composition of army

• role of infantry

  • shield wall
  • melee
• rate between infantry and cavalry in 1250 to 1500

  1250 - 2:1

  1500 - 3:1
• why did ratio of infantry increase

  because of increasing importance of longbow men
• shield wall

  infantry men overlapping shields / spears / pikes providing defence
• melee

  infantry engaging hand to hand combat
• role of cavalry

  • mounted knights
  • route and chase
• mounted knights

  cavalry charging through enemy lines to try and kill commander
• route and chase

  scatter enemy then attack them
• what did the army consist of

  infantry - peasents with skull caps

  cavalry - gentry and nobility, dominant force in battlefield
• feudal system

  king would give land to lords (commanders) in return for troops

  lords would give land to gentry&nobility (knights) in return for troops

  gentry&nobility would give land to peasents in return for service