Warfare through time

What was the size of the army in C1250?

5000-10,000 men like when the barons rebelled against HENRY III

What was the composition in C1250?

2:1 infantry cavalry, upper nobility were 30% of cavalry - the rest were men at arms from the gentry

Infantry were at the bottom

What was the command in c1250?

Societal structure and nepotism, quality varied eg. at Lewes prince edward lost control of the cavalry, decided by social status

What was strategy in c1250?

Limited warfare:
Henry III had limited resources, power
Battles were avoided - king could be killed/held for ransom
Campaigning season, late-spring to autom - weather
Communication - spies scouts, smoke signal
Preferred to manouevere and siege
Last resort - LLewelyn the last used guirella warfare in 1250

Castles - attackers had to divide, defenders had bases
Evesham(1265) henry IIs enemies took refuge in Kenilworth - took henry 6 months

Simon de montfort rebelled, henry secured the castles first in 1264

What were tactics in c1250?

Positioning - high ground, protecting flanks
Lewes 1264 - montofrt places army on crest of hill, flanks were positioned too steep for cavalry

Cavalry tactics:
Mounted charge, Evesham 1265 - mounted knights charged and killed de montfort
Rout and chase - cavalry scattered enemy infantry, easy to kill afterwards - more troops died fleeing battles

INfantry:
Shield wall, archers played a minor role - no significance at Lewes or Evesham
Melee - infantry

Recruitment and training in c1250

a