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The count goes off to war

A medieval head of state (usually a king) divided his land amongst a number of counts or earls. Such a local count sat at the top of the feudal system and acted as liege lord of a number of local noblemen. These vassals owed their lord 40 days of military service per year and each of them was responsible for assembling their lords and their accompanying troops in times of war.

The count not only acted as feudal liege lord, but was also the territorial head-of-state of his land and could call up all free men to serve in his army. Every community could be forced to provide a number of warriors for the count's army. These were of course common citizens without any military training or background whatsoever. The local lord was required to arm his men, but commoners were frequently seen carrying plain and basic pole arms or even their tools of trade. The quality of these poorly armed and unarmoured troops usually left much to be desired.

The villages along the coasts usually provided the sailors for the count's fleet. Again, this fleet was composed of hired or pressganged merchant vessels and the crew was provided by civilian fishermen and masters. There was no strict separation between the army and the navy. Infantrymen were simply embarked whenever necessary and were required to serve at sea as well if needed.

Knights and Squires

Guy of Dampierre's vassals are a good example to illustrate how an army of knights was raised. When the count decided to call up his nobles in 1297, each of the vassals and mercenary knights were demanded to bring a number of mounted and armoured men.

This system enabled to count to ride out with an army of armoured cavalry with an approximate strength of 1200 warriors. The knights and squires received a daily wage in relation to their status and importance. At the end of the 13th century, Flanders had 43 bannerlords who each commanded a unit of approximately 20 noblemen. Under Guy of Dampiere, such a unit commander was paid 20 Flemish shillings per day. That would be the amazing sum of 60 shillings in English currency. A knight was paid half that amount and received 10 shillings a day, while a squire was paid 5/-, but only if he had a full set of mail armour!

Each nobleman had to have his own set of mail armour. He also had to acquire enough baggage, food and tents for the entire length of the campaign. The higher his status, the higher these financial obligations.

Knighthood in crisis

Knights and other noblemen rode extremely expensive destriers or war horses. Willem van Gullik's horse for the Courtrai campaign had cost about 180 Flemish Pounds. A full set of armour for the upper classed was estimated to have cost around a 1000 Flemish Pounds. In comparison, a craftsman would have made only a few Flemish Pounds per year. Many noblemen were experiencing considerable difficulties in meeting these requirements and maintaining their horses, knights and squires. Late 13th century feudal armies therefore had a large proportion of squires, who worked as mercenary warriors and did not feel up to the duties and expenses of knighthood.

An efficient weapon

Armoured knights formed a most efficient weapon. Their advanced training and their knightly esprit-de-corps gave them every opportunity to be victorious in battle. Squires were taught from childhood to handle both horses and weapons and when they were finally knighted, they could draw upon long and intensive training. A medieval nobleman was also convinced that he belonged to a chosen mini-society standing above the common man and woman. This meant that they would not hesitate to ride into a line of common and plain infantry and this attitude was amplified by the ever-important knightly honour. A knight could and would not yield and would therefore attack aggressively and, if necessary, against all odds.

(During the Courtrai campaign the knights of Flanders, Brabant and France already had a few years of war behind them and were experienced and battle-hardened veterans.

Battlefield tactics

The armoured cavalry was mostly deployed in densely packed formations. The horses touched flanks with their neighbours in order to form a small front with an enormous punch. The knights and squires were grouped in units (banners) of around 20 horses, led by what was known as a "bannerlord". This troop would be formed into a square with a front of six to eight horses, two to three rows deep. Three to four of these banners formed a "battle". The battle was the standard tactical unit and had a strength of sixty to eighty horses. These numbers could vary considerably and there were no universal tactical rules yet.

A good army would maintain a strict discipline. An army commander would want his warriors to be in permanent control of their weapons and horses and would insist on a tight regime. If a cavalry charge was to be successful, he cold not afford his knights to loose their formation. Everyone knew that a tightly packed battle was the best guarantee for a successful breakthrough. He would also make the best use of the horses' mobility and would try to swiftly outmanoeuvre the opposing force, attempting to ride into their flank. The late 13th century infantry quickly learned to use the pike and "goedendag" to discourage a frontal attack.