CROSSBOW CONT. The bow was set horizontally on a stock or tiller and fired much like a rifle The crossbows had many advantages: Carried weighted arrows that ripped through armor Smaller men could use the crossbow across long distances Crossbows kept arrows in place and could be pre-loaded

CROSSBOW CONT. The crossbows also had disadvantages: They took a long time to reload (this sometimes even required an assistant) Loading took so long that crossbowmen required the protection of pavises (large shields) so they weren’t hit by archers

GUNPOWDER Cannons and gunpowder also helped to revolutionize warfare in the Middle Ages Before the cannon, stone projectiles were hurled at castles by various instruments Ballistas were like huge crossbows, inherited from Roman times, that hurled stones through a torsion effect (twisting due to an applied torque)

BEFORE GUNPOWDER The most useful precannon artillery device was the trebuchet, which worked like a spring/seesaw The short end of the device was weighted by a large object; a spring on the long end held the projectile When it was fired, the long end was compressed and released The trebuchet could hurl objects 200-400 yards

GUNPOWDER Early uses of gunpowder including “sapping” (placing explosives at the base of a castle wall) The fundamental change in warfare took place in the 14th and 15th centuries with the invention and increasing use of cannon It its primitive stage, the cannon often backfired and recoiled However, the cannon quickly became an essential tool of siege tactics and changed the face of Medieval warfare

HORSES Early uses: luxurious method of travel, plow work, cart pulling In the late 19th century, France’s and England’s programs of warhorse acquisition and breeding were undertaken and continued into the era of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) High quality horses were imported from other countries

HORSES The Great Horse of the late Middle Ages, which was bout 5 foot high, was a result of careful breeding and maintenance It became recognized for its stamina, strength, and fierce temperament Because of changes in military tactics, the decline in breeding activity, the sale of horses abroad, and the destruction of studs and stocks in wars, there was a horse shortage by the end of the 15th century

HORSES The revival of conscientious horse breeding to meet new military demands had to wait until the 16th century and the reign of Henry VIII