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
here in the World Some of the most important battles of the Middle Ages were fought at the edges of Europe where Christian Europe clashed with the Islamic and Mongol empires Other key battles took place within Europe as rulers fought to increase their territory and power ENGLAND Battle of Hastings 1066 At the Battle of Hastings Normans from France led by William the Conqueror defeated the forces of King Harold I who was killed in the battle William took control of England GERMANY FRANCE SPAIN Battle of Tours 732 Islamic warriors from Spain were advancing into France when their way was blocked by the mounted knights of Charles Martel Although outnumbered Martel's troops held off repeated attacks The Muslims withdrew and never threatened Western Europe again First Crusade 1095 In 1095 European knights answered the Pope's call to win back control of the Holy City of Jerusalem in the Holy Land The campaign marked the beginning of over 200 years of fighting between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land DESTINATION MIDDLE AGES
Siege of Orleans 1429 During the Hundred Years War between England and France the French won a decisive victory over the English when they broke the siege of Orléans The French soldiers were inspired by a peasant girl named Joan of Arc Siege of Constantinople 1453 RUSSIA The siege and defeat of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 is often seen as marking the end of the Middle Ages The Byzantine Empire of what are now Greece and the Balkans followed the Orthodox Church a different form of Christianity than the rest of Europe which followed the Catholic Church Constantinople Battle of Ain Jalut 1260 The Battle of Ain Jalut was a victory for Muslim forces over Mongols invading from the east The defeat ended Mongol attacks in the Middle East HOLY LAND Jerusalem EGYPT New Aame After capturing Constantinople the Ottomans gave the city the name by which it is still known today Istanbul YOUR GUIDE TO CASTLES AND MEDIEVAL WARFARE O
