Medieval Armies and Weapons in Western Europe: An Illustrated History

288 Pages·2005·25.59 MB·English

by  Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage

Medieval Armies and
Weapons in Western Europe
ALSO BY JEAN-DENIS G. G. LEPAGE
Castles and Fortified Cities of
Medieval Europe: An Illustrated History
(McFarland, 2002)
MEDIEVAL ARMIES
AND WEAPONS IN
WESTERN EUROPE
An Illustrated History
JEAN-DENIS G. G. LEPAGE
McFarland &. Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank
Jeannette a Stuling,
Eltjo de Lang and Ben Marcato,
Simone and Bernard Lepage,
Erik Karstel and Florence Rigal,
Anne Chauvel, Michele Clermont,
Veronique Janty, and John Beauval.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Lepage, Jean-Denis.
Medieval armies and weapons in western Europe :
an illustrated history / Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7864-1772-2 (illustrated case binding : 50# alkaline paper) @
1. Military art and science — History — Medieval, 500-1500.
2. Military art and science — Europe, Western — History.
3. Military history, Medieval.
4. Military weapons— Europe — History — to 1500.
I. Title.
U37.L46 2005 355'.0094'0902-dc22 2004013461
British Library cataloguing data are available
©2005 Jean-Denis G. G. Lepage. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover image ©2005 Clipart.com
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson-, North Carolina 28640
www. mcfarlandpub.com
Contents
Acknowledgments iv
Introduction 1
PART I. THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES (6TH-11TH CENTURIES)
1. Late Romans, Germanic Invaders, and 3. Vikings and Hungarians
Byzantines The Vikings 30
The End of the Western Roman Empire 5 The Hungarians 37
The Late Roman Imperial Army 7
4. Anglo-Saxons and Normans in England
The Huns 11
Anglo-Saxon Conquest 39
The Germanic Invasions 12
Alfred and Knut 44
The Byzantine Empire 14
Norman Conquest 45
2. The Franks Norman England 46
The Merovingians 18 The Norman Army 48
Islam 22
The Carolingians 24
PART II. THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES (11TH-13TH CENTURIES)
5. Feudal Lords 55 6. Knights and Chivalry
Origin of Feudalism 55 Origins of Knighthood 63
Heredity of Fiefs 56 Training of Candidate Knights 64
Feudal Obligations 57 Adubment 67
Peace and Truce of God 59 Chivalry 68
Castellany 59 Tournaments and Jousts 70
Principalities 61 Heraldry 75
vi Contents
7. Knight's War Equipment 81 Saladin's Reconquest 154
Offensive Weapons 81 The Third and Fourth Crusades 154
Defensive Equipment 87 The Last Crusades 155
Speed and Mobility: The Horse 94 The Opposing Armies 156
Other Minor Crusades 164
8. Infantrymen
Infantry 100 12. Templars and Hospitalers
Pole Weapons 102 Military Religious Orders 166
Long-Range Weapons 109 Templars 167
Manufacture of Weapons 116 The Hospitalers 175
Other Minor Military Orders 178
9. Land Warfare
Secular Orders of Chivalry 180
Number of Fighting Forces 119
Various Forms of War 119 13. Reconquista in Spain 181
Pitched Battle 120 The Arab Occupation of Spain 181
Ransom 125 The Reconquista 181
Dead, Wounded, and Invalids 126 Weapons and Tactics 183
Writings about Medieval Warfare 127 The Iberian Military Orders 186
10. Siege and Naval Warfare The End of the Reconquista 191
Siege Warfare 129
14. The Teutonic Knights
Naval Warfare 143
Creation and Structure 193
11. Crusaders in Palestine Brethren of the Sword and Dobrzyn 194
Church and Violence 151 Apogee and Decline of the Teutonic Order 196
The First Crusade 152 Weapons and Tactics 199
The Kingdom of Outremer 153 Teutonics and Nazism 200
PART III. THE LATE MIDDLE AGES (14TH-15TH CENTURIES)
15. Evolution of Armor and Weapons 205 Hussites 236
Mixed Armor, 1250-1410 205 Swiss Infantry 238
Full-Plate Armor, 1410-1600 210 German Landsknechten 241
Evolution of Armor after 1500 216 Spanish Tercios 246
16. The Hundred Years' War (1340-1453) 219 18. Firearms
Causes 219 Gunpowder 248
Opposing Forces 221 Early Artillery Pieces 249
First Part of the War, 1337-1388 224 Cannons and Handguns 251
Second Part of the War, 1415-1453 226 Influence of Firearms on Siege Warfare 258
Aftermath 228 Influence of Firearms on Fortifications 262
Naval Warfare with Firearms 265
17. European Mercenaries
Evolution of the Cavalry 266
Decay of Feudalism 230
Urban Militia 232 19. Conclusion 270
Italian Condottieri 234
Bibliography 277
Index 279
Introduction
Hundreds of years after the close of the Middle Ages, This period was marked by migrations of whole tribes, a
the period continues to exert a unique emotional power high incidence of warfare arising out of the lack of strong
over Western culture. The attitude of Westerners is am central governments, limited urban activities, and writ
bivalent but never detached. A governmental system that ten culture in the hands of the monastic element of the
is disliked is termed "medieval," yet Westerners continue Catholic Church.
to be drawn to tales of King Arthur, Ivanhoe, and Robin The High or Central Middle Ages extended roughly
Hood. The Middle Ages are considered a barbaric time, from the 11th to the end of 13th century. It was the time
and yet they furnish enduring icons: the knight in shin of knights and chivalry, when Europe achieved a degree
ing armor, the idealized lady, and the king upon his of political stability that permitted expeditions abroad
throne. The perception many have of the Middle Ages is (Crusades), a new flourishing of intellectual and eco
mythic rather than historical, but somehow the period nomic life, a dramatic revival of urban activities, and an
remains in one's consciousness in a way that other his increasing sophistication in secular culture.
torical periods do not. The medieval world is at times The Late Middle Ages, from the early 14th to the late
alien and remote, yet it always resonates within the psy 15th century, began with a series of catastrophes (Black
che of Westerners. Such fascination is not an idle fancy. Death and the Hundred Years' War) disrupting the tra
In many respects, the Middle Ages represents the ditional feudal structure. A number of developments in
point of origin of modern Western culture based on three military techniques and technology undermined the
distinct cultural strands: the classical Mediterranean civ supremacy of the knight. It was a period of transition
ilization of Greece and imperial Rome, the Byzantine and characterized by a weakening of traditional power and an
Jewish traditions imported from the Middle East with the ongoing series of social and religious crises.
advent of Christianity, and the "barbarian" culture of the A work comprehensively covering so many years and
German tribes from northern Europe. The Middle Ages so many regions would be too diffuse; therefore, this book
cover about a millennium of human history — roughly will focus on the feudal heartland of Western Europe —
speaking, from 500 to 1500. Medievalists commonly sharing a more-or-less similar historical profile — includ
divide the Middle Ages into three periods, and this is how ing France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and the Iberian
this book is designed: in three major parts following the Peninsula. Some references will however be made to
chronology and describing the parallel evolution of war regions outside this core, such as the Greek-Byzantine
riors, weapons and armor, and warfare. Empire, Palestine, and Scandinavia, because of the influ
The Early Middle Ages began with the fall of the ence they exercised at a certain time.
Western Roman Empire — not a single-date event but a Success in war depends upon numerous factors.
long process of decline. For convenience we may place Questions of politics, strategy, and logistics all affect the
this era from the year 500 to the close of the 11th century. outcome. But when it comes to combat on the actual
1
2
battlefield, tactics are what count. There, the main fac items were meant to kill; they were designed to cut flesh,
tors of warfare are leadership, the use of ground, and to smash brains, to tear muscles, and to shed blood.
weapons. The Middle Ages were not a period of unusu Technical terminology in the Middle Ages tended to
ally prolific advances in weapon design, and medieval sol be fluid; standardization of language was limited and a
diers went to war — broadly speaking — with the arms tendency toward the use of localisms intensifies the
inherited from ancient antiquity. difficulty of identifying authoritative terms for specific
A weapon is defined as "a material thing designed or weapons. Specialized and foreign terms that are unlikely
used or usable as an instrument for inflicting bodily to be familiar to the ordinary reader are explained by the
harm." If this definition stands in need of considerable black-and-white illustrations within the text. As in my
revision today, it is accurate enough to apply to those previous publications, the method adopted here relies
weapons used during the Middle Ages: rather small things thus on my own drawings, many of them specifically exe
used by one individual against another. Weapons may be cuted for this book. Like any technical subject, weapons
broadly categorized into two main classes: offensive and and armies need to be translated into more digestible
defensive weapons. As the names apply, the former are terms to be more widely understood.
intended to strike and the latter to protect. Before the My principal concern all along has been to synthe
development of gunpowder, which totally changed war size the vast amount of existing information. There are
fare, the struggle between the two categories was fairly indeed many outstanding books on the Middle Ages for
balanced, but there was always a competition between children and plenty of advanced texts for history students,
power and mobility, and protection from missiles and both offering a vivid look at warriors, weapons, and
blows exemplified by the increasingly heavily-armored armors and providing details on medieval armies. My aim
knight on his warhorse. in writing this book is to provide an intermediate level.
Throughout human history, humans have invested This work is oriented toward an introductory study rather
some of their highest craft and artistic skills in their than advanced research; it is a book that offers both a
weapons, equipment, and engines of war. Shields, blades, broad picture and informative details of medieval war
swords, and axes as well as armors could be so beautifully riors, weapons, and warfare for readers who are not chil
decorated by chiseling, embossing, and gilding that they dren but who are not familiar with the medieval world.
became precious works of art which might give rise to In writing this book I have had to work in the shadow of
aesthetic emotion. At the same time, weapons, their many masterly historians, some of them listed in the bib
possession, and their legal or illegal use were (and still liography. As with my other titles (e.g., Castles and Forti
are) very hot issues. This book is not intended to deal fied Cities of Medieval Europe, published by McFarland in
with philosophical, moral, or legal considerations, as the 2002), I have tried to offer here a historical and techni
focus is on medieval warriors and the historical and tech cal book that I would have wanted for myself.
nical development of weaponry. But the reader may be
reminded that all medieval weapons, primitive or elabo — lean-Denis G. G. Lepage
rate, simple or ornamented, ugly or beautiful, were Groningen, Netherlands
intended to inflict harm. Hooks, spikes, blades, and blunt Fall 2004
PART I
THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
(6TH-11TH CENTURIES)