Warfare throughout time Flashcards
What was the longbow?
- Could fire 15 arrows a minute
- Had a range of 200m
- Was used in the Battle of Crecy in 1346 and Agincourt in 1415
How did Edward III train common people to use the longbow?
The Statute of winchester (1285):
-Every town had access to an archery range
-Public holidays were used for archery training
How much were the New model army paid?
- The infantry were paid 8p a day and the cavalry were paid 24p a day
How many were in the new model army?
1645- The New Model Army- 14400 infantry soldiers and 6600 cavalry soldiers
Why were the new model army better than the royalist?
- They had drills and were better disciplined
- Their commanders were better due to the meritocratic system
- Better pay
What did Cardwells reforms do?
Cardwell’s Reforms:
- Army Act 1870 —- enlisted minimum of 12 years.
The regulation of the forces act:
- They army was organised into regional regiments
What percentage of soldiers were infantry and cavalry in 1700?
The composition of the army- cavalry 20% and infantry 75%
What did the Military service act do in 1916?
Military Service Act January 1916
- 3.5 mill men conscripted in 1916-1918.
How long were spears in 1250?
-Spears were 3m long
How did the ratio of cavalry and infantry change between 1250 to 1400?
The ratio of cavalry to infantry in 1250 was 1:2 and 1:3 in 1400, So the amount of cavalry used decreased and infantry increased.
What was the arquebus?
It could be fired once every 2 minutes at a range of 100m. They were favoured over longbows because they could pierce armour.
How did bayonets develop over the years?
1647 - Plug bayonet first used
1672 - Dragoons used bayonet
Ring bayonets used
1689 - Socket bayonet produced
1697 - Socket bayonets used by British troops
What was a schiltron?
A defensive formation of pike men, 3 rows deep and in a ring
List the strengths of the matchlock musket
-Took one man to fire and reload
-Lead shot could penetrate steel plate armour at
100 metres
-It took a matter of weeks to learn how to use
List the strengths of the Flintlock musket
-Flint replaced the match – more reliable and
could be used for longer
-Took half the time to reload
How did the use of firearms increase between 1500-1700?
Increasing use of firearms - all infantry had
them by 1700s
What happened to the pike between 1500-1700?
It fell out of favour because the bayonet was more useful
How did cavalry change between 1500-1700?
- Cavalry uses pistols and swords, no longer wears
heavy armour (apart from steel chest piece).
How did mass production of weapons change in the 1700-1900?
-Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, Royal Small Arms Factory and Enfield were all mass producing weapons for use.
What was breech loading? Give an example of a gun that uses it.
Breech-loading:
- Pushing bullets into the bottom of the barrel through the side of the rifle.
- Rifles such as Martini-Henry (used in Zulu war)
How did steel production change between 1700-1900?
- Henry Bessemer made a new way of mass producing steel, which made the price go from £60 to £7
What was the Maxim machine gun?
- The maxim machine gun was designed by Hiram Maxim and could fire 600 rounds per minute.
What was the Minie bullet?
Minie bullets:
-Invented in 1847
- Effective up to 300 metres
How many were evacuated from London in 1939?
-1.5 million Women
and Children
evacuated
– 250,000 between 1st and 4th
September 1939
How did Aerial bombing effect people during World war II?
- During Blitz 2 million people
were made homeless
What was the national service act?
National Service Act:
- September 1939
- People aged 18-41 were called up to serve
- 1 million called up in 1939
What was the Brown Bess musket?
- Brown bess musket first used in 1715.
- 8 million made over 130 years.
- Fired a 30g lead ball up to 100m.
What was the immigrant crisis in East Germany?
Record numbers of Germans leaving East Germany for West Germany. This made communism look bad. 3 million people immigrated in 1958.
How did war journalism change in the 19th century?
Following the invention of the train and also the telegraph messages could be sent quickly. Reporters such as William Howard Russell told the people back home what horrors the people of Britain were facing.
What was purveyance?
This was the requisitioning of food and supplies from the population. The crown did not pay
fair rates [if at all] and this was hugely unpopular with the civilian population. More often,
acknowledgements of the debt were given out on the promise to pay later. This caused great hardship and food shortages.
How many countries had nuclear weapons in 2015?
9 countries had nuclear weapons and between the were 16,000 nuclear warheads.
How many satellites were there in 2000?
By year 2000 over 2,000
satellites in space
Why are satellites useful?
- Locate enemy troops
and military targets - Predict weather
conditions - Photograph damage
caused by attacks - Provide communication
between soldiers on the
ground.
What was the Assize of Arms?
A method of recruiting soldiers. The wealthier you were, the more support you had to give to the King in terms of the number of soldiers or military equipment. All able-bodied men aged 16-60 were expected to serve
What was the Balham tube disaster?
A disaster where 60 people were killed by an armour piercing bomb on 14th October 1940
What was the Bethnal green disaster?
173 people were killed in a crush rushing down the stairs at the station on 3rd March 1943
What was the English civil war?
A war between the supporters of Parliament and the supporters of the King, Charles I. 1642-49.
What was the new model army?
Parliamentarian army, set up by Cromwell in 1644-45.
What was the Battle of Naseby?
Key battle during the Civil War, June 1645. Won by Parliament.
How many casualties were there in the English civil war?
Estimated at 180,000 or 3.6% of the population
During WW1, how many civilians died?
WW1 – 1,414 civilians
were killed.
During WW2, how many civilians died?
WW2 – 40,000 civilians
were killed
How did the local government respond to the bombings in London?
A council provided shelter for the garden built from steel and earth called the Anderson shelter. As they were built in a hole in the ground they often filled up with rain
What was the Morrison shelter?
A metal box that could be used as a shelter inside a house. It had wire mesh on the sides for protection
Why did Edward I win the battle of Falkirk?
His longbow men poked holes in the structure of the schiltrons and this created gaps for the cavalry to enter through
Why did Henry V win the battle of Agincourt?
- Longbow was a deadly weapon and perfect in defence - 90000 arrows a minute fired at French
- Henry V chose defensive position carefully and troops were trained well enough to follow his orders
What was the Luftwaffe?
It was the German Air Force
Why was London a target during WW2?
- It was a population centre
- Government - August 1939 - cabinet war rooms
- Factories / industrial centre
How many Anderson shelters were distributed?
1.5 million
How many Morrison shelters were distributed?
500,000
How many gas masks were distributed to British civilians?
38 million gas masks were distributed for free
What percentage did London’s population drop by?
44%
How many homes get damaged or destroyed during the blitz?
1.3 million
How many were hired to censor soldiers letters in WW1?
10,000
When was the Battle of the Somme movie released and how many saw it in the first two weeks?
The battle of the Somme was released in 1916 and 20 million went to see it in the first two weeks
In 2003, how many marched against the Iraq war?
1 million people
At the beginning of WW1, how many journalists were there?
One - Colonel Swinton
In Iraq 2003, how many journalists were put in the coalition forces?
A total of 700 journalists were embedded
Who was William Howard Russel?
The reporter for the times during the Crimean war
Which was the first battle that William Howard Russel reported on?
- The Battle of Balaclava. The story lead to the charge of the light brigade being written and made many realise the horrors of war
What percentage of the army was cavalry and infantry in 1850?
80% of the army were infantry and 15% were cavalry
Between 1700 and 1850 what percentage of the army was artillery?
About 5% of the army was infantry
What was scrutage?
Scrutage was paying a fine to not fight in war. It was used by the rich in the time period 1200 - 1500.
What did civilians do in ww1 in order to save food and supplies?
Rationing was
introduced in WW1
and WW2. On 8
January 1940, bacon,
butter and sugar
were rationed.
What happened at the Battle of Biocca?
Battle of Bicocca, 1522
Two columns of Swiss pikemen attacked the centre of the Spanish army. The Swiss were slowed and beaten back by Spanish musketeers.
How long were pikemens pikes?
4.5m long
What happened to the mounted knight in 1500-1700?
It declined due to the development of the musket, which could pierce mounted knights plate armour