Weapons and formations

• When were longbows introduced?


  1290
• How many arrows could a longbow fire per minute?

  15 per minute, 5x the rate of a crossbow
• What could longbows do due to increase power?

  pierce chainmail
• What was the range of longbows

  200m
• Who started using schiltrons?

  William Wallace and the Scot's
• What were schiltrons?

  Formations of pikes and infantry
• When was gunpowder introduced in europe?

  13th century
• Where did gunpowder originate?


  China
• What was gunpowder initially used for?

  Firing cannons
• When did cannons become a standard siege weapon?

  1450
• What were the limitations of the cannon?

  Expensive and difficult to transport

  inaccurate - generally used against large targets

  short range - had to be close which made them vulnerable to attack

  unreliable - likely to blow up or fail to fire

  slow to reload

  needed trained personnel
• What were the advantages of the cannon?

  Useful in destroying castle walls - reduced the time of sieges

  improvements were made to improve range and aim (trunnions)

  specialist cannons developed - fire over castle walls or longer distances

  metal was eventually used instead of stone - more accurate and effective cannonballs
• What were trunnions?

  Rods used to raise the height of a cannon barrel
• How did the longbow lead to the decline of the mounted knight?

  Could take down horses and knights
• How did schiltrons lead to the decline of the mounted knight?

  Effective in taking down cavalry attacks
• How did the role of cavalry change?

  Became more integrated, taking on specialist roles like patrolling and scouting, and dismounting to fignt
• How did the decline of the mounted knight impact society?

  decline of the feudal system, nobility were relied on less for military power, reducing the link between social class and command