The longbow was very crucial to the English military. In this paper I will tell people about the English longbow and how dominant it was it their military. One will be surprised by the dominance of the longbow. I will tell one about wars, power, and draw a weight.
The draw weight of the longbow was eighty pounds. That is a lot of weight. Soldiers hated the draw weight of the bow because they couldn’t pull back on it and thought they might get killed easier if they tried to pull back on it (longbowdynasty.org). King Edward I thought that if the bow had a great draw weight on it the soldiers might get stronger while there fighting. Another reason is soldiers could pull back on the bow and release quickly and kill people faster. This hypothesis proved to be true as the English soldiers did fire more quickly causing the opponent to die faster (historylearningsite.org). As soldiers used the bow more often they did get stronger and could draw the bow easier than they could when they first started using it. Soldiers preferred the longbow over the crossbow because the crossbow had a draw weight of 120 pounds. That is a significant amount of weight compared to eighty pounds (militaryhistory.org).
The arrows used in shooting the longbow were the long and short bodkins. The long bodkin was about four inches tall and three inches wide. These were used for piercing through mail. The long bodkins were not used often because they were expensive to make at around four American dollars to make. Soldiers carried around about 8 of these arrows. The short bodkins were about two inches tall and an inch wide. These arrows were used all the time and were used for piercing through plate armor. These were far less expensive at around four American ce...
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...ongbow in three pages. I hope one learns a lot from this paper and I hope I gave one the information one needs. As you can see the longbow was very dominant when people used it right and didn’t take it that one cant not just think one has won before its over.
Works Cited
“The Longbow.” History Learning Site. January 20, 2014
“Longbow’s Dominance” Four Rivers Charter January 20, 2014 http://www.fourriverscharter.org/longbow.co.htm
“Longbow” Lord Sand Ladies January21, 2014
“Longbow” Military About the Longbow January 21, 2014
“Longbow” Longbow Dynasty January 21,2014
“Longbow” Archers January 22, 2014
Firearms: A Global History to 1700 provides a knowledgeable narrative on why there were such stark differences between the militaries of Europe and Asia, as well as other societies in and around the Oikoumene. This monograph will appeal to anyone interested in learning about the development of firearms and its close relationship with
In relation to war, the most preferred weapon was the javelin, which could be used for both close combat and long range. The javelin was a highly effective weapon and it ensured that those using it were not easy to defeat. Furthermore, the javelin was often used alongside a shield, which was essential for not only blocking attacks, but also kept the enemy at bay while the javelin was used to strike. 'The horse' was also used but because of having to use both a shield and
A common and primary weapon used by warriors of the Anglo-Saxon time period was the spear. Spearheads came in many styles, but were usually leaf or kite shaped and had a socket for attachment to th...
The rifle and the coveted shotgun, literally brought home the bacon. With sleek models such as the Winchester .44 in 1873, accurate targeting sights increased a hunter’s ability to take down his prey, even from large distances, often exceeding 200 yards. The other weapon of choice, the shotgun, did not boast a straight, clean shot, but had the capacity to tear anything to shreds in a single blast. A short barrel provided the advantage of a wider blast range and easier handling (Trachtman et al 50). In many battles, the shotguns were often preferred for their simplifying features.
In medieval Europe there were many different weapons and types of fighting. It depended on the time period they fought in. “A soldier's choice of armor depended on the time during which he lived, the type of fighting he did and his economic situation” (Blackwell 1). Some types of fighting were hand-to-hand, which were swords, axes, and many more. Another type would be projectiles, like crossbows, javelins. The last one would be firearms which guns and others. “Many medieval soldiers wore armor to protect themselves from the weapons of their enemies” (Blackwell 2). Siege weapons such as catapults helped armies break into castles and towns. Most soldiers carried some blades in addition to their swords. “A dagger had a hilt like sword and a double-edged blade that was typically between 6 and 12 inches long” (Blackwell 1). Medieval soldiers used many weapons for hand-to-hand combat. All knights carried a sword with them and were expected to be skilled at swordplay. If you could afford swords then there was always something cheaper like the Quarterstaffs, which are long...
The flintlock musket was the weapon used the most in the revolutionary war. The flintlock musket was the most essential weapon used in the revolutionary war. This was the primary weapon for multiple soldiers. This gun was very long it was about five feet and it weighed about nine pounds. The downfall to having this gun though was the fact that it only shot one shot at a time. After each shot the soldiers had to put gun powder in the barrel. What held the flint were two jaws, when the flint hit the frizzen it would create a spark. When the spark was created it would make the powder react, which made the
Cone, Robert W, and Jon D Mohundro. "Capstone: Strategic Landpower for the Company Commander." The Cavalry & Armor Journal, January-March 2014.
Though little remains of the tillers or prods of these early Roman crossbows, at least one nut has been found intact. This nut is cylindrical, with fingers cut into the top to hold a string, and a seer notch cut into the underside. It is center-bored for an axle. The cuts are more severe than on later examples, thus making the nut flatter than those found on more modern pieces. This artifact, with its easily recognizable geometry, proves the technical similarities between these and much later crossbows. One other artifact is a turned knob that is thought to be the handle end of the tiller. Depictions in column carvings and stone reliefs at Solignac France help confirm this speculation. These images show short, carbine-type tillers with lathe turned handles fitted with massive prods, often stylized in keeping with artistic representation of the period. These prods were not likely to be the severe recurves shown in these depictions. They were more probably simple wooden straight bows. It is likely that at least some of these were of simple composite construction, as the horn or horn and wood composite technology was kn...
The favored bow was the small rifle, which had a lot of advantages over the larger ones. This bow could be carried while loaded and ready to fire. This was not possible with a longbow. The crossbow also required less skill and practice to use effectively while the longbow required constant practice and exercise so the soldiers could be strong enough to hold the string back. And even though the longbow was more work and required more skill the crossbow still had a lot more power and accuracy and worked more effectively than the longbow.
Medieval Weapons were (are) very dangerous. They Can kill, puncture, wound, hurt, or anything else. All weapons From the Middle Ages were looked upon as frightening and crucial Tools to kill. From a small dagger to a large cannon; all weapons Would kill, no doubt about it. A lot, in fact most of the weapons were used for siege and Defense against castles. Castles were the most integral part of the Middle Ages. They held the king, the servants and anyone else Important. If you wanted land or money, a castle was the perfect Place to hit. Movable Towers were just one thing used to lay siege on These castles. Not necessarily a weapon itself, it held Weapons…knights and peasants. Knights and (or) peasants carried many weapons depending On what specialty they had. Some carried bows-and-arrows, others Maces, some swords, some knifes, etc. A mace was a metal ball with metal spikes welded on the Ball. A chain was attached to a wood stick onto the ball. The Mace would not kill only torture. Other siege weapons included the ballista, a HUGE Crossbow- like slingshot that could send a huge tree trunk 3 football fields Long. The ballasta was manly for breaking down castle walls, or for scattering A heavily guarded area. The most commonly used weapon was the sword. It was a long metal Object that was very sharp on both sides. The sword could actually cut the Sheet metal on modern day cars. Imagine this power through your neck! Next to the sword, the "soldiers" held a small dagger in a pouch on Their belt. This was used to finish people off, as a last resort, or sometimes Even suicide missions. Trebuchet, the name strikes fear in people's eyes, a HUMONGOUS Slingshot that could send a big monkeys boulder 2 football fie...
Long distance weapons were essential to European combat. The main long distance weapons used by Europeans during that time were the longbow and the crossbow. Each form of weaponry had its unique advantages and their pejorative. The long bow (shown in figure 1) was the original form of distance weapons. The term ‘bow’ means to be made from wood, iron or steel. The Welsh, who inhabited England, were the first people to use longbows. Longbows were 6-7 feet long and had a range of 250 yards, and still had the ability to pierce a knight’s armor (Byam 12). A well trained archer could shot 10- 12 arrows in a single minute. Despite these pro’s the longbow had a lot of disadvantages as well. One draw back was only skilled archers, who were costly to train, could use a longbow. Another disadvantage was it didn’t have a ready loaded arrow (Edge 34). The crossbow (shown in figure 2) on the other had been emphatically different. The crossbow had a span of 2-3 feet and could kill a knight on horseback with one shot, because of good aim (Byam 30). Crossbows had ready loaded projectiles, while the longbow didn’t and the crossbow could be used by anyone since it didn’t require any skill. The crossbow did have a down side though, it had slow reloaded because of a crank and it was expensive. Crossbows were also used for other thi...
Gunpowder’s effect on the world can be exemplified through the grand changes in weapons. This can be shown through the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by the English navy. In this sea battle, the Spanish Armada outnumbered the English navy immensely turning the odds against the English. However, the Spanish Armada still used old boarding tactics while the English used advanced weaponry. In the end, “the English used their superior firepower to whittle away the Spanish forces” (Schlager). The English navy's victory over the Spanish Armada illustrates the effects of the invention of gunpowder. With the successful usage of advanced gunpowder based weapons, the English navy crushed the opposition even when the Spanish Armada clearly had the upper hand. The defeat of the Spanish Armada shows that weapons based on gunpowder allowed countries with smaller armies to have a higher chance in winning their fights. The gunpowder weapons proved to be a tactical advant...
These kinds of weapons were impractical for military use, but attracted many people to the arms race for weapons that could sweep the battlefield. “They had limitations in practice, among them slow re...
When we take a look back at all of the Crusades that took place in the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries, we see that the Crusades brought many new ideas and inventions to the rest of the world. Most of the contributions that the Crusades have made have been to warfare, arms and armor. The weapon has evolved over time and began with “the rock and the club proceeded through the sling and boomerang, bow and arrow, sword and axe, to gunpowder weapons of the rifle and machine gun of the late nineteenth century” . Throughout the Crusades we saw the introduction to new ideas such as siege towers, fortifications, pitched battles, ranged weapons, polearms, and blunt hand weapons. The question that I will be focusing on throughout my paper will be, how the warfare of the Middle Ages, specifically the Crusades, impact warfare of the modern day? I will be looking at both the Muslims and the Christians and will be covering the time period from 1000-1300.
The bow and arrow dates back to thousands of years ago, it is estimated that they were found anywhere from 18,000BC to 25,000BC. They were used all over the world but the first arrowhead was discovered in Africa. There are many kinds of bows, the most common are the longbow and the recurve, there were many different styles created by several cultures during different times in history. In the Stone Ages, drawings discovered in caves illustrated many simple segment bows with many different shapes; flat, paddle-shaped bows were shot by Andaman Islanders. Some bows were made with wood like elm and yew, while others were made with many different materials like animal bones, horns and tendons; this was called the composite bow. The composite bow could either be made of wood and other materials or be made completely from different materials. In China, composite bows were comprised of newly harvested and dried bamboo. Scientists suggest that the bow originated from spear throwers and in between 18,000BC and 25,000BC fire was used to make stone arrowheads harder and feathers were added to make them more accurate.