C1250-C1500 Medival Warfare And English Society Flashcards
What were armies a fundamental part of medieval British society?
- England was at war for most of the period c1250-c1500, either in civil war or war with France, Scotland or Wales
- Armies were therefore a fundamental part of medieval British society
What was the composition of armies (what were they made up of)?
Infantry
Mounted knights (cavalry)
Who were the infantry?
Peasants who fought on foot
They were at the bottom of the social hierarchy & were treated poorly compared to other soldiers
They may have worn skull caps & leather jackets for protection
Who were the cavalry (mounted knights)?
- Gentry (wealthy landowners below noble classes) & nobility who fought on horseback
- Were superior in status to other types of soldier
- Armed with swords & lances
- Protected with helmets & chainmail
How many soldiers were typically in the army?
- Between 5000 & 10000 soldiers
- Usually, there were twice as much infantry as mounted knights
What was the battlefield role of the cavalry (mounted knights)?
- Most powerful force on battlefield
- Weakened enemy in first round of attack by using the mounted charge & the rout and chase
What was the mounted charge?
charging through the enemy lines to reach & kill the enemy commander
What was the rout & chase?
used to scatter enemy infantry & attack them once they were dispersed
What was the battlefield role of the infantry?
to hold the enemy attack & then defeat the enemy infantry
to do this they used the shield wall & melee
What was the shield wall?
- a shield wall with overlapping shields, & spears or pikes
- held enemy attacks
What was the melee?
where the infantry engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with swords, pikes & daggers
Who were the archers & how did they impact the battlefield role of infantry?
- archers were infantry who used bows or crossbows
- they played a minor role working with the cavalry (mounted knights) to break down the enemy at the beginning of battle
What is the social structure of the army (most significant to least significant)?
- Kings
- Lords (commanders)
- Noblemen & gentry (knights)
- Peasants (infantry)
What was the use of warfare for kings & lords?
- it was used so that they could protect their power & take power from other kings & lords
- as a result, warfare was usually limited & focused on castles
Why did the quality of leadership often vary?
a person’s combat experience or skills were less important than their social status in the feudal system
as a result, the quality of leadership varied
What was the feudal system?
it organised society into groups based on people’s roles
land was granted in return for service to the Lord
those serving the Lord in battle provided their own equipment & provisions