Chapter One: Knights and Armor
Knights, or warriors on horseback, were the tanks of the medieval
battlefield. No other warrior could stand up to them in single
combat. They had speed, power and often more protection than anyone
else on the battlefield. However, this came at a price. Maintenance
of both armour and horses was expensive, and required the help of
other people. But the knights were also the upper classes, given
land in return for their duties in times of war. Armour was an
item. Early armour was of leather, and then chain mail was
developed. Plate armour was developed to protect against arrows and
swords, and felt lighter to the wearer, as its weight was
distributed more evenly around the body than that of chain mail.
Only the richest knights could afford horse armour.
Chapter Two: Horse Archers
Bows and arrows were the machine guns of the Medieval world. Put an
archer on horse back and they became deadly. In the 13th Century,
the Mongols ruled the world’s largest unbroken land empire. This
was largely thanks to their incredible horsemanship. Sixty percent
of a Mongol Hoard was made up of horse archers. The rest was light
and heavy cavalry, often armed with lances or swords. It was an
unbeatable combination. European archers could fire ten longbow
arrows a minute, but they had to stand in one spot to shoot well.
On horse back, Mongol archers could cover more of the battlefield
and kill more of the enemy. Their bows were small and light. So,
skill rather than raw power was the secret to their success.
Chapter Three: Foot Soldiers
The front line of infantrymen, as well as others in various
formations used in medieval battle, often carried spears. They
angled these forward to deter cavalry from the opposing side. Pairs
of men carrying different weapons, such as axes and swords, often
fought as a team, defending one another and operating as a unit.
Other bladed instruments included flails, maces and daggers. Many
of the foot soldiers fighting in the ranks were peasants, fighting
with nothing more than agricultural tools.
Chapter Four: Archers
Usually further back in the fighting lines, archers shot over the
heads of the front lines. The longbow, and later the crossbow, gave
them a relatively long distance from which to shoot. Crossbows,
which took longer to load, were sometimes prepared in relay, the
spent bows being passed back and the newly armed bows being passed
forward to the archer best positioned to shoot.
Chapter Five: Castles and Siege Warfare Castle design
developed quickly throughout the world. Stone soon began to be the
construction material of choice, and walls became thicker as better
weapons were conceived to destroy them. In attempts to breach a
castle’s defences, many kinds of machines were developed. As well
as simple battering rams and various forms of catapult, such as the
trebuchet, designed to break down the castle walls, huge siege
towers, rolling turrets containing soldiers who would climb up and
surge over the castle walls, might be used. Other devices protected
miners who would dig under the walls to make them collapse.
Illustrated guide to how knights and soldiers fought in medieval times
Paula Hammond is the author of a range of children's books, including Atlas of the World's Strangest Animals, Atlas of the World's Endangered Animals, and Sharks & Underwater Monsters. She lives in London.
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