Medieval Warfare Essay, Research Paper

Medieval Warfare

Medieval warfare was very brutal. They would gather their men. Who could be anyone from a footman to a knight. To me I think I might have wanted to be a knight so I could use the horses weight and speed to mow down people that I went against. The battles were fierce and with large numbers. The person that had the most people usually won the battle. Most battles were fought over land. Or feuds that two people had. After the battle the winning side would loot and plunder if it was not their land. Most injuries were usually fatal. They were usually fatal because of diseases that would get them. Other causes are because they would get stabbed in the stomach in the chest or even legs could get cut off and they could not be cauterized soon enough.

After they concord on the battlefield if there was a castle near by they would rest up and most likely sack the castle. Sometimes the peasants would revolt and ransack the castle but that was usually stopped quickly. Sometimes the peasants would win, but not often. They would do this because of unfair treatment or because taxation was extremely high. I don?t under stand why they didn?t stop sending food up to the castle. That would have been a better idea. Medieval warfare was brutal indeed.

The people that served to fight for the king were knights, foot soldiers like infantry or archers. The knights were the most honored among them all as well as the most trusted. The knights were usually wealthy and had lots of land (MacDonald 35). The reason why is because it took lots of money usually the only people that became knights were the sons of knights (MacDonald 35). The equipment that they needed was a sword, shield, suit of armor, and a warhorse (MacDonald 35).

When the 14th century began, full-time professional soldiers also began. The knights saw that fighting was their opportunity to get rich. The knights got rich by stealing from their enemies and holding prisoners for ransom (MacDonald 35). While in battle they used colors and symbols to tell each other apart.

In making a knight they started very young and most of them would end up living by the sword and dieing by the sword. Young kids from the age of 8 that were from rich and wealthy households. The boy?s were sent to be a page in a noble household (MacDonald 38). Wasting to time after the boy?s arrived they soon learned how to ride a horse as well as learning to move around easily by heavy armor (MacDonald 38). To build up their strength so they could move easy in heavy armor they would wrestle and play games like tag (MacDonald 38). Later on in their training the boys were taught how to strike blows with real swords as well as learning to parry them with a shield (MacDonald 38).

While these young boys were at the household they were put under the care of a schoolmaster. While there they also met other kids of there ages (MacDonald).

The knights usually had great speed and amour as well as being better trained (MacDonald 40). The thing that give the knights most trouble were mass ranks of spear men and archers (MacDonald 40)

The crossbow was introduced into warfare in the 11th and 12 centuries. The crossbow was so deadly that many of the Popes condemned the use of them. When the crossbow was made it could fire a bolt that could pierce full armor at 55 yards. The only disadvantage that there was to using a crossbow was how slow they were to reload (McDonald 40)

Archers were also very important. They were important because in mass swarms they could fire 100?s at a time. The men back then were so good that they could fire one after another with out much problem. They won battles at Crecy Poitiers and Agin Court (Mac Donald 40).

Blacksmiths were also very important to the armies because they fixed horseshoes, mend armor of people that went to war, and when they weren?t doing those things I am betting that they would be making arrows.

Before the invention of the cannon ball destroying a castle was virtually impossible. It took a lot of men and very strategic planning to sack a castle. The people that would attack a castle most powerful weapon were hunger and illnesses like typhoid. The people would use Artillery to hurl heavy stones against week points in the castle walls. They would also dig tunnels hoping that the tunnel would cal laps (MacDonald 42). The people in the castle would pour boiling water on them and keep a good supply of arrows going.

Basically medieval warfare was very brutal and people most of the time committed their whole life to war. They did this to get rich yet many died before they had the chance. I am glad I am not living back then hope you liked.