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GCSE History - Warfare & British Society > Medieval warfare & English society > Flashcards

Medieval warfare & English society Flashcards

1
Q

Why were armies a fundamental part of medieval British society?

A
  • 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
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2
Q

What was the composition of armies (what were they made up of)?

A
  • Infantry
  • Mounted knights (cavalry)
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3
Q

Who were the infantry?

A
  • 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
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4
Q

Who were the cavalry (mounted knights)?

A
  • 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
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5
Q

How many soldiers were typically in the army?

A
  • Between 5000 & 10000 soldiers
  • Usually, there were twice as much infantry as mounted knights
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6
Q

What was the battlefield role of the cavalry (mounted knights)?

A
  • Most powerful force on battlefield
  • Weakened enemy in first round of attack by using the mounted charge & the rout and chase
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7
Q

What was the mounted charge?

A

charging through the enemy lines to reach & kill the enemy commander

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8
Q

What was the rout & chase?

A

used to scatter enemy infantry & attack them once they were dispersed

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9
Q

What was the battlefield role of the infantry?

A
  • to hold the enemy attack & then defeat the enemy infantry
  • to do this they used the shield wall & melee
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10
Q

What was the shield wall?

A
  • a shield wall with overlapping shields, & spears or pikes
  • held enemy attacks
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11
Q

What was the melee?

A

where the infantry engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with swords, pikes & daggers

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12
Q

Who were the archers & how did they impact the battlefield role of infantry?

A
  • 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
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13
Q

What is the social structure of the army (most significant to least significant)?

A
  • Kings
  • Lords (commanders)
  • Noblemen & gentry (knights)
  • Peasants (infantry)
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14
Q

What was the use of warfare for kings & lords?

A
  • 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
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15
Q

Why did the quality of leadership often vary?

A
  • 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
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16
Q

What was the feudal system?

A
  • 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
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17
Q

What was the impact of the feudal system breaking down?

A
  • when the feudal system broke down & it was more difficult to persuade people to fight, kings paid for soldiers to fight for them
  • these men were called mercenaries
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18
Q

What was the impact of introduction of new weapons & formations?

A
  • the introduction of new weapons & formations had an impact on warfare, tactics & strategy between 1250 & 1500
  • by the end of the period, the use of mounted knights was in decline
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19
Q

What were longbows?

A
  • in the 1290s, longbows were introduced into English armies
  • Edward I’s successes made them a key part of English armies for 150 years
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20
Q

What were the uses of longbows?

A
  • 15 arrows a minute could be fired, five times more than the rate of the crossbow
  • their increased power meant arrows could pierce through a knight’s chainmail
  • they had an effective range of 200 metres, twice that of shorter bows & crossbows
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21
Q

What were pikes & schiltrons?

A

the Scots under William Wallace used schiltrons - tight formations of infantry gathered together in a circle or square, with pikes facing outwards towards the enemy

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22
Q

How were pikes & schiltrons used effectively in warfare?

A
  • a strong defensive formation, Wallace used the schiltron to move infantry forwards & attack
  • the schiltron was used effectively in battles against English infantry in 1297 & English cavalry in 1314
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23
Q

What was the impact of gunpowder & the development of cannon?

A
  • in the 13th century, the formula for gunpowder arrived in Europe from China
  • Gunpower was used to fire cannon, and, by 1450, cannon were becoming a standard seige weapon
  • this, in turn, affected the design of castles as old styles became increasingly vulnerable to cannon fire
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24
Q

What were the limitations of cannon?

A
  • heavy & expensive - to transport them involved complicated logistical planning
  • inaccurate - generally they could only be used against large targets, such as walls
  • short range - they had to be close to their targets, making them vulnerable to attack
  • unreliable - they were likely to blow up or fail to fire
  • slow to reload
  • trained personnel needed
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25
Q

What were the advantages & improvements of cannon?

A
  • useful in destroying city & castle walls, shortening sieges
  • improvements were made in range & aim with new technology, including trunnions (rods to raise the height of the barrel)
  • specialist cannon were developed that could launch cannonballs high over defensive walls or over longer distances
  • metal was used for cannon barrels & balls, rather than stone, which made cannons more effective & accurate
26
Q

What was the impact of cavalry (mounted knights)?

A
  • the introduction of new weapons led to the decline of the mounted knight in numbers & importance. this was because:
    1. the longbow was more effective in taking down knights, horses and infantry
    2. the schiltron was effective at defeating cavalry, increasing the infantry’s importance
    3. the cavalry became more integrated, taking on specialist tasks, like patrolling & scouting, & they often dismounted to fight defensive battles
27
Q

How did the feudal system eventually lead to reducing the link between social class & command?

A
  • the feudal system had led to small armies in which noble knights were the superior fighters
  • the decline of mounted knights had important consequences for society
  • instead, kings paid for mercenaries rather than relying on the nobility for their military power
  • this reduced the link between social class & command
28
Q

What was the overall impact of combatant recruitment?

A
  • how combatants were recruited into medieval feudal armies changed between 1250 & 1500
  • there was less change in how combatants were trained for battle
29
Q

How can we see change through recruitment of cavalry (mounted knights)?

A
  • in 1250, mounted knights were recruited through the feudal levy: knights owed 40 days’ knight service & tenants owed their lords a set number of knights based on the amount of land they owned
  • as these dues became harder to enforce, extra forms of recruitment emerged e.g. the Assize of Arms, mercenaries and scutage & the Royal Household
30
Q

What was the Assize of Arms?

A
  • a tax on wealth
  • it required all men with land to provide a number of fully equipped knights
31
Q

What were mercenaries & scutage?

A
  • mercenaries & scutage increasingly replaced feudal service & the Assize
  • subjects paid scutage (shield money) instead of performing military service, allowing the king to hire mercenaries
32
Q

What was the Royal Household?

A
  • the Royal Household were permanent troops paid by the king as his personal guard
  • they increased rapidly in size & importance
33
Q

How can we see change through recruitment of infantry?

A
  • there was no feudal duty to serve as infantry
  • instead, duty, escape, adventure or plunder were incentives
  • e.g. the Statute of Winchester & Commissioners of Array
34
Q

What was the Statute of Winchester?

A
  • established in 1285
  • extended the Assize of Arms
  • all fit men between 16 & 60 were instructed to muster once a year ready & equipped for 40 days’ service
  • however, after 1337, the feudal levy & Assize of Arms began to fall away in favour of infantry being paid for their service
35
Q

What was the Commissioners of Array?

A

it assessed recruits & their weapons across the country

36
Q

How did provisioning & equipment change c1250-c1500?

A
  • in this period, demand for food & weapons for the army increased because:
    1. England was involved in many wars
    2. there were more infantrymen to feed
    3. more horses needed to be fed (each mounted knight took four - twice that of 1250 & archers also began to ride horses)
    4. more ammunition (arrows, bullets, cannon balls) was needed
    5. gunpowder weapons needed specific ammunition & were hard to transport
37
Q

How can we see change through provisioning?

A
  • combatants provided their own provisions & equipment for 40 days (e.g. baggage trains, made up of wagons & pack animals, stretched for miles behind an army), but new solutions were needed to meet the increased demand, for example:
    1. Requistioning: the Crown forced merchants to sell goods (purveyance) & provide ships in order to supply their baggage trains
    2. Weapon stores, such as the Royal Armoury, were built up
    3. Supply depots were set up ahead of the army & supplied by road or sea
    4. Pillaging, especially in enemy territory, was a common last resort
38
Q

How can we see continuity through training?

A
  • there were no permanent armies & no barracks, so no organised training for warfare, for example:
    1. the Assize of Arms called for infantry recruits to be skilled with their weapons, but this was not often the case. the mustering of infantry gave commanders a chance to assess their equipment & skills
    2. cavalry (mounted knights) learned military skills & competed in tournaments, but there was no training to fight as a group
    3. the nobility were the military class & kings relied on leading nobles & close relatives to command their armies
39
Q

What was the impact of the longbow?

A
  • longbows required great strength & long training to master, for example:
    1. In 1285, the Statute of Winchester set up archery targets in every town
    2. In 1383, Edward III ordered archery practice on every feast day or holiday
40
Q

What was the overall impact of war on civilians?

A
  • the impact of war on civilians was mostly - but not entirely - negative
  • kings needed money to pay for the wars, & they needed soldiers to fight & provisions to supply them with
41
Q

How can we see the impact of war on civilians through the feudal duty of taxation?

A
  • for example, this is evident through the yearly tax rate of kings:
    1. Edward III -> 1337-77 -> £75000
    2. Richard II -> 1377-99 -> £100000
    3. Henry V -> 1413-22 -> £125000
  • the increase in tax was a burden for civilians but was probably not such a great burden compared to being recruited or having their belongings plundered by armies
  • the tax represented only about 1% of most civilians annual income
42
Q

How can we see impact of war on civilians through the feudal duty of recruitment?

A
  • civilians were forced to fight by the king. desertion & refusal were common
  • civilians increasingly chose to pay money instead to avoid going to war (scutage)
  • fighting meant time away from family & home, as well as great risk of death or injury
  • recruits were expected to provide their own equipment & provisions for 40 days
43
Q

How can we see impact of war through the development of requisitioning?

A
  • kings needed food & supplies (and ships) for their armies
  • this led to purveyance, whereby food & fodder was requisitioned (bought by force) from civilans
  • consequently, this was unfair because civilians were meant to be paid a fair price but often weren’t or were given IOUs (promises to pay at a later date)
  • as a result, civilians began to suffer on two frequent accounts:
    1. they had less food & supplies for their own use
    2. they were out of pocket to the crown
44
Q

What were the benefits of warfare?

A
  • war had a few benefits for civilians as well. for example,
    1. pay was better in the army than pay for work on the land because there was e.g. higher demand for supplies, weapons, fortifications (military defensive walls) etc
    2. a boosted industry
    3. employment
45
Q

What was fighting & plunder, & what was its effect on enemy civilians?

A
  • sieges involved cutting towns or cities off from supplies of food & water, & - increasingly - bombarding them, forcing their surrender, causing severe suffering for the community
  • plunder (stealing supplies from communities) gave the army food & starved the enemy
  • raids on communities caused severe suffering. sometimes, the enemy was paid to go away
  • ransom (money) could be demanded from enemy communities for protection & from captives in order to secure their release
46
Q

What was the first battle to showcase how the new introduction of weapons & formations impacted warfare?

A
  • the Battle of Falkirk (22 July 1298)
  • it was fought between the Scottish & English, & was fought to end a Scottish revolt led by William Wallace
  • the English won due to their use of longbow archers, but the Scots also effectively used the schiltron
47
Q

What happened during the Battle of Falkirk?

A
  • Scottish (10000 troops) & English (14000 troops) had their own archers who were with the infantry, as well as cavalry
  • the marsh area between English & Scottish assisted the Scottish in their infantry who gathered on a slope, forming schiltrons
  • however, the uncoordinated English cavalry attack separates Scottish units, driving off much of their cavalry & archers
48
Q

What was the impact of the longbow at the Battle of Falkirk?

A
  • Edward I’s use of his longbowmen was the turning point at Falkirk & it became an essential feature of English strategy in warfare for the following 150 years
  • the English were having difficulties penetrating the Scottish schiltrons, so Edward decided to use his 5000 longbows. a storm of arrows came down on the Scottish infantry & with no armour, many died
  • as gaps appeared in the walls of Scottish pikes, the English cavalry were able to charge the Scottish lines. Wallace’s troops fled & the English infantry joined the attack
49
Q

What was the impact of the schiltron formation at the Battle of Falkirk?

A
  • Wallace’s schiltrons were well disciplined & the English cavalry found it hard to break through their lines of pikes
  • however, their lack of armour left them vulnerable to archers & the Scottish archers were left isolated & exposed
50
Q

What ‘good decisions’ did Edward I make during the Battle of Falkirk?

A
  • he supplied his troops on campaign by sea
  • he outmaneuvered Wallace to attack from the flanks (sides of the army)
  • he used his archers against the Scottish schiltrons
51
Q

What ‘good decisions’ did William Wallace make during the Battle of Falkirk?

A
  • his use of schiltrons
  • he positioned his forces on a slope, with his rear protected by woods
52
Q

What ‘bad decisions’ did Edward I make during the Battle of Falkirk?

A

he had little control over his cavalry, but this ultimately was a fortunate thing

53
Q

What ‘bad decisions’ did William Wallace make during the Battle of Falkirk?

A
  • he failed to protect his flanks
  • he decided to fight with inferior numbers
  • he didn’t control his nobles, who deserted
  • he didn’t use his remaining cavalry & archers
54
Q

What was the second battle to showcase how the new introduction of weapons & formations impacted warfare?

A
  • the Battle of Agincourt, 1415
  • the Agincourt campaign of 1415 is part of the Hundred Years’ War
  • the battle highlighted several key elements such as strategy, weapons, leadership & social attitudes
55
Q

What happened during the Battle of Agincourt?

A
  • the French (15000 troops), with infantry, archers & cavalry used their cavalry to charge in recklessly, which was then followed more slowly by the infantry
  • the English (8000 troops), with only infantry & archers, used their archers behind stakes to ‘gall’ the French cavalry from the two woods
  • as well as this, the English forces attacked the stalled French, archers joining from both flanks
56
Q

Why were the English outnumbered at Agincourt?

A
  • the battle was fought as Henry V’s tired troops were intercepted on their way to Calais
  • they were weak from a long march across France & from the disease dysentery
57
Q

How did the choice of battleground help the English army at Agincourt?

A
  • Henry chose the perfect defensive position as seen through:
    1. Henry’s army was placed at the narrowest point of the battlefield to funnel the French into a tighter space & make it harder for them to overwhelm the English
    2. Heavy, wet clay farmland separated the two forces, difficult for cavalry to charge across
    3. The flanks were protected by woodland
    4. Long sharpened stakes were set in the ground & angled towards the oncoming French, to impale charging horses
    5. Some English archers used the shelter of the woods to fire at the French & provoke a reckless & disorganised counterattack
58
Q

What was the role of cavalry & archers during Agincourt?

A
  1. English longbowmen fired into the sides, or directly onto the heads, of the French cavalry. They could fire 100000 arrows per minute
  2. The French cavalry tried to retreat but met their own advancing infantry
  3. The French infantry were exhausted, having struggled through thick mud & over the bodies of the dead & injured
  4. The English knights fought on foot, holding the centre. The archers joined from the flanks with swords & daggers
  5. The English advanced, & the French were forced to retreat
59
Q

What ‘good decisions’ did Henry V make at the Battle of Agincourt?

A
  • he was brave & fought alongside his men
  • he chose an excellent defensive position
  • he made his cavalry fight on foot, forming a solid centre to support his infantry
  • he sent his archers to ‘gall’ the French into attacking over unfavourable ground
60
Q

What ‘bad decisions’ did Henry V make at the Battle of Agincourt?

A
  • his march across France weakened his army
  • he was trapped & forced to fight
61
Q

How did the French chivalry impact the Battle of Agincourt?

A
  • French knights lived by a code of chivalry (a code of behaviour) that dictated how they acted in battle
  • it focused on honourable duels between knights
  • the French knights were outraged at being attacked by archers, they believed this to be unchivalrous & they reacted recklessly

GCSE History - Warfare & British Society (1 decks)

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