What was the impact of warfare on civilians between 1500 and 1700?

Learning objective – to be able to identify changes and continuities in the impact of warfare on civilians between 1500 and 1700. I can describe the key changes and continuities in impact of warfare on civilians between 1500 and 1700. Grade 3 I can explain the key changes and continuities in impact of warfare on civilians between 1500 and 1700. Grade 6 I can explain and assess changes and continuities in impact of warfare on civilians between 1500 and 1700. Grade 9

How did warfare cause problems for the civilian population? Recruitment Requisitioning Taxation Damage to property Plunder Free quarter

Recruitment Before the English Civil War, people were impressed to serve. When the fighting was over, men were demobilised at the port where they landed and had to make their own way home with a pass excusing them from being a vagabond and relying charity for food. When men returned home, they often found there were no jobs for them. Trained Bands were responsible for recruitment up to 1645, when the New Model Army was created. The New Model Army took a national and professional approach to recruitment giving men a more rigorous training programme.

Requisitioning Requisitioning of goods and services at the demand of the Crown was an essential part of war. This significantly disrupted local trade and caused shortages. This continued during the English Civil War, if anything it intensified as both armies who were fighting were internal forces which doubled the amount of demands on the population.

Taxation Before the English Civil War, taxes were raised in time of war. At the same time, trade slowed. This meant that during times of war people were ‘squeezed’ with higher taxes and lower incomes. Also inflation tended to rise, making prices on goods such as food more expensive. During the English Civil War, taxes went up even further as both sides spent a lot of money and called higher taxation in the places they controlled. In some places, taxation went up by 1700%.

Damage to property Damage to property tended to be limited to the places war was fought. Before the English Civil War, this tended to be England’s border with Scotland and coastal towns and islands. This widened during the English Civil War as warfare occurred throughout the country. Armies on the march could ruin crops and there were sieges of around 150 towns across England. It is estimated that 11,000 houses were destroyed during the English Civil War and 55,000 people were made homeless. On top of this, 180,000 people died in the English Civil War – 3.6% of the population – a higher proportion than the First and Second World Wars.

Plunder and looting Plunder and looting were extremely common during the English Civil War. Sometimes, officers turned a blind eye to it but at other times it was just armed men stealing from unarmed civilians. Reasons for this were – Badly paid and poorly disciplined soldiers took what they could get. Supplies were in shortage. Reward for good work. Coercion – plundering the enemy’s supplies.

Free quarter Civilians were expected to help feed and house troops in return for a signed receipted for the value of goods taken. Before the English Civil War, the repayments rarely happened. But after 1645, the New Model Army insisted that these receipts were honoured.

Task Place these six impacts of warfare on civilians on a continuum which has at one end Little Change and at the other Big Change. Write a paragraph for each factor explaining your decision. Recruitment Requisition Taxation Damage to property Plunder and looting Free quarter

Plenary – My Brain Subheading – My Brain Draw an outline of your brain. Fill your drawn brain with all the things you have learnt in this lesson. This can be in the form of key words, drawings, bullet points, lists – anything you like so long as it summarises your learning and that others can understand it.