Warfare through time 1250-1500

Warfare through time 1250-1500

1. Weapons

   • Lances
   • Sword
   • Spears
   • Crossbows
   • Longbows

2. Recruitment and training

   • Feudal system
     • Landowners give men to serve
       • 40 days
       • Broke down when disagreements on demand
   • Mercenaries
     • Paid soldiers
     • Army increased so paying soldiers became main method
   • Assize of arms
     • The wealthy had to provide more ie horses/weapons
     • As feudal system stopped every man had to bring bow, arrows, sword dagger
     • Men selected fought for 40 days

3. Tactics

   • Increased use of longbows
   • Decline of the mounted knights
   • Increase size of army

4. Composition of the army

   • Cavalry (knights)
   • Infantry -spear men -crossbow -hand to hand combat
   • 9000 -26000 men

5. Battle of Falkirk

   • Recruitment and training
   • Weapons
     • Swords
     • Daggers
     • Longbows
     • Crossbows
   • Tactics
     • Scottish used shiltrons but failed
       • Choice of position didn’t protect flanks
     • Use of longbows
   • Composition of the army
     • 2000 Calvary, 500 crossbow, 12,000 infantry
   • Civilians
     • Military burnt down, looted and destroyed towns
       • Suffered violence, loss of homes, crops and livestock

6. Battle of Agincourt

   • Recruitment and training
     • All English sign indentures (contract)
     • King promised payment, then jewels, never paid
   • Tactics
     • English longbow attack
     • French dismounted attack (struggled because of terrain)
   • Weapons
     • Cannons
     • Longbow men
     • Swords
     • Daggers
   • Composition of the army
     • Dominated by longbow men
     • English outnumbered 6-1
   • Narrow battlefield
   • Civilians
     • Ordered men to not loot beyond need