Edexcel GCSE: Warfare Through Time: The Blitz (1939-1945)
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Warfare
(1250-
present)
,Warfare: 1250-1500
Weapons
● Swords:
○ Used by knights in hand to hand combat
○ Went from wide and flat to crush knights wearing chainmail (1200s) to thin and
more pointed to get between plate armour (1300s)
○ The armour changed and so did the sword
● Longbow:
○ Used for long ranged attacks, then mass storms of arrows fired to kill oncoming
charges and disorient opponents.
○ Ranged of 350m, accurate for up to 200m.
○ There was an increase in use as they proved effective.
○ 100,000 could be fired a minute in Battle of Agincourt
○ 15 arrows fired a minute, 5 times the amount of a crossbow
● Staff weapons:
○ Used to defend big groups (e.g Schiltrons)
○ No change in usage
● Crossbow:
○ Used for attacking oncoming charges
○ Fire bolts into plate armour that was developed in 1300s
○ Were changed to fire through plate armour
○ Changed because armour changed
● Cannon (1320)
○ Used to blast through castle walls as an offensive weapon
○ Poor aim and short distance
○ Technology developed to make the gunpowder burn more slowly so they fired
further- scientific and technological advancement.
○ Trunnions developed to raise the height of the barrel to launch cannonballs
higher
○ Metal was used for canol barrels and balls, rather than stone, making them more
accurate
Army Composition
● Cavalry:
○ Elite= nobility of mounted knights
○ Men-at-arms= the gentry bought up by nobles to fight.
○ Mounted knights were the most powerful force on the battlefield and were used
for mounted charges, which broke the enemy lines, and also for route and
chase, where they scattered the enemy infantry and attacked them once they
were dispersed.
● Infantry:
○ Peasants that fought on foot and were poorly treated compared to the other
soldiers.
, ○ Their tactics included shield walls, which held back enemy attacks, and melée,
which they engaged in hand to hand combat with swords, pikes and daggers.
○ Archers were also part of the infantry and they played a minor roll with the
knights in breaking apart enemy lines and disorganising the opposing troops
with their storms of arrows.
○ Usually there were twice as many infantry as mounted knights in an army.
● Social and Feudal Structure:
○ The Feudal System highly impacted how armies were structured. They were
commanded by those in superior positions and warfare was often used by lords
and knights to protect and take power from others.
○ A person’s combat competency and skill was less important than their blood or
social standing. As a result, the quality of leadership among them varied.
● There was a decline in mounted knights in the mid 1300s due to the new formations
that used dismounted knights fighting in the centre of the battlefield, their armour
giving them significant protection. Also, the longbow became more effective in taking
down knights, horses and infantry and the schiltrons defended too easily against them.
● Men also got their positions based on social status rather than their experience in
warfare and this meant that there were incompetant commanders.
Recruitment and Training
● In 1250, knights were recruited through the feudal levy/ summons, which was the 40
days of knight service that they and tenants on their land owed their lords. As these
became harder to enforce, other methods of recruitment emerged.
● Knights could also be summoned by a general summons which was issued by the king
and was strictly voluntary, implying that all those who were loyal to him would come.
Knights would either respond out of their strong military ethic or because they wanted to
profit from ransoms or plunder of areas.
● Indentures were contracts of service of knights and payment for it from the king. The
payment was not the main reason for the knights going on their campaigns, and most
often just covered the cost of it for them. Indentures were only possible on a larger scale
after the 1300s, where the government bureaucracy and royal financial sources grew so
they could support a large number of these expensive contracts.
● The Assize of Arms was a tax on the wealthy, which required all men with land to
provide a certain number of equipped knights for battle.
● There was also the Scrutage, which was a payment given instead of military service and
this money allowed the king to hire mercenaries (hireable soldiers) instead.
● The Royal Household were also permanent troops paid by the king as his personal
guard and during the middle ages, this grew in size and importance.
● The Statute of Winchester (1285) meant that the Assize of Arms was extended and all
fit men between 16 and 60 were instructed to muster once a year ready and equipped
for 40 days of service and set up archery targets in every town.
● The Commissioners of Array assessed recruits and their weapons across the country.
● After 1337, the Assize of Arms and the feudal levy began to reduce in favour of the
infantry being paid for their services.
● There were no permanent armies or barracks, so training was limited to:
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