MILITARY TECHNOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE AGES

Nicolás Gómez C.

Introduction

Since the beginning of humanity, humans have tried to defend themselves with objects such as sticks and rocks. Then they

developed stabbing weapons such as swords and arrows. Without the development of these weapons, people won’t have been able to resolve or defend themselves against animals and other humans. Weapons helped humans to defend their ideas

and what they believed in. During the Middle Ages, military technology was drastically important for those times. Because

people, in the Middle Ages were invaded regularly invaded, they developed military technology to defend themselves.

Timeline

Why military technology is important?

The Middle Ages were a point in time with lots of conflicts. It was a time where people had a lot of fighting to do. They had to protect their land, their animals, and themselves. Therefore, humans developed military technology with the purpose of being safe. Since people lived in castles, defense against invaders was very important.

How castles were defended?In the second place, castles were homes for many people. They were huge rock structures with tall walls and enormous bridges. Defense was necessary because invaders attacked constantly. The most common defense weapons were the archers who stepped in something called arrow slits. These protected the archer against coming arrows. These slits were narrow holes in the walls where the archer stood inside and could shoot but could not be shot at.

Another common weapon was oil. The oil would be thrown from big barrels from the tall walls. at the enemy. Surprisingly, moments later it was lit on fire. This would certainly kill the enemy. There was still another weapon called the trebuchet. It looked like the catapult, but the trebuchet used weight to shoot the 200 pound rock with a rotating arm. On the other hand, the catapult did the same except it used a horizontal stick to stop the lever and shoot the rock. The positions where the weapons were placed were very important. This helped the castle to be more prepared for the attacks. The closest weapons to the enemy were the archers and the oil. The oil was almost at the door and the archers were all around the walls. Some castles didn’t use the trebuchet, but if the castles had one, it would be in the inner part of the castle.

How people defended themselves?

Most of the peasant didnt carry weapons but they will carry some homade dager. They will probably do it with rocks.

The weapons of the high class were especifically deciend for the persone. They were swords of high cuality.

Short range weapons A ranged weapon is any weapon that can kill at distance. This weapons were normaly for castle defence because they probited a good distance from the enemy wish prebented getting harmed by other soldier. One kind of weapon used in the medil ages as a short range weapon would be the oil because you droped it at someones heads from the top. Other weapon used would be a short bow or a sling shot.

Medium range weapons

Other weapons of middle range would be the long bow, wish was similar to the short bow but its able to shoot farder. Other weapon would be the crossbow, this crossbows would be capobul to shoot long ranges but it tock lots of time to reload an arrow.

High range weaponsThe most wanted weapons for the empire would be the high range weapons because of its incredible damege. One of them is the catapult, the most recognised high range weapon. Other would be the trebuchet wish is similar to a catapult but it has a longer arm and worked with weight.

The creators of these weapons

The first weapons in the world were created with rocks and stick. This weapons were created by the homoerectus, wish was an early human. This weapons were usally knifes and pointy things.

Important wars

The time of the development of the weapons most likely hapened in the crusade, acording to answers. com,“The Crusades lasted many decades and the development of weapons changed drastically over this time. At first, standard weapons like Long Swords, Maces, Spears, and arrows were used. By the end of the crusades the use of gunpowder and explosives were used, but still very much in its infancy. Things like early cannons and whatnot were used heavily in the Navy and even some on the battlefield.”

Strategies

In an attack to a castle the goal was to destroy the walls and enter the city. For this they used catapults. If there were archers in the walls they will use other archers to kill the other archers. To sack the city they will use knights. But it was dificult to get to the wall because there were so many archers that it will look like a storm of arrows.

Conclusion

A. What did military technology did to the middle ages? In my opinion military technology improved the middle ages. It helped people gain human rights.

B. How this changed the modern life? If the weapons never excisted we may obey other religions such as the islamisim because of the crusades. Or mave we may have less rHumans rights because of diferent comfilcts.

http://www.raisonsbrassband.comwww.answers.comhttp://blog.medieval-castle.com/2008/02/medieval-blog-launch.htmlhttp://www.familyhomesecurity.com/defensive-security-in-the-middle-ages/http://uncrate.com/stuff/medieval-crossbow/http://fourriverscharter.org/projects/Inventions/pages/europe_longbow.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchethttp://twipa.blogspot.com/2011/05/k-is-for-knife.html