1. Medieval Weapons and War Tactics Austin Golden 6 th period 11-4-08

2. Weapons Crossbow  Operated by a single soldier  Slow rate of fire  Operator is vulnerable Longbow  Originally a hunting weapon  Six feet in length  Greater fire than the crossbow  Up to six arrows per minute  Operator is also vulnerable to enemy attack

3. Weapons The Sword The Sword - highly symbolic - made holy by the church - “swords of war”- swords with blades 35 inches or longer. - used by knights on horseback - nobleman, officers of state, and members of important guilds had swords of greater length carried in front of them. This was a sign of their high status.

4. Weapons Mace Mace - used to smash a knight’s armor - a hit to the head- the victim is stunned or killed - simple mace- could be made by driving nails into a club - this cheap weapon became popular among the peasants of Europe.

5. Weapons The Knife The Knife - civilians carried a knife everywhere they went, even women - if you ate somewhere outside your home, your were expected to bring your own knife. home, your were expected to bring your own knife. - violence was the accepted method of solving problems - people took insults to their honor very seriously - if there was a dispute, out came the knife to stab

6. Siege Weapons Trebuchet Trebuchet - used commonly when laying siege on a castle. - could destroy a castle and castle breach was almost assured. - limited ways of countering this weapon - launches objects that would penetrate and shatter penetrate and shatter castle walls.

7. Siege Weapons Ballista Ballista - used in laying siege on a castle or fortress. or fortress. - sends forth a spear - could cause the scattering of forces inside and outside the castle - this made a breach of the castle even easier castle even easier

8. War Tactics ► Foot Soldiers - During the fourteenth century, foot soldiers and archers greatly outnumbered knights. - carried sword and dagger - effective weapon was known as the pike, poleaxe, or the halberd. -This was a weapon made from the combination of the combination of a spear and axe.

9. War Tactics ► Archers - knights feared archers most - the longbow was the deadly weapon archers used - at short range this bow and arrow could penetrate plate armor. - arrows were carried in a quiver on the hip. - if knights charged, archers behind a protective shield, would wait until knights were in range.

10. War Tactics ► Before a Battle - surprise was crucial - spies may have been reporting information for weeks or even months before the war. - position was also crucial - if a force was positioned on a hill, then the enemy would have to attack up a slope. - if a force was positioned in a wooded area, they might be able to hide troops until the troops were required.

11. War Tactics ► Before a Battle - before a battle, opposing armies might camp quite close to each other. - devices known as caltrops were spread over the ground the enemy would charge on. - caltrops were made of metal and had four sharp, pointed prongs sticking out in different directions. - these devices would be thrown down and could cause injury if trampled over by a man or horse.

12. War Tactics ► Before a Battle - Nobles would meet to discuss their battle plans. - also, before a battle, a commander might send his herald, or messenger, to the enemy camp to offer peace terms. - Right before battle, if there was time, a priest would say prayers and troops would cross themselves. - The king or commanding noble would also give an inspiring speech before the soldiers go off to battle.

13. War Tactics ► Tactics During Battle - tactics were often influenced by tradition - men of the same rank fought one another. - knights would fight one another and foot soldiers would fight one another - defending the standard, or flag, was important. - the standard was a rallying point for troops - to lose the standard was a disgrace and would indicate that the enemy was winning.

14. War Tactics ► After a Battle - victorious foot soldiers would kill enemy troops lying on the ground injured or dying - their own injured would be carried off on shields used as stretchers. - knights captured by their enemies spent months or even years in prison until their families paid for their release. - prisoners of war were treated with civility

15. Bibliographies -Book I Meltzer, Milton. Weapons and Warfare. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1996. -Book II Hilliam, Paul. Medieval Weapons and Warfare. First. new York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2004. -Internet Source I The Battlefield: Tactics and Weapons. World Eras. Ed. Jeremiah Hackett. Vol. 4: Medieval Europe, 814- 1350. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. p209-211 -Internet Source II Benjamin, Garfield. "Threat of Medieval Siege Weapons." Medieval Enthusiasts #1 Resource for Medieval Warfare. 2004. 4 Nov 2008.