Warfare through time 1250-1500

Question 1

Mercenaries

Answer 1

Paid soldiers as part of an external band/company. They were paid in scutage. They were far more experienced than feudal troops but had no loyalty and could always change sides if theirs was loosing.
Paid £5 a year.

Question 2

Feudal troops.

Answer 2

Highest up troops would get land from the king. These Tenants controlled subtenants with land and money promises.

Question 3

Assize of Arms (1181)

Answer 3

A reliable source of trained men fought for the king 40 days a year. Battles were restricted due to the limited time that soldiers fought.

Question 4

1285

Answer 4

The Assize of Arms was formalised.

Question 5

1322

Answer 5

Edward 2 invaded scotland with 500 feudal troops.

Question 6

1327

Answer 6

Last summons of feudal troops

Question 7

1337

Answer 7

Payment for troops was used more and became the main way of recruitment.

Question 8

1457

Answer 8

180 soldiers mustered in Bridgeport from the Assize of Arms.

Question 9

1363

Answer 9

Edward 3 made archery training compulsory.

Question 10

Metalurgy

Answer 10

New method of steel manufacturing. Plate armour covered the whole body by 1420.

Question 11

Swords

Answer 11

Used by knights in hand to hand combat. Became thinner in the late 14th century to be thrusted through plate armour.

Question 12

Longbow

Answer 12

First used by English army in 1290. At poitlers 60,000 arrows were fired down onto the French in one minute. Could fire 15 arrows per minute to a range of 400m.

Question 13

Crossbows

Answer 13

Could penetrate plate armour but had a slow reload of 2 bows per minute.

Question 14

Army size

Answer 14

Battle of Lewes 1264 (10,000)
Battle of bosworth 1485 (12,000)

Question 15

Schiltrons

Answer 15

Tight packs of pikemen . Used by the scots in the 1295 battle of stirling bridge.

Question 16

Army composition change

Answer 16

1250
Infantry:Cavalry 2:1
1400
3:1

Question 17

Armour

Answer 17

Plate armour was used which defended well against meele but not arrows.

Question 18

Trunnions

Answer 18

Were invented by 1430 and could adjust range.

Question 19

Cannon progression

Answer 19

Trunnions were created. Barrels became longer and improved range and accuracy. Cast iron cannon balls were also created.

Question 20

1267

Answer 20

English Friar wrote that gunpowder had a roar greater than thunder and a flash greater than lightning.

Question 21

1346

Answer 21

Cannons were used in the hundred year war but were limited in effectiveness and only frightened opponents.

Question 22

1449

Answer 22

Harfleur fell to 16 French cannons after 17 days.

Question 23

1453

Answer 23

Battle of Castillon cannons inflicted heavy casualties firing into English cavalry to end the 100 years war.

Question 24

1460

Answer 24

James 1 of Scotland blew himself up with a cannon.

Question 25

1490

Answer 25

The Venitian army replaced their crossbows with arquebuses.

Question 26

The grand chevuchee

Answer 26

Led by the black prince and destroyed 500settlements. Devestated 18000km of territory.

Question 27

Raids

Answer 27

An oppurtunity for plunder where many civillians had their goods taken from them.

Question 28

purveyance

Answer 28

Where the population had to pay for the armies food and shelter.

Question 29

Taxation

Answer 29

Was specifically used to fund wars. In 1381 there was a peasants revolt to the tax.

Question 30

Battle of Falkirk 1298 army size.

Answer 30

Engllish Army: 15,550 Crossbow men: 400 Longbowmen: 5,500 Spearmen: 7,000 Cavalry: 2,250 French army: 10,000 8,000 spearmen 1,500 longbow men 500 cavalry

Question 31

Falkirk recruitment.

Answer 31

Cavalry: 1/3 were were royal household knights. Infantry: most recruited by Assize of arms.

Question 32

Civilian experience at Falkirk.

Answer 32

English army raided and looted scottish countryside. The army almost ran out of supplys but ate 600 sheep from Coldsteam priory.

Question 33

Positions at the start of Falkirk.

Answer 33

Wallace chose a position on hard ground on the side of a hill with a marsh in front of him but his flanks were unprotected. He had four schiltrons groups flanked by archers. The English army formed around the marsh on the other side of the river.

Question 33

The role of Edward I

Answer 33

Detailed plans to supply troops by sea and requisitioning local sheep. Edward was lucky his cavalry charge was successful. Against a stronger opponent, it could have been disastrous. Outmanoeuvred the enemy with cavalry attacks. Edward’s use of longbows was the turning point It became a key part of English strategy in warfare for the next 150 years.

Question 33

How the battle was won by the English (Falkirk)

Answer 33

The English cavalry forced the Scottish cavalry off the field. They had little loyalty to Wallace due to his low-birth. This allowed the English cavalry to outflank the Scottish schiltrons and archers cutting leaving them exposed. 5000 longbows were then deployed to pepper the Scottish infantry break down the pike wall for the cavalry to attack.

Question 34

The role of William Wallace

Answer 34

Deployed pike schiltrons which were initially effective. Choice of position were good on a slope and marsh. Failed to protect his flanks. Wallace’s cavalry and archers played little role in the battle.

Question 34

Compsition of armies at Agincourt.

Answer 34

English : 9,000 men. 5000 men were longbowmen. French :12,000 men. Cavalry:Infantry (mainly crossbowmen) 2:1

Question 35

Positions at Agincourt.

Answer 35

Henry had his dismounted knights in the middle being flanked by longbowmen in the woods. The woods protected the longbowmen and was a chokepoint for the French. Henry had picked a recently ploughed feild to make it hard for the french to move. The archers put stakes in the ground to prevent them from attack.

Question 36

How Agincourt unfolded.

Answer 36

Archers enticed the French to attack. As the English longbow had greater range than the French crossbow the French had to attack. The French could not get to the longbowmen due to the steaks and retreated churning up the feild even more. The French dismounted knights tried to attack but could not get through the mud with their heavy armour and swords. Henry excecuted all the French prisoners.