HIST 209 Warfare in the Middle Ages
This course aims to present a survey of armed conflict in the medieval period from the barbarian invasions of Rome to the Wars of the Roses (roughly 500-1500). We will cover the technical aspects of war making (e.g. tactics, weaponry, recruitment), the interplay between culture and violence (e.g. ideas about chivalry and just war), as well as exploring some of the notable conflicts of the era (e.g. the Battle of Hastings, the Crusades). Along the way, we will also encounter some important historiographical debates: Did the invention of stirrups lead to the supremacy of heavy cavalry? Was there an "infantry revolution" in the fourteenth century?