Time Period: Topic:
1250-1500 Composition of the army
Armies were made up of infantry and mounted knights (cavalry)
Cavalry were the most powerful force on the battlefield, they
weakened the enemy in the first round of attack by using:
- the mounted charge, charging through enemy lines to reach
and kill the enemy commander;
- the rout and chase, scattered the enemy infantry and
attacked them once they were dispersed.
The infantry held the enemy attack and then defeat the enemy
infantry:
- the shield walls, with overlapping shields, and spears or
pikes
- The melee was where the infantry engaged in hand to hand
fighting with swords, pikes or daggers.
The number of infantry is twice as much as cavalry.
Feudal system — a system that organised society into groups based
on people’s roles.
Kings gave lands to lords for their troops.
Lands were granted in return for service to the lords (commanders)
Those serving their lords in battles provided their own equipment
and provisions.
Strategy in wars:
-Warfare was limited(battles were avoided + campaigning season)
-Capturing or building castles and fortified towns
Summary
Feudal Service:
Composition of armies: Cavalry (charging towards enemy infantry) and infantry (hold off
enemy)
1
, Time Period: Topic:
1200 - 1500 New weapons and formations
The longbow:
In the 1290s, longbows were introduced into English armies.
Advantages of using longbows
- Much faster rates than crossbow (15 arrows per minute)
- Increased power (the arrows were able to pierce through
a knight’s chainmail)
- Effective range of 200 metres (twice that of crossbows)
Pikes and schiltrons:
William Wallace (the battle of Stirling Bridge, 1297) used schiltrons
— tight formations of infantry gathered together in a circle or
square with long pikes facing outwards towards the enemy.
Gunpowder and the development of cannon:
In the 13th century, the formula for gunpowder arrived in Europe
from China.
By 1450, cannons were becoming a standard siege weapon.
Advantages and improvements Limitations of cannon
- Useful in destroying - heavy and expensive
castle walls - Inaccurate
- Improvements were - Short ranges - they had
made in range and aim to be closed to their
with new technology targets making them
- Specialist cannon were vulnerable to attack
developed - Unreliable - they were
- Metal was used for likely to blow up or fail
cannon barrels and to fire
balls instead of stone, - Slow to reload
which makes them - Trained personnel
more accurate and needed.
effective
2
1250-1500 Composition of the army
Armies were made up of infantry and mounted knights (cavalry)
Cavalry were the most powerful force on the battlefield, they
weakened the enemy in the first round of attack by using:
- the mounted charge, charging through enemy lines to reach
and kill the enemy commander;
- the rout and chase, scattered the enemy infantry and
attacked them once they were dispersed.
The infantry held the enemy attack and then defeat the enemy
infantry:
- the shield walls, with overlapping shields, and spears or
pikes
- The melee was where the infantry engaged in hand to hand
fighting with swords, pikes or daggers.
The number of infantry is twice as much as cavalry.
Feudal system — a system that organised society into groups based
on people’s roles.
Kings gave lands to lords for their troops.
Lands were granted in return for service to the lords (commanders)
Those serving their lords in battles provided their own equipment
and provisions.
Strategy in wars:
-Warfare was limited(battles were avoided + campaigning season)
-Capturing or building castles and fortified towns
Summary
Feudal Service:
Composition of armies: Cavalry (charging towards enemy infantry) and infantry (hold off
enemy)
1
, Time Period: Topic:
1200 - 1500 New weapons and formations
The longbow:
In the 1290s, longbows were introduced into English armies.
Advantages of using longbows
- Much faster rates than crossbow (15 arrows per minute)
- Increased power (the arrows were able to pierce through
a knight’s chainmail)
- Effective range of 200 metres (twice that of crossbows)
Pikes and schiltrons:
William Wallace (the battle of Stirling Bridge, 1297) used schiltrons
— tight formations of infantry gathered together in a circle or
square with long pikes facing outwards towards the enemy.
Gunpowder and the development of cannon:
In the 13th century, the formula for gunpowder arrived in Europe
from China.
By 1450, cannons were becoming a standard siege weapon.
Advantages and improvements Limitations of cannon
- Useful in destroying - heavy and expensive
castle walls - Inaccurate
- Improvements were - Short ranges - they had
made in range and aim to be closed to their
with new technology targets making them
- Specialist cannon were vulnerable to attack
developed - Unreliable - they were
- Metal was used for likely to blow up or fail
cannon barrels and to fire
balls instead of stone, - Slow to reload
which makes them - Trained personnel
more accurate and needed.
effective
2
