Composition

• What were armies made up of?

  Infantry and cavalry
• What are the infantry?

  Peasants who fought on foot
• What would infantry be armed with?

  Skull caps and leather jackets (provided own equipment)
• What were the mounted knights?

  Gentry and nobility who fought on horseback
• What would the mounted knights be armed with?

  Swords and lances, protected by chainmail and helmets
• How many soldiers did the army typically have?


  5000-10000
• What was the ratio of infantry to cavalry?

  2:1
• What were the main two types of attack used by mounted knights?

  Mounted charge

  rout and chase
• what did the mounted charge involve?

  charging through enemy lines to kill the commander
• What did the rout and chase do?

  Scatter enemies and attack them once they were dispersed
• What was the role of the mounted knight?

  Attack and weaken the enemy
• What was the role of the infantry?

  Hold the enemies attack and defeat enemy infantry
• What were the two main tactics used by the infantry?

  Shield wall

  mêlée
• What did the shield wall involve?

  Hold enemy attacks with overlapping spears or pikes
• What was the mêlée?

  hand to hand combat between infantry with swords pikes and daggers
• What was the role of the archer?

  Minor role, work with the mounted knights to break down the enemy at the beginning of a battle
• What was warfare mainly used for?

  kings and lords and take power from other kings and lords, involving castles, making warfare limited
• What was the feudal structure?

  King

  lord

  noblemen

  peasants
• What was granted in return for service?

  Land
• Who commanded armies?

  those in superior social positions
• What were mercenaries and when did they begin to be used?

  Paid soldiers

  when the feudal system began to break down
• What was the quality of leadership like and why?

  poor and varied, as social status was more important than experience and skills
• Who provided equipment and provisions?

  The soldiers