The strongest army in the Middle Ages. The size of the armor suggests that in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, people were smaller.
Medieval armies were relatively small because they existed in small states. These were professional armies, consisting for the most part of the representatives of one class. At the same time, the limited resources of the then rulers did not allow the deployment of large armies: the recruitment of such armies would take a long time, their supply would be a significant problem due to the lack of transport and insufficiently developed agriculture for this.
For the military historian of the Middle Ages, the problem of the size of the army is key. Medieval sources constantly report the victories of a small army over enemy forces that are many times superior to it (with the help of God, some saint, etc.). Especially often such references are found in sources on the Crusades. Bernard of Clairvaux, for example, wrote about the Templars that they conquered by the power of God, and that one of them defeated a thousand enemies, and two put 10 thousand to flight. ( Reference to the book of DeuteronomyXXXII, 30; a similar one is given in the work of the largest chronicler of the crusades Guillaume of Tire,IV, 1. On the special attitude of the chroniclers of the Crusades to numerical data, see: Zaborov, M.A. An Introduction to the Historiography of the Crusades (Latin ChronographyXI-thirteenth century). M., 1966. S. 358-367.)
Such reports of chroniclers can be taken for granted, especially in the case when the historian, appealing to feelings of national pride, tries to prove that "his" army defeated the enemy's one, which outnumbered it.
There is an opinion that medieval people did not attach much importance to numbers, and even the leaders were rarely interested in accurate data on the number of their troops. The case of the Carolingian chronicler Richer of Reims (d. after 998) is indicative: following in his work the Annals of Flodoard (894-966), he at the same time arbitrarily changes the number of soldiers in the direction of their increase. However, there were also clerics who gave the exact number of warriors (especially with regard to cavalry). It concerns the first crusade and subsequent history Kingdom of Jerusalem. O. Heermann cites in his work data on the main battles of the era of the Crusades:
| the date | Battle | Knights | Infantry |
| 1098 | Battle of Antioch Lake Battle of Antioch | 700 (500-600) | - - |
| 1099 | Ascalon | 1,200 | 9,000 |
| 1101 | Ramla | 260 | 900 |
| 1102 | Ramla | 200 | - |
| 1102 | Jaffa | 200 | - |
| 1105 | Ramla | 700 | 2,000 |
| 1119 | al-Atarib | 700 | 3,000 |
| 1119 | Hub | 700 | - |
| 1125 | Azaz | 1,100 | 2,000 |
Often, in contrast to data on huge armies, which are often based on conjecture or fabrication, data on small armies are the result of calculations, especially if lists of military salaries were available to the authors. So, Gilbert de Mons, Chancellor of the Count of Gennegau and his confidant, cites quite plausible numerical data in his chronicle - from 80 to 700 knights. Similar data should also be taken into account to assess the overall mobilization potential of a particular region (according to Gilbert de Mons, Flanders could field 1 thousand knights, Brabant - 700). And, finally, Gilbert's data are confirmed by both modern and later sources.
When working with sources, you can be guided by the following rule (of course, it does not always work): the most reliable sources give the correct numerical data as long as these data are small. On the march and before the battle, the knights were divided into small tactical units ( conrois), subordinate to the lord, from which large battles were formed ( batailles). This helps in determining the size of the army. You should also take into account the number of horses (for example, if the lord reimbursed the cost of fallen horses to vassals) and compare the data of the army of a separate lordship with the data for other lordships.
These data are supplemented by archival materials, the number of which increases in Vysokoye and especially in Late Middle Ages. So, we know the number of knights in the army of the Duke of Brittany (in 1294 - 166 knights and 16 squires) and, more or less, for the Duchy of Normandy (for example, in 1172, only 581 knights appeared in the army of the Duke from 1500 fiefs, although in reality the number of fiefs could reach up to 2 thousand). In the army of Philip II Augustus (1180-1223) we know the number of sergeants and communal infantry for the period between 1194 and 1204. In England, a number of archival documents 13th century and many documents of the XIV century; based on their analysis, it can be concluded that the army of the English king rarely exceeded the bar of 10 thousand people. (foot and horse).
An effective tool is the analysis of the battlefield itself. When the length of the front is known, conclusions can also be drawn about the number of armies fighting here. So, in the battles of Courtrai (1302) and Mont-en-Pevel (1304), the front was just over 1 km, therefore, the armies fighting here were small. On such a field it is very difficult to maneuver an army of 20,000 men, unless we are talking about a frontal attack by detachments located in a very deep formation.
In determining the size of the army, information about the length of the column on the march can be useful. So, in the battle of Antioch (1098), the Franks, according to Ordericus Vitaly, put up 113 thousand fighters who left the city gates on the battlefield. If 5 knights rode in a row, then the depth of the column was 22,600 people. If we also take into account the infantry and take the width of the formation of a detachment of 5 people. 6 feet (≈1.8 m), then we get a column length of more than 45 km. Passing through the gate and across the bridge of such a column would take about 9 hours: the army would arrive on the battlefield only in the evening, while it would still need to line up. That. Orderic Vitaly's data should be dismissed as overestimated.
In addition, during the usual march, the convoy should be taken into account. The size of the camp must also be taken into account. Thus, the camp of the Roman legion (6 thousand people) occupied an area of 25 hectares (500x500 m). True, the marching camp could be smaller in size, but this ratio remained until late XIX in.
In general, it should be remembered that the armies of the Middle Ages were small in number. So, in the Battle of Bremuel (1119), Louis VI and Henry I fought at the head of 400 and 500 knights, respectively. In the Second Battle of Lincoln (1217), the English king put up 400 knights and 347 crossbowmen against the rebellious barons, his enemies, in turn, had an army of 611 knights and about 1 thousand foot soldiers.
The anonymous manuscript "Du Costume Militairee des Francaise en 1446" tells in great detail about the equipment of the "spear" - the main division of the heavy cavalry. “First of all, it should be said that the knights went to war in “white” armor. The armor included a cuirass, bracers, mantles, greaves, gloves, a sallet with a visor and a small bevor covering the neck. Each was armed with a spear and a long light sword, a dagger and a mace were hung to the left of the saddle. Each warrior was accompanied by a squire equipped with a sallet, harnois de jamdes, chain mail, jacques, brigandine or corset, armed with a dagger, sword and shortened spear. The retinue included a page or jack, equipped as a squire and armed with any one type of weapon. Archers wore greaves, sallets, heavy zhaks or brigandines. Their weapons consisted of a bow and a quiver of arrows.
To be fully equipped, a young man needed 125-250 livres. The soldier earned this amount during 8-16 months of service. Even simple armor was quite expensive. Sallet cost 3-4 livres, jacques, corset or brigandine cost about 11 livres. A complete set of armor for a warrior cost about 40 livres, while the armor for the entire "spear" cost about 70-80 livres.
The cheapest and lowest-grade dagger cost about one livre. A sword of no quality cost more than one livre. The same text from 1446 states: “Some soldiers wear only chain mail, sallet, gloves and greaves. They are usually armed with a kind of broad-headed javelin called langue de doeuf (bull tongue)."
In Clos de Gale, crossbows continued to be produced in large numbers. Usually they were made in series of 200 pieces. The amount of ammunition for crossbows was produced in increasing quantities. From three birch logs and 250 kg of iron, about 100,000 crossbow bolts were obtained. Increasing competition from firearms forced the craftsmen to improve the design of the crossbow. As a result, the crossbow has become an excellent weapon, combining a small mass, no recoil, high penetrating power and ease of operation. The use of steel in the design of the crossbow made it possible to reduce the course of the bowstring to 10-15 cm, as well as to reduce the span of the shoulders. At the same time, the design of the crossbow became more complicated, and the rate of fire remained at a low level. To cock a crossbow, a mechanical device was now required: a lever or a two-handed collar.
Guns were used in increasing numbers. Although the technology of their manufacture has not changed much, experimental samples appeared, for example, disposable guns with a hard leather barrel. Nevertheless, the accuracy and reliability of the cannons steadily increased, now they could fire at specific and mobile targets, for example, at ships trying to break through to a besieged fortress, or at the masts of enemy ships in a naval battle.
The release of cannons was a rather complicated matter, in which many masters of various profiles participated. Only the richest craftsmen could afford to collect the entire technological chain in their hands. It was thanks to this circumstance that the Bureau brothers were able to organize the mass production of artillery, which greatly contributed to the final victory of France in recent decades. Hundred Years War. For example, in 1442, Jean Bureau supplied six bombards, 16 veuglaires, 20 serpentines, 40 coulevrines and an unknown number of ribaudequins for the royal artillery park, totaling 4198 livres. These guns required 20,000 pounds of gunpowder, worth 2,200 livres. King Charles VII went to these considerable expenses, since, thanks to the artillery of the Bureau brothers, he managed to successfully complete 60 sieges only during 1449-1450.
1. Crossbowman from the retinue of Jean de Angers, 1407
The large shield bears the coat of arms of Jean de Angers, master of crossbowmen, complemented by the coat of arms of France. A silver twig is pinned to the warrior's chest. Such badges, indicating the political orientation of a person, were common in France at the end of the 14th century. The body is protected by chain mail, a brigandine and a thick quilted pupuan. The balaclava under the bowler hat is also quite thick. Quilted cuisses partially cover plate leg armor. The back side of the chainmail gloves is reinforced with a metal overlay. The crossbowman is armed with a powerful steel crossbow. Pay attention to the quiver covered with a wolf skin. Hooks for cocking a crossbow are suspended from the waist belt. On the left thigh hangs a wide piercing sword (not visible in the figure), and on the right - a dagger-basilar.
2. Militia from Rennie, 1370
The city foot militia could fight for any of the warring parties. The equipment of the warrior does not have any sharp features. Merchants trading in armor and weapons could carry their goods over long distances - to where in this moment there was a war and there was an increased demand for their goods. The scaly aventail could well have been of English production, the shestoper could have been Italian or southern French, the armor made of hard leather for legs and arms could have been Flemish, and chain mail and chausses could have been produced in any region of France.
3. Light infantryman from the south of France, 1400
The term brigand in those days was understood as a soldier or mercenary, protected only by a brigandine covered with fabric. This warrior additionally wears a light bascinet worn over a long-sleeved hood. A chain mail collar protects the neck and shoulders. In addition, the armor includes chain mail and plate gloves. In the hands of a small round shield. The weapon consists of a small sword and a newfangled rondo dagger.
Humanity has been obsessed with war since ancient times. From the bloody filth of the Colosseum to the sacrificial slaughter of the land of the Aztecs, it would be quite difficult to find a culture, even today, that has not been involved in warfare in some way.
Admit it, this list caught your eye, didn't it? It's okay, because right now we're going to introduce you to the 25 most fearless and deadly warriors in the history of mankind!
25. Gladiators
"Swordsmen" in translation from Latin, most of these Roman warriors were slaves and survived not only by fighting each other, but also by engaging in combat with wild animals and condemned criminals in huge arenas.
Few of these warriors, whose fate was decided by the assembled crowd of spectators, survived more than 10 battles and lived longer than 30 years.
24. Apaches
Known for their bravery and ferocity in battle, the Apache warriors were undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. By the time the Apaches surrendered to the United States in 1886, only about 50 warriors remained, including their fearless leader, the now famous Geronimo.
23. Vikings
The Vikings were terrible, especially to their European neighbors, because they were very aggressive and used an unconventional style of fighting, in particular, they used battle axes.
22. French Musketeers
Combining chic with sheer lethality, the Musketeers were a group of elite bodyguards for the King of France. Able to both pierce the enemy on close range, and kill with a shot from afar, they did their job, and they did it well.
21. Spartans
As the Greek historian Thucydides once wrote, when a Spartan went to war, his wife gave him his shield and said, "With a shield or on a shield."
Trained from the age of 7, the boys were taken from their mothers and sent to military training camps. There they faced a number of difficulties, including lack of food and clothing, which often forced them to turn to the path of thieves. If they were caught, they were severely punished - however, not for theft, but for being caught.
20. Medieval knights
The equivalent of a modern tank, the medieval knight was armored and could slither through enemy lines with ease. However, not everyone could obtain the status of a knight, and it was often quite expensive to hold a knighthood. A good war horse could cost as much as a small aircraft.
19. Russian special forces
Short for "Special Forces", very little is known about these warriors due to the extreme secrecy of their training and operations. However, they managed to create a formidable reputation for themselves as one of the most elite special forces units in the world.
18. French Foreign Legion
Founded in 1831, the French Foreign Legion is a branch that allows foreign mercenaries to enter the service and fight for French interests around the world.
Achieved its reputation in pop culture as a place to serve offended people to start their lives anew, it is in fact an elite fighting force whose members are repeatedly recruited by other armies.
17. Ming Warriors
As one of the first military men to use gunpowder in their ranks, the Ming warriors were a formidable force to be reckoned with and who managed to expand the borders of China.
They were not only ruthless, but also very effective warriors, since each division of the Ming army had to support itself and produce food for itself.
16. Mongolian horsemen
The Mongols had only one mission they were focused on - destruction. Their merciless mentality has led them to conquer more of the world than any other empire in the history of mankind. And this is not just because they were skilled riders - they could pierce the heart of the enemy with an arrow at a gallop.
15. Immortals
According to Herodotus, the "Immortals" were a group of heavy infantry, consisting of 10,000 of the strongest... always. It didn't matter how many of them you killed. As soon as one died, another took its place. Ten thousand, no more, no less. This is how they supposedly got their name. It just seemed like they never died.
14. US Army Rangers
Dating back to the days of the colonial army, when American generals combined European technology with Indian warfare tactics, the Rangers are well known for their fearlessness as the world's first strike force light infantry.
13. Rajputs
The word Rajput literally means "son of a king" (or "son of a raj"), so you couldn't just wake up one day and decide to become a Rajput warrior - they had to be born.
These legendary harbingers of death are still active in the Indian army. There is speculation that their skill is due to the fact that their homeland, Rajasthan, was located right on the border with India, making them their first line of defense against enemy invaders.
12. Comanche
As Jay Redhawk, a Comanche Indian by birth, once said: "We are warriors from birth." With near-legendary status, they are often referred to as "Lords of the Plains". In fact, there are rumors that the Comanches could shoot arrows at their enemy by hanging from the neck of their horse.
11. Centurions
The concept of the centurions was revolutionary for its time as it was the first time in history that a person could lead a legitimate life based entirely on warfare and killing. Although, in order to earn such a position, a Roman soldier must work his way up the career ladder of the most powerful military force on the planet and prove that there is no one better.
10. Zande Warriors
The Zande were a tribe that instilled fear throughout Central Africa with their brutality on the battlefield. They could even grind their teeth to make their own. appearance even more intimidating, they constantly repeated "yum-yum", which is why the neighboring tribes gave them the nickname "great eaters".
9 Israeli commandos
Committed to defending one of the smallest states on the planet from almost every military force within thousands of miles, the Israel Defense Forces has no other choice - it just has to be good.
Naturally, the best of the best emerge from among the best. Known as the Sayaret or Commandos for short, this elite group of militants never rest when they engage the enemy.
8 Aztec Warriors
The Aztecs had two targets for attack. Firstly, they needed land to collect tribute, and secondly, they needed captives to be sacrificed during religious ceremonies.
War was such an integral part of their culture that when a new leader was elected, he had to immediately organize a military campaign to prove his strength.
7 Maori Warriors
With a reputation for eating their enemies to earn their "manu", i.e. their respect, the Maori were fierce warriors who performed the "Peruperu" (Peruperu), or war dance, before attacking their enemies to intimidate them and give an idea of the ensuing massacre.
6. Samurai
These Japanese swordsmen lived their lives according to the code of Bushido, which means "the way of the warrior." Although in last years their image is romanticized, were strongly bound by honor.
One notable result of this was seppuku (better known as harakiki), a form of ritual killing in which a warrior cuts open his stomach to restore his honor.
5. "Green Berets"
Members of the US Army Special Forces, the Green Berets are specialists in unconventional warfare. As dangerous as they are on the battlefield, they must also be very intelligent.
Depending on their task, they must be fluent in a certain foreign language, which is studied for several months, while undergoing military training.
4. Ninja
These secret agents of feudal Japan specialized in the unorthodox art of war. Often their "anything" mentality was contrasted with the samurai, who followed a strict code of honor and combat. Essentially being spies,
In 1458, near the fortress of Buda on the ice of the Danube River, the townspeople and the nobility proclaimed Matthias Hunyadi, the 14-year-old heir to the talented commander Janos Hunyadi, king of Hungary. As a result of the national liberation revolution, a teenager thrown into prison by competitors in the struggle for the Hungarian crown came to power. This is how the commander appeared, whose army will become one of the most combat-ready armies of medieval Europe.
Matyasha's father, Janos was a good warrior and strategist. Thanks to him, the Balkan Peninsula successfully held back the Ottoman invasion for a long time, and only death from the plague interrupted the chronicle of successful battles of this historical figure. The young Matyash was drawn to reading and in childhood he read the works of Julius Caesar. This is how the idea of creating a professional army, later called "Black Army"(Fekete Sereg).
Historians disagree on the origin of the term "Black Army". The name, apparently, was not given during the life of King Matthias, but appears in documents written immediately after his death. There are various theories that the soldiers were dressed in black or wore black ribbons on their shoulders during the mourning for King Matthias. Another theory is that the name is derived from the black chest armor worn by Captain František Haug, or alternatively the name comes from the nickname of another Black Army officer, Captain Janos "Black" Haugwitz.
And, if, in other countries, soldiers in peacetime could be farmers, bakers, masons, then the "Black Army" was a highly paid army of professionals who were engaged in purely military affairs. The backbone of the army consisted of 6-8 thousand mercenaries, in 1480 this figure increased to 20 thousand, and in 1487 it amounted to 28 thousand. Mostly, the soldiers were Bohemians, Serbs, Poles, Germans, and, starting from the 80s, Hungarians. The key to the victories of the "Black Army" was the widespread use of firearms. Every fourth soldier had an arquebus, which was an unusual ratio in the armies of those times. Even in the early 16th century, only 10% of European armies used firearms.
The basis of the troops was infantry, artillery, light and heavy cavalry. The heavy cavalry protected the lightly armed infantry and artillery, while the rest of the army made surprise charges against the enemy. river fleet consisted of galleys, boats and small ships that could navigate the Danube, Tisza and Sava. In 1475, artillery was installed on river barges: mortars and bombards. In 1479, the fleet consisted of 360 ships, and the crew consisted of 2,600 sailors and 10,000 soldiers on board.
The regular paid army also had its drawbacks - in the event of a delay in payment, some warriors could leave the battlefield or arrange a riot. However, this is offset high level training of the soldiers who served in it. For 30 years, the "Black Army" held back the expansion of the Ottomans in Western Europe, contributed to the unification of Hungary and the conquest of new territories, thus creating a powerful state in the center of Europe capable of resisting external enemies.
1. The Billmen
Source: bucks-retinue.org.uk
AT medieval Europe Vikings and Anglo-Saxons often used in battles numerous detachments of bilmen - foot soldiers, whose main weapon was a combat sickle (halberd). Derived from a simple peasant sickle for harvesting. The combat sickle was an effective edged weapon with a combined tip of a needle-shaped spear point and a curved blade, similar to a battle ax, with a sharp butt. During battles, it was effective against well-armored cavalry. With the advent of firearms, the units of bilmen (halberdiers) lost their significance, becoming part of beautiful parades and ceremonies.
2. Armored boyars
Source: wikimedia.org
Category of service people in Eastern Europe during the X-XVI centuries. This military class was common in Kievan Rus, Muscovy, Bulgaria, Wallachia, Moldavian principalities, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Armored boyars come from "armored servants" who served on horseback in heavy ("armored") weapons. Unlike servants, who were released from other duties only in war time, the armored boyars did not bear the duties of the peasants at all. AT social relations armored boyars occupied an intermediate stage between peasants and nobles. They owned land with peasants, but their civil capacity was limited. After the accession of Eastern Belarus to Russian Empire, the armored boyars became close in their position to the Ukrainian Cossacks.
3. Templars
Source: kdbarto.org
This was the name of the professional warrior-monks - members of the "order of the mendicant knights of the Temple of Solomon." It existed for almost two centuries (1114-1312), having arisen after the First Crusade of the Catholic army in Palestine. The order often performed the functions of military protection of the states created by the crusaders in the East, although the main purpose of its establishment was the protection of pilgrims visiting the "Holy Land". The Knights Templars were famous for their military training, mastery of weapons, clear organization of their units and fearlessness bordering on insanity. However, along with these positive qualities, the Templars became known to the world as tight-fisted usurers, drunkards and debauchees, who took their many secrets and legends with them into the depths of centuries.
4. Crossbowmen
Source: deviantart.net
In the Middle Ages, instead of a combat bow, many armies began to use mechanical bows - crossbows. The crossbow, as a rule, surpassed the usual bow in terms of shooting accuracy and lethal force, but, with rare exceptions, it lost a lot in terms of rate of fire. This weapon received real recognition only in Europe from the 14th century, when numerous detachments of crossbowmen became an indispensable accessory of knightly armies. The decisive role in raising the popularity of crossbows was played by the fact that from the 14th century their bowstring began to be pulled with a collar. Thus, the restrictions imposed on the tensile force physical abilities arrow, were removed, and the light crossbow became heavy. Its advantage in penetrating power over the bow became overwhelming - bolts (shortened crossbow arrows) began to pierce even solid armor.