
- No formal method of recruitment
- Some joined out of loyalty
- Others joined to escape poverty, regular food or a chance of plunder
30
Q
The Assize of Arms for infantry
A
- 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
Q
Infantry training
A
- The assize of arms stated how prepared everyone should be
- In practice, they had no organised training
32
Q
Cavalry training
A
- Provided training on horsemanship and the uses of weapons
- Taught chivalry
- No training on how to fight in groups
33
Q
Provisioning
A
- 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
Q
War from 1250-1500
A
- 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
Q
Continuity in the medieval era
A
- 10,000 - 8000 - 12,000
- Lewes - Agincourt - Bosworth
36
Q
Continuity - Strategy and command
A
- 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
Q
Change - Schiltrons
A
- 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
Q
Change - the longbow
A
- 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
Q
Factors to cause change
A
- Individuals
- Technology
40
Q
How individuals cause change in medieval times
A
The success of longbows from archers
41
Q
How technology caused change in medieval times
A
The longbow caused changes to the design of armour
42
Q
Tactics changed in medieval times
A
- 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
Q
The change in the composition of armies in medieval times
A
- 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
Q
Armour changing in medieval times
A
- 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
Q
Gunpowder and its impact
A
- An example of how science effected warfare
- Initially hardly used
- First developed by the chinese
46
Q
The cannon, 1320-1430
A
- 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
Q
Cannon 1430-1500
A
- Metal was used
- The design was improved to make the more accurate
- Trunnions were used to adjust the cannon
- Specialist cannon were made
48
Q
The impact of improved cannon
A
- Could enflict heavy casualties such as 1000 cavalrymen killed by French cannon
- Castle walls had become vulnerable
49
Q
Firearms, 1400 onwards
A
- Handheld weapons using gunpowder
- The Arquebus was developed and became common on the battlefield
50
Q
Issues with the cannon
A
- 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
Q
Issues with firearms
A
- 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
Q
The decline of the mounted knight - background
A
- large part of the army
- key tactical force
- it was a social and military leader
53
Q
Reasons for the decline of the mounted knight
A
- Change in weapons
- Change in technology
- Change in tactics
- Change in numbers
- Change in social structure
54
Q
Decline of the mounted knight - change in weaponry
A
- 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
Q
Decline of the mounted knight - Technological change
A
The development of gunpowder led to the decline of the mounted knight as it was not an effective defence with the armour
56
Q
Decline of the mounted kinght - tactical change
A
- 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
Q
Decline of the mounted knight - change in numbers
A
- 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
Q
Decline of the mounted knight - change in social structure
A
- 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
Q
Why the mounted knight remained in 1500
A
- 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
Q
Change amd continuity in medieval recruitment
A
- 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
Q
Feudal troops in medieval times - decline
A
- 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
Q
Assize of arms - increase
A
- 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
Q
Paid troops - increase
A
Kings were unable to raise troops who were compelling so payment was required
64
Q
The Royal Household - increase
A
- 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
Q
Mercenaries - increase
A
- 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
Q
Training in medieval times - change and continuity
A
- 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
Q
Medieval provisioning - change and continuity
A
- 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
Q
Medieval requisitioning
A
- 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
Q
The Royal Armoury
A
- 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
Q
Baggage trains
A
- 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
Q
Impact of warfare on civilians
A
Three main impacts
- cost of warfare
- recruitment
- fighting during wars
72
Q
Medieval cost of warfare
A
- 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
Q
Medieval impact of recruitment
A
- 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
Q
Medieval impact of fighting
A
- 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
Q
Benefits of medieval warfare for civilians
A
- 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
Q
Background to the Battle of Falkirk - the Scottish Uprising 1297
A
- 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
Q
Background to Falkirk - Early issues
A
- 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
Q
Background to Falkirk - Edward marches north
A
- 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
Q
Falkirk - 22 July 1298
A
- 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
Q
Falkirk - the English army
A
- 2000 cavalry
- 12,000 infantry with 5000 longbowmen
81
Q
Falkirk - the Scottish Army
A
- 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
Q
Falkirk - the battle - 22 July 1298
A
- 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
Q
Falkirk continued
A
- 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
Q
Falkirk - the role of Wallace
A
- 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
Q
Falkirk - the role of Edward I
A
- 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
Q
Recruitment for the Battle of Agincourt
A
- 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
Q
Agincourt - Henry’s invasion force
A
- 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
Q
Agincourt - Henry V’s strategy
A
- 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
Q
Agincourt - Henry’s march across France
A
- 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
Q
Agincourt - Henry’s army
A
- After the invasion, Henry had 2000 men-at-arms with 6000 archers
91
Q
Agincourt - the French Army
A
Consisted of 10,000 heavily armed cavalry and 5000 infantry with no archers
92
Q
Agincort - positioning
A
- 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
Q
25th October 1415 - Agincourt begins
A
- 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
Q
Agincourt - English victory
A
- 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
Q
Reasons for victory at Agincourt
A
- 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
Q
The role of Henry V at Agincourt
A
- 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
