Welcome to this deck on medieval warfare. We'll explore the period from roughly 1250 to 1500, a time of knights in shining armour, but also a time of brutal change. You'll learn how a medieval army was structured, how new technology like the longbow and cannon revolutionised the battlefield, and what war was actually like for those who fought and those who were left at home. We'll finish by looking at two famous battles: Falkirk and Agincourt.

To understand a medieval army, you first need to understand the feudal system. In simple terms, the king owned all the land, but he couldn't manage it alone. So, he granted large areas to his most powerful nobles, called tenants-in-chief. In return, these nobles swore an oath of loyalty and promised to provide the king with a set number of knights for about forty days a year. This system of land for military service was the backbone of the medieval army.

A medieval army had three main parts. First, the mounted knights. These were the elite, heavily armoured warriors who fought on horseback. They were the tanks of their day. Second, the infantry. These were the foot soldiers, often peasants, armed with simple weapons like spears or daggers. Finally, there were the archers, who used bows to attack the enemy from a distance. For a long time, the mounted knight dominated the battlefield.