Warfare and English Society In The Early Modern Period c1500-c1700 Flashcards
(24 cards)
What types of weapons dominated in c1500-c1750?
Gun powder weapons
What was the famous longbow from the medieval times replaced with in c1500-c1750?
The matchlock musket
What are pros and cons from switching from the long bow to the matchlock musket?
Pros: easy to learn as longbow took years to master
Cons: slower to fire and less accurate
What changed about the army in c1500-c1750?
Armies were much larger compared to medieval times
How did the Gunpowder Revolution become so significant?
It was very accessible and caused alot of damage. It changed the way war was fought completely
Explain the statistics of the matchlock musket.
It used a slow-burning match to light the gunpowder
Tool 1-2 minutes to reload
Who were the pikemen in c1500-c1750?
Men who used long spears called pikes to defend musketeers from cavalry
How did recruitment and training change in c1500-c1750s compared to medieval times?
Feudal armies no longer existed
Instead, Kings used:
- volunteers
- mercenaries
Only occasionally kings forced
Who were mercenaries?
Paid professional soldiers from other countries
Why did war costs explode in c1500-c1750?
Massive investment in:
Weapons
Uniforms
Wages
Facilities
How did governments fund wars in c1500-c1750?
Further taxes
Borrowing from banks
Who created the New Model Army 1645 and what was it?
Parliament during the English Civil War to fight Kings Charles I
What made The New Model Army 1645 so different?
First fully professional army in England
Leaders were chosen for ability and not class
Why was The New Model Army 1645 so significant?
It set a new standard for what an army should look like
Showed that government is powerful - not just King
Made England win Key battles like Naseby
What was the Battle of Naseby 1645 in short?
A civil war between royalists and parliamentarians
Who are royalists?
People who support the King
Why was the battle of Naseby 1645 so important?
Parliaments trained, disciplined troops beat the kings old fashioned army
After Charles lost, he was in serious trouble which led to his execution
What was the pike and shot formation in c1500-c1750?
Where pikemen stood with pikes to protect musketeers reloading
As opposing cavalry charged, they met the pikes and were killed
What did The New Model Army use to win the Battle of Naseby?
Tactics, communication and motivation
How did civilians suffer when towns were under siege?
They starved and had to evacuate their homes
Who led the battle of Naseby?
Oliver Cromwell
What are two ways the composition of armies were different in the 1700s compared to the 1500s?
1700 had more paid, trained professional soilders; 1500 had forced incompentent infantry
1700 recrutied troops via mercanies and volunteers (no forcing)
1500 forced, used the feudal system
Why did the flint lock musket and the plug bayonet replace the match lock musket and the pike between 1600 and 1700?
The matchlock musket was unreliable and slow - the burning match to fire failed due to wind and rain - took 1-2 minutes to reload
Plug bayonet allowed soldiers to fight up close and from range without needing pikemen
The FL musket and P bayonet were also much simpler systems so they were cheaper to make and easier to undersatnd.
