Western History 76: How did Weaponry develop in the Middle Ages?

Warfare in the Middle Ages changed drastically from that of antiquity along four major axes – cavalry, artillery/siege warfare machinery, ranged weapons and the use of armour. Other developments impacted naval strategy and the use of hand held weapons.

Cavalry – Cavalry replaced infantrymen as the principal agents of warfare in the middle ages. There is some debate as to whether the invention of the stirrup was the principal driver for such change but the switch to cavalry force was certainly evident in the Carolingian war machine (from Pepin the Short onward). This changeover facilitated the development of the lance, the long sword and the horseman’s pick. The cavalry archer was a stable feature of the Turkic and Muslim war machine. However it is important to note that there would be a later switchback to infantry fighting in the High Middle Ages as seen with the rise of the Swiss Pikemen and English Longbowmen (victors at the Battle of Agincourt)..

Artillery/siege warfare machinery – These devices included the trebuchet, the catapult, the battering ram, the ballista and the siege tower. Trebuchets made use of counterweights to throw large objects at enemy positions. Catapults converted stored elastic potential energy into energy of motion for the projectile. Ballista were a type of bolt thrower whose actual origin goes as far back as biblical times. Gunpowder canons were commonly used from the 14^th century onward with an early advantage being made of such technology at the Battle of Crecy (1346).

Ranged Weapons – The bow was a consistent feature of the medieval army with specialization leading to the development of the crossbow (popular among the French) and the Longbow (English/Welsh origin). The throwing spear/axe, javelin and slingshot also supplemented the medieval army.

Armour – Body armour changed over time to include protection from leather/fabric to more exotic types of chainmail, Brigandine steel plates and regular Plate Armour (more popular in the 15^th to 16^th centuries).

Handheld weapons in common use included the club, mace, longsword, war hammer, pollaxe, pitchfork, halberd (two-handed pole weapon), the knightly sword and the dagger.