Warfare Through Time 1250-1500

Question 1

What was the size of armies in 1250 Britain?

Answer 1

between 5000 and 10000

Question 2

What were the main types of soldiers in 1250 Britain?

Answer 2

Infantry and Cavalry

Question 3

What was the ratio between infantry and cavalry in 1250 Britain?

Answer 3

2:1 –twice the infantry to cavalry

Question 4

what classes were cavalry drawn from in 1250 Britain?

Answer 4

upper class and gentry

Question 5

What percent of the cavalry were upper class in 1250 Britain?

Answer 5

About 30%

Question 6

What class were infantry drawn from in 1250 Britain

Answer 6

The Common People

Question 7

Who commanded the armies in 1250 Britain?

Answer 7

The King or the nobles and gentry.

Question 8

What weapons did cavalry use in 1250?

Answer 8

lances or thrusting spears, and swords.

Question 9

What weapons did infantry use in 1250?

Answer 9

Swords, daggers, maces, battle axes, or halberds. Some used brown bills for pulling knights off horseback, and some used bows and cross bows.

Question 10

what armour did cavalry use in 1250?

Answer 10

chainmail garments called hauberks and flat topped metal helmets with face guards

Question 11

what armour did infantry use in 1250?

Answer 11

leather or padded linen jackets called gambesons or short mail shirts. Most wore leather or metal skull caps.

Question 12

what were the two main strategies used in 1250?

Answer 12

limited warfare and castles

Question 13

what did limited warfare involve?`

Answer 13

avoiding battles, a campaigning season, and limited communications

Question 14

name two cavalry tactics in 1250

Answer 14

mounted charge and rout and chase

Question 15

name three infantry tactics in 1250

Answer 15

shield wall, archers, and mêlée

Question 16

what was the most common way of recruiting cavalry in 1250

Answer 16

the fuedal system

Question 17

what was the assize of arms

Answer 17

All freemen of England to swear on oath that they would possess and bear arms in service of king and realm.
The assize stipulated the military equipment that each man should have according to his rank and wealth.

Question 18

how were infantry recruited 1250?

Answer 18

through the assize of arms and feudal system

Question 19

when were infantry supposed to train 1250?

Answer 19

at the assize of arms

Question 20

how were cavalry trained 1250?

Answer 20

they often trained to outshine each other in single combat, but are not trained often for combat in a large army

Question 21

how were provisions supplied 1250?

Answer 21

provisoinswere brought by soldiers, sent ahead by road or sea and stored at supply depots, or demanded from locals. In enemy territory they were stolen.

Question 22

name two aspects of continuity between 1250-1500

Answer 22

size of armies, strategy and command

Question 23

name four types of change between 1250 and 1500

Answer 23

schiltrons, longbows, gunpowder, and the decline of the mounted knight.

Question 24

In which year and at what battle were schiltrons first used to attack and not just defend as was their nature

Answer 24

1314, the Battle of Bannockburn

Question 25

name three advantages of the longbow

Answer 25

rate of fire (15 arrows a minute), distance (up to 200 metres), power (more powerful than other bows and crossbows. They could pierce armour).

Question 26

how did longbowmen get to battle?

Answer 26

on horse back, they then dismounted.

Question 27

what two types of armour was used against longbows? How successful was it?

Answer 27

plate armour and suits of armour. However it gave little protection against arrows.

Question 28

what were the first cannon barrels? what did they shoot?

Answer 28

wood held together with metal bands. They shot stone balls

Question 29

what improvements were made to cannons?

Answer 29

metal was used more, design improved, trunnions were invented (rods that enabled the barrel to be set into slots so it could be lifted), and specialist cannon were made.

Question 30

what were the problems with cannon in 1300-1500?

Answer 30

cannon were: unreliable, slow to reload, and too heavy to be useful on the battle field.

Question 31

what was the problem with firearms?

Answer 31

slow to load, unreliable, and used very little.

Question 32

what were reason for the decline of the mounted knight?

Answer 32

schiltrons, longbows, and gunpowder, made it easier for the infantry to defeat the mounted knight

Question 33

what was the ratio of cavalry to infantry in 1400

Answer 33

1:2

Question 34

what percentage of cavalry in France in1375 were nobles?

Answer 34

5%

Question 35

was there an increase in mounted mercenaries?

Answer 35

yes

Question 36

what tactical changes were made to the cavalry from 1330

Answer 36

they took on specialist tasks like patrolling, scouting, raiding, and foraging,
they dismounted in battle,
they mounted again to chase enemies down.

Question 37

what were the impacts of warfare on civilians?

Answer 37

increased taxation, purveyance (requisitioning food and supplies), seizing ships, recruitment, raids, plunder and destruction of property, ransoms, and sieges.

Question 38

what were the benefits of warfare on civilians?

Answer 38

they could get good wages fighting, or manufacturers of goods needed in warfare were paid to support the war through supplying the army

Question 39

describe the feudal system

Answer 39

The kind and tenants-in-chief could call upon sub-tenants to provide troops. Only required to fight in England and only for 40 days for more they expected pay. they were poor quality soldiers. There was no training for the infantry in peace time

Question 40

describe the assize of arms

Answer 40

all local able bodied men had to gather annually and display their weapons (different classes had to bring different weapons). They were also given basic training. They were supposed to go to fight when called upon, but it is not clear how often they complied.

Question 41

what was the Royal Household

Answer 41

the king’s own cavalry detachment that grew in importance with the use of paid troops

Question 42

how were supplies supplied between 1200-1500?

Answer 42

Requisitioning, the Royal Armoury, and baggage trains.

Question 43

What year did the Battle of Falkirk take place in?

Answer 43

1298 AD

Question 44

Who lead the Scottish forces against the English at Falkirk

Answer 44

William Wallace

Question 45

Who lead the English forces against the Scottish at Falkirk

Answer 45

Edward I

Question 46

Which battle took place before Falkirk, who lead the English, what were the sizes of the armies and who won?

Answer 46

The battle of Stirling Bridge, lead by the Earl of Surrey, both armies were 6000 strong. The Scots won.

Question 47

Where was Edward I when the Scottish uprising began?

Answer 47

In France on campaign

Question 48

how were the English armies recruited for the battle of Falkirk

Answer 48

through the Assize of arms and the feudal system

Question 49

What were the sizes of the armies at the Battle of Falkirk

Answer 49

Edward’s:
2000 cavalry
12,000 infantry, including 5,000 longbow archers and 55 crossbowmen

Wallace’s
500 cavalry
9,500 infantry, including 1,500 archers

Question 50

how did the Battle of Falkirk go?

Answer 50

The English cavalry made their way across the marsh between the two armies, and, being undisciplined, attacked when orders not to. This caused a rout of the Scottis cavalry, and the English managed to get between the Scottish Schiltrons and destroy the archers. However the schiltrons could not be defeated, and so the long bow archers were released, destroying most of the schiltrons. The cavalry and infantry finished off the schiltrons.

Question 51

How were the armies positioned at the battle of Falkirk

Answer 51

The Scottish armies positioned themselves between woods and a marsh, on a hill. Their archers were placed between the schiltrons. There was not defence for a side attack. The English were on the other side of the marsh, with the infantry on either side and the archers in the middle

Question 52

How were Henry the Fifth’s troops recruited?

Answer 52

They were Englishmen hired for pay, and a share of the booty.

Question 53

where was Henry Fifth’s fleet from?

Answer 53

Holland and impressed from private owners

Question 54

How did Henry V plan to take France?

Answer 54

Through Castle warfare

Question 55

What did Henry V do when he landed?

Answer 55

Spend five weeks seizing Harfleur, then marched to Calais.

Question 56

Did Henry V reach Calais before Agincourt?

Answer 56

No, the French trapped him, and the scene was set for the battle

Question 57

how did Henry V deploy his troops

Answer 57

He placed them in a narrow gap, with ploughed muddy fields between him and the French. The men-at-arms dismounted and made a defensive block in the centre, and the archers were on the flanks. There were also sharpened stakes placed in the ground to slow the French charge.

Question 58

What were the estimates of dead ratio English vs French at Agincourt

Answer 58

450:4000

Question 59

why did Henry V win?

Answer 59

He positioned his army well, the French had bad tactics and discipline. The longbow was the most decisive, as it could slaughter the French from a distance.