Medieval Warfare

Medieval warfare and military history were an important of medieval society. The development of military systems, the efforts to gather resources to support armies, and the campaigns and battles fought in the Middle Ages left an indelible mark on the the Middle Ages.

In this guide to Medieval Warfare, we list some of the most important resources about warfare and the military in the Middle Ages, including articles, videos, books and other online resources

Medieval Warfare Articles

The Myths of Medieval Warfare – provides an overview of how war was fought in the Middle Ages, and exposes some of the misguided commonly held views about medieval warfare

Richard I and the Science of Warfare – a groundbreaking article that talks about medieval military strategy, and how campaigns were planned and executed

Medieval Siege Warfare: A Reconnaissance – an overview of how siege warfare was carried out in the Middle Ages, and the research by medieval historians on this topic

The Development of Battle Tactics in the Hundred Years War – examines how battles were fought during this war between England and France, which spanned much of the 14th and 15th centuries

The Military Revolution from a Medieval Perspective – examines the revolutionary changes in warfare that was happening during the 14th and 15th centuries

Killing or Clemency? Ransom, Chivalry and Changing Attitudes to Defeated Opponents in Britain and Northern France, 7-12th centuries – examines how the practice of warfare changed during the Middle Ages, including the importance of chivalry

Frontier Warfare in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem: The Campaign of Jacob’s Ford, 1178-79 – examines an important campaign during the Crusades

Dover Castle and the Great Siege of 1216 – a detailed analysis of a siege in England

The Two Fifth-Century Wars between Rome and Persia – examines warfare between the Byzantine Empire and the Persians

Burning Down the House: Scorched Earth Tactics Suggested by Wace and Bayeux Tapestry – another side to medieval warfare

The Tactics and Strategy of Alexius Comnenus at Calavrytae, 1078 – article about Byzantine warfare

Rethinking the Role of the Condottieri on the Bloodless and Bloody Battlefields of Renaissance – the Condottieri were mercenaries serving in Italy during the Later Middle Ages

Guns and Government: A Comparative Study of Europe and Japan – examines how warfare evolved in Europe and Japan up to the 16th century

Fighting for Fun? What Was At Stake in Formal Deeds of Arms of the 14th Century? – looks at Deeds of Arms described Jean Froissart, an important chronicler of the 14th century

Click here to see all of our articles on Medieval Warfare

Medieval Warfare Videos

Medieval Lives: The KnightArming a Medieval Knight

The Medieval Trebuchet

Medieval Italian Military And Defenses

Medieval and Renaissance Martial Arts

Byzantine Greek Fire

Inventions from Ancient China: Gunpowder

Testing Medieval Gunpowder Recipes

Books on Medieval Warfare

This is a list of twelve of the most important books about medieval warfare, with links to their page on Amazon.com

War in the Middle Ages

The Art of Warfare in Western Europe during the Middle Ages from the Eighth Century

Medieval Warfare

Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300

Byzantium at War

Crusading Warfare, 1097-1193

Medieval Warfare: A History

Warfare under the Anglo-Norman Kings 1066-1135

War Cruel and Sharp: English Strategy under Edward III, 1327-1360

Warfare and Society in the Barbarian West 450-900

Medieval Military Technology

A Cumulative Bibliography of Medieval Military History and Technology

Links to Other Websites

De Re Militari: The Society for Medieval Military History – academic society that covers all aspects of medieval warfare.  Website includes more articles, primary sources, and book reviews

Medieval Warfare from Wikipedia – provides a good overview of the topic

Medieval Warfare – a new site that provides an overview of the topic as well as general medieval life