DESTINATION Midale Ages Your Guide to Castles and Medieval Warfare James Bow Le Crabtree Publishing Company www crabtree books com
Before We Start The Roman Empire in Europe was defeated by invaders in 476 The empire split into many kingdoms Wars became common as these states fought for Did you know Most of Europe had been ruled for centuries by the ance Roman Empire This made all Europeans citizens of Rome which helped prevent war in Europe When the Roman Empire fell however that changed THE AGE OF KNIGHTS If you can fight get a horse People who could ride a horse and use a weapon were valuable in the new Europe right They could easily defeat soldiers on foot These knights helped defend kingdoms In return kings gave them land making them lords BARBARIANS A time of writers Sticking together Europe s new kingdoms often fought each other over land and I resources Raiders such as the Vandals Goths and Vikings attacked villages They killed people and stole crops and livestock Without the Roman armies to protect them people struggled to defend themselves DESTINATION MIDDLE AGES
INTO BATTLE Medieval warfare not for wimps CON Wars in the Middle Ages were fought up close Soldiers had bows and crossbows but they mainly fought hand to hand left with swords and pikes Inventions such as the stirrup gave an advantage to knights on horseback The stirrup held knights steady on their horses so they could swing their swords at foot soldiers New metal armor protected them In sieges soldiers used weapons called catapults that threw large missiles at the walls of castles or fortified towns BREAKING NEWS For protection in dangerous times Europeans are using the feudal system This system sees society as a pyramid At the top is the king Beneath him are the lords or knights At the very bottom are the peasants The peasants work for a lord in return for food and protection The lords promise to fight for the king in return for land and authority PUT YOUR T WEAPONS DOWN Bears to the farm Normal life continued even in times of war Most soldiers were farmers so armies often stopped fighting in the fall so men could go home to help with the harvest Otherwise there would be no food for the coming year Campaigns began again in the spring YOUR GUIDE TO CASTLES AND MEDIEVAL WARFARE
