Warfare and British Society, c1250–present

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, weaponry, and administrative changes in British warfare from c1250 to the present as specified in the lecture transcript.

Infantry (c1250–c1500)

Peasants who fought on foot and were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, often wearing skull caps and leather jackets for protection.

Mounted knights

Gentry and nobility who fought on horseback with swords and lances, protected by helmets and chainmail.

Feudal system

A social organization where land was granted in return for service to a lord; those serving provided their own equipment and provisions.

Mercenaries

Paid soldiers hired by kings when the feudal system began to break down and it was difficult to persuade people to fight.

Schiltrons

Tight formations of infantry gathered together in a circle or square, with pikes facing outwards towards the enemy.

Longbow

A powerful weapon that could fire $15$ arrows a minute with an effective range of $200$ metres, introduced to the English army in the $1290\text{s}$.

Gunpowder

A formula that arrived in Europe from China in the $13\text{th}$ century, used to fire cannon which became standard siege weapons by $1450$.

Assize of Arms

A tax on wealth requiring all men with land to provide a specific number of fully equipped knights.

Statute of Winchester ($1285$)

A law instructing all fit men between $16$ and $60$ years of age to muster once a year, ready and equipped for $40$ days of service.

Scutage

Shield money paid by subjects to the king instead of performing military service, allowing the king to hire mercenaries.

Purveyance

A form of requisitioning where the Crown forced merchants to sell goods and provide ships to supply baggage trains.

Standing army

A permanent force of full-time, professional soldiers that gives rulers immediate power and ensures troops are well trained.

New Model Army ($1645$)

A professional national volunteer army raised by Parliament with regular pay and promotion based on ability rather than social status.

Dragoons

Mounted infantry who used smaller firearms, such as arquebuses or small muskets, to skirmish or threaten an enemy's flanks.

Matchlock

A musket mechanism using a lit match to ignite the priming pan, which was dangerous around gunpowder and highly visible at night.

Flintlock

A mechanism that replaced the matchlock by the $1690\text{s}$, using a flint to ignite the powder, making it more reliable in rain and safer to use.

Socket bayonet

A weapon attachment introduced by $1705$ that fitted outside the barrel, allowing the musket to be fired while the blade was fixed.

Trained Bands

Local militia units set up in $1573$ that met monthly for training by Muster Masters.

Free quarter

When armies forced communities to house and feed troops, leaving behind an IOU ($\text{I Owe You}$) as a promise of later payment.

Breech-loading

A firearm design that allows loading from the rear of the barrel, making reloading four times quicker than with muzzle-loading muskets.

Cardwell Reforms ($1870\text{s}$)

A series of reforms by Edward Cardwell that professionalized the army by ending the sale of commissions and reorganizing regiments into regional battalions.

Electric telegraph

A communication development used during the Crimean War that allowed governments to contact generals and reporters to send dispatches in five hours.

Logistics

The modern army function responsible for the transportation of troops, supplies, ammunition, and post.

EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)

Specialist units formed during the Second World War to make munitions and bombs safe.

Conscription

A system introduced by the Military Service Act of $1916$ and the National Service Act of $1939$ where people are legally required to serve in the armed forces.

Haldane's Reforms ($1908$)

Reforms following the Boer War that created a professional army of $150000$ and established the Territorial Force as a national reserve.

Total war

A conflict where civilians are attacked as well as soldiers, and the enemy is worn down until manpower and resources are exhausted.

Guerrilla warfare

A method of fighting where weaker forces blend in with local civilians and use hit-and-run raids instead of open battles.