Rating: Not rated
Tags: History, Lang:en
Summary
Includes pictures
In the time period between the fall of Rome and the spread
of the Renaissance across the European continent, many of
today’s European nations were formed, the Catholic Church
rose to great prominence, some of history’s most famous
wars occurred, and a social class system was instituted that
lasted over 1,000 years. A lot of activity took place during a
period frequently labeled derogatively as the “Dark
Ages,” and while that period of time is mostly referred
to as the “Middle Ages” instead of the Dark Ages
today, it has still retained the stigma of being a sort of lost
period of time in which Western civilization made no worthwhile
progress after the advances of the ancient civilizations of
Greece and Rome. In reality, this oversimplification of the Middle Ages
overlooks the progress made in the studies of sciences and
philosophy, especially during the High Middle Ages. It also
ignores the fact that one of the most important inventions of
the last millennium was created in Germany during the Late
Middle Ages, the printing press, which allowed the Renaissance
to move across the continent and help position Western Europe
as the wealthiest region in the world. If anything, the one aspect of the Middle Ages that has been
romanticized is medieval warfare. Indeed, the Middle Ages have
long sparked people’s imaginations thanks to imagery of
armored knights battling on horseback and armies of men trying
to breach the walls of formidable castles. What is generally
forgotten is that medieval warfare was constantly adapting to
the times as leaders adopted new techniques and technology, and
common infantry became increasingly important throughout the
period. Starting around 1000 CE, there was a gradual
consolidation of power in the region after the fragmentation of
the Early Middle Ages, and it brought about the rise of more
centralized states that could field large armies. The Normans,
one of the first groups to do this, were notable for their
discipline and organization, and it’s little surprise
that they were the last foreigners to successfully invade
Britain under William the Conqueror in the mid-11th
century. Meanwhile, political and technological progress led to
continuous change of tactics and equipment. Cavalry became
ascendant, only to be later replaced by infantry as their
weapons improved. By the end of the period, warfare was
radically changing thanks to the rise of gunpowder weapons such
as the handgonne and the bombard. **
Includes accounts of medieval battles
Includes online resources and a bibliography for further
reading
Includes a table of contents