The Art of War in the Middle Ages, A. D. 378-1515 |
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able advance appear archers arms army array attack attempt battle become body Byzantine campaigns carried causes cavalry centre century charge Charles chief close column commander Confederates considerable continued corps cover defeat defensive directed division drawn Edward efficiency empire employed enemy engaged English entirely Europe existence experience face fact fall feudal field fight flank followed force French front German give ground hand heavy horse horsemen hundred imperial importance infantry Italy king knights lance less light longer masses means method military never normal numbers officers once organization pass period pike placed position ranks rear received reserve rest result retreat Roman Saracen served shield side single skill soldier strength success superior Swiss sword tactics thousand troops turned victory weapon whole wings
Popular passages
Page 102 - V removed from an armed mob. A system which reproduced on the battlefield the distinctions of feudal society, was considered by the French noble to represent the ideal form of warlike organization. He firmly believed that, since he was infinitely superior to any peasant in the social scale, he must consequently excel him to the same extent in military value. He was, therefore, prone not only to despise all descriptions of infantry, but to regard their appearance on the field against him as a species...
Page 7 - had become the arbiter of war, the lineal ancestor of all the knights of the Middle Ages, the inaugurator of that ascendancy of the horsemen which was to endure for a thousand years."2 It has long been recognized that Oman's picture of an age of cavalry needs 1 Charles Oman, A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages, 2 vols.
Page 30 - ... discontented. Nor are their chiefs above the temptation of taking bribes; a moderate sum of money will frustrate one of their expeditions. On the whole, therefore, it is easier and less costly to wear out a Prankish army by skirmishes, protracted operations in desolate districts, and the cutting off of its supplies, than to attempt to destroy it at a single blow.
Page 33 - Like the Imperial generals, they placed their confidence in their mailed lancers: they were no longer the naked hordes of the sixth century, but wore helms, shirts of chain-mail, and greaves.
Page 6 - Goths lay encamped, arrayed in the time-honored formation of Roman hosts — with the legions and cohorts in the centre, and the squadrons on the wings. The fight was raging hotly all along the barricade of wagons, when suddenly a great body of horsemen charged in upon the Roman left. It was the main strength of the Gothic cavalry, which had been foraging at a distance ; receiving news of the fight, it had ridden straight for the field of battle, and fell upon the exposed flank of the imperial host.
Page 103 - Mons-en-Puelle and Cassel. The fate which had on those occasions befallen the gallant but ill-trained burghers of Flanders, was believed to be only typical of that which awaited any foot-soldier who dared to match himself against the chivalry of the most warlike aristocracy in Christendom. Pride goes before a fall, and the French noble was now to meet infantry of a quality such as he had never supposed to exist. Against these presumptuous cavaliers, their mercenaries, and the wretched band of half-armed...
Page 6 - Two of Valens' squadrons, which covered the flank of his array, threw themselves in the way of the oncoming mass, and were ridden down and trampled under foot. Then the Goths swept down on the infantry of the left wing, rolled it up, and drove it in upon the centre. So tremendous was their impact that the legions and cohorts were pushed together in helpless confusion.
Page 3 - BETWEEN the middle of the fourth and the end of the sixth century...
Page 102 - In France those absurd perversions of the art of war which covered themselves under the name of Chivalry were more omnipotent than in any other country of Europe. The strength of the armies of Philip and John of Valois was composed of a fiery and undisciplined...
Page 33 - They have copied the Romans,' says Leo, 'in most of their military practices, both in arms and in strategy.' Like the Imperial generals, they placed their confidence in their mailed lancers: they were no longer the naked hordes of the sixth century, but wore helms, shirts of chain-mail, and...
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Art of War in the Middle Ages, A. D. 378-1515 Lothian essay Lothian prize essay |
| Author | Charles Oman |
| Publisher | B.H. Blackwell, 1885 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | Dec 2, 2005 |
| Length | 134 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |