In this essay I challenge these notions by exploring English combatants’ presentation of devastation and attacks against noncombatants during the wars of Edward III.
Willing Body, Willing Mind: Non-Combatant Culpability According to English Combatant Writers, 1327–77
June 1, 2017 by
Infantry versus Cavalry: The Byzantine Response
May 18, 2017 by
The Byzantines encountered many different nations on the battlefield during their long history.
Henry V and the crossing to France: reconstructing naval operations for the Agincourt campaign, 1415
May 17, 2017 by
On 11 August 1415 a large fleet slipped out of the Solent and headed to the Chef de Caux.
The Affects of Warfare Upon Trade: Growth in a War-Torn World, Northern Europe 1000-1700
May 4, 2017 by
By requiring rulers to raise new revenue streams, warfare forced them to bargain for new resources. This bargaining granted concessions to cities and merchants, in the form of city charters and monopolies, which encouraged trade and therefore increased the economic well-being of the affected states.
The Lack of a Western European Military Response to the Ottoman Invasions of Eastern Europe from Nicopolis (1396) to Mohacs (1526)
May 3, 2017 by
On 25 September 1396, on the plains south of the central Bulgarian city of Nicopolis, a battle was fought.
The Ostrogothic Military
April 24, 2017 by
This chapter explores the place of the army and military organisation within the Ostrogothic kingdom.
The Mongol Invasion of Croatia and Serbia in 1242
April 17, 2017 by
The Mongol invasion of Croatia and Serbia constitutes a single, albeit extremely interesting, episode in the great western campaign of 1236-1242, so meticulously planned and executed by the armies of Batu, grandson of Chingis Khan and founder of the “Golden Horde”.
The Needle is Mightier than the Sword: The Effect of Embroidery in Medieval War Material Culture
April 2, 2017 by
Beginning in the early Middle Ages, military garments evolved from simple identifying clothing with little ornamentation, to richly decorated garments that reflected the increasingly complex – and somewhat artificial – heraldic composites.
Catapults are not Atomic Bombs: Towards a Redefinition of Effectiveness in Premodern Military Technology
March 5, 2017 by
Since at least the sixteenth century most historians have believed that the longbow significantly changed English strategy and tactics in the later Middle Ages.
The Soldier’s Life: Early Byzantine Masculinity and the Manliness of War
February 21, 2017 by
The Soldier’s Life: Early Byzantine Masculinity and the Manliness of War By Michael Stewart Byzantina Σymmeikta, Vol. 26 (2016) Introduction: The ancient Romans admired the characteristics that they believed allowed them to establish hegemony over their rivals. It comes as little surprise then that the hyper-masculine qualities of the Roman soldier became the standard by which […]
Thoughts on the Role of Cavalry in Medieval Warfare
February 19, 2017 by
Thoughts on the Role of Cavalry in Medieval Warfare By Jack Gassmann Acta Periodica Duellatorum, Vol.2 (2014) Abstract: This article explores the role of cavalry in medieval warfare starting with it’s origins in the Carolingian age, examining how cavalry was used as a strategic asset within the context of the period on at an operational […]
Maces in medieval Transylvania between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries
February 12, 2017 by
Medieval mace heads have often been ignored by scholars and many artefacts of this type lay unpublished and sometimes unknown in various museums even today.
Crenellations: Crowning Castles
January 26, 2017 by
Crenellations are one of the most recognizable elements of a medieval castle. These upright projections resemble teeth, bared at invaders to prevent their attempted entries and at allies to show the owner’s strength. Each upright section is called a merlon or crenel, and they protected defenders from attacks. Defenses could be further increased by the […]
The Roots of Fencing from the Twelfth to the Fourteenth Centuries in the French Language Area
January 4, 2017 by
This article offers a partial overview on fencing, as recognized through archive records, as well as French epics and romances from the twelfth to the early fourteenth century.
The Tenth-Century Collapse in West Francia and the Birth of Christian Holy War
December 9, 2016 by
This paper will argue that although these two disruptive changes brought major shifts in European society, and fuelled contemporary millennial anxieties, they were also part of a wider context of greater changes.
Blink and You’ll Miss it: Medieval Warfare in Victor Davis Hanson’s Carnage and Culture
November 12, 2016 by
To prove his thesis, Hanson analyses nine significant battles fought between “western” and “eastern” armies, broadly construed. These battles, he states, were selected “for what they tell us about culture, specifically the core elements of Western civilization.”
Holy War – Holy Wrath: Baltic Wars between regulated Warfare and Total Annihilation around 1200
September 26, 2016 by
The Baltic crusades of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were in principle aimed at converting infidels and establishing a new Christian plantation in the wilderness, but the contemporary narrative sources repeatedly tell of crusaders systematically chasing down pagans and annihilating them with the sword.
Depictions of Combat in Medieval Art: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
September 9, 2016 by
Video of a paper given by James Hester at the 2016 IMC
Fighting to Win: The Art of Sword Combat in The Early Modern Period
August 31, 2016 by
By Danièle Cybulskie Usually, writing about the Early Modern Age isn’t my deal, but it was definitely an interesting time. This was the period in which men went around in puffy pants with rapiers at their hips, ready to duel anyone who ridiculed the puffiness of their pants. And if you’re going to wander around […]
Medieval Maritime Warfare
August 6, 2016 by
Charles Stanton uses an innovative and involving approach to describe this fascinating but neglected facet of European medieval history.
The Black Prince at War: the anatomy of a Chevauchée
July 17, 2016 by
These were highly complex, organized, and focused operations rather than unfocused raids with no other purpose but pillage and ravishment.
Medieval Warfare Magazine – Volume 6 Issue 3
July 1, 2016 by
This summer you can read about the so-called ‘Last War of Antiquity’. The theme of the latest issue of Medieval Warfare is the Byzantine-Sassanid War of the seventh-century.
Can you move in armour? An Experiment in Mythbusting
July 1, 2016 by
In this video we have recreated the deeds of the famous knight Jean le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, which were put in writing in the early 15th century.
The Battle of Hastings: A Geographic Perspective
June 20, 2016 by
The Battle of Hastings is one of the most widely studied battles in medieval history. Yet despite the importance that research shows geography to play in the outcome of such conflicts, few studies have examined in detail the landscape of the battle or the role the landscape played in its eventual outcome.
Climatic and environmental aspects of the Mongol withdrawal from Hungary in 1242 CE
June 20, 2016 by
The Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe, and especially its sudden withdrawal from Hungary in 1242 CE, has generated much speculation and an array of controversial theories. None of them, however, considered multifaceted environmental drivers and the coupled analysis of historical reports and natural archives.
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