The Routledge Companion to Medieval Warfare
Available resources...
Chronology of Military Events, 400-1500, A-Z of Major Castles, and A-Z of Terms
Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453
Routledge History sponsored a round-table discussion at the International Medieval Congress 2017 (University of Leeds). Panelists and authors of Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453 discussed the study and research of Medieval Warfare, as well as questions raised by the audience. Watch the videos below to find out more about the topics discussed, as well as the book Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453.
How can studying medieval warfare help the study of modern military history?
David S. Bachrach discusses how studying medieval warfare helps our understanding of modern military history. Highlighting concepts that have existed in warfare for centuries – such as morale, strategic thinking, tactics and mobilisation – they are represented to be as important in the medieval era as they are in modern military history. This fundamental way of thinking about warfare isn’t new, but existed across the medieval era, whilst adapting to changes over time.
How do we write about medieval military history?
Is this an exciting time to be doing medieval history? David S. Bachrach, explores some of the developments in writing medieval military history – from delving into archaeology and administrative documents to examine how warfare impacted on everybody in medieval society. Writing about medieval warfare today has expanded the focus of who participated in war, bringing it to the centre of our understanding of this period of history.
What are the practicalities and problems in studying medieval warfare?
Ryan Lavelle (University of Winchester, U.K) highlights some of the opportunities facing medieval historians in studying medieval warfare today. Developments in the area have allowed historians to open up the ‘dark age’ of the medieval period, and the impact on warfare. By thinking about the practicalities of warfare at the time and looking at terrain modelling, the topography of Europe, and strategic thinking, this period is becoming more accessible and understood.
What do we know of the medieval experience?
How can we understand what soldiers experienced on the medieval battlefield? David S. Bachrach, discusses some of the research – and avenues for further understanding – that provided insight whilst writing ‘Warfare in Medieval Europe’.
There is very little we know about the experience of warfare or medieval soldiers during this era. Understanding this by drawing on the experience of re-enactors is difficult for example, as the danger of a medieval battlefield is largely absent. We know technology varied only slightly – such as mail armour increasing in coverage but remaining the predominant method of protection. With few contemporary accounts of medieval battles, we can try and understand the experience of the medieval soldier, but with the sources available it can be difficult to pull this information into the open.
Why did people fight? Lessons from Warfare in Medieval Europe
The authors of Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453, Kelly Devries (Loyola University, Maryland, U.S) and Ryan Lavelle (University of Winchester, UK) discuss what motivated men to partake in war, during the medieval period.
What were the motivations? Did they fight for each other or did they fight for money? How did they overcome fear at Agincourt?
The economics of soldiering should be taking into account – soldiers could come home a little wealthier. Looking at the dangers they faced on the battlefield, we can understand the motivation of an ordinary soldier confronting those dangers when we understand they’re being paid in a society where income was difficult to procure. In the early period the notion of warfare was interlinked with noble status, giving those who put themselves forward a sense of nobility and aristocracy, but also interlinking the fate of the army with its leaders, as illustrated in here by Ryan Lavelle.
We should also consider who is fighting and where – is a mercenary being well paid to fight, a soldier defending his home, or being asked to storm battlements? This context is key to understanding why people participated in warfare.
What do we know about sieges during the medieval period?
Bernard S Bachrach, author of Warfare in Medieval Europe c.400-c.1453, discusses the art of siege craft during the medieval period. Territory was controlled in large part by fortifications during this period, and Bachrach explains how territorial changes were mostly determined by organising for or defending against sieges.
Conducting sieges remained largely unchanged during this period, undertaken by forces working to tenets of siege warfare as laid out in documents such as the Burghal Hidage. Whilst the ratio of men-to-wall stood, innovative commanders such as Charlemagne developed tactics to avoid protracted, expensive sieges.
What were the cultural and logistical aspects of medieval warfare?
Ryan Lavelle (University of Winchester, U.K) discusses the logistical difficulties, as well as the cultural and social aspects of medieval warfare.
What kinds of military technology were used in medieval warfare?
David S. Bachrach (University of New Hampshire, US), discusses how wealth impacted military technology across the entire medieval period.
How successful was the Byzantium Empire in their medieval warfare strategy?
David S. Bachrach (University of New Hampshire, US) and Bernard S. Bachrach (University of Minnesota) discuss the role the Byzantium Empire played in the success of the first crusade.
What social factors prompted men to join armies and partake in warfare during the medieval period?
David S. Bachrach (University of New Hampshire, US), discusses the societal factors that influenced men to fight and partake in warfare.