Between the ninth through fifteenth centuries in Western Europe, feudalism was dominant. The king was the supposed leader of this system, who possessed armies that he could use to combat barbarians and other feudal states.
The king was in charge of the whole kingdom but most of the land belonged to the lords. These lords were the king’s vassals, and were given lands called fiefs. The king gave the title or authority to the lord in a ceremony. The lord bowed down to the monarch, took the king’s hands, and swore his absolute loyalty. It was called homage. (Baumgartner). Lords had vassals that were their knights. These knights had vassals who were peasants and smaller fiefs. Vassals owed their lords taxes to defend the land. In the period of war, vassals had only forty days to fight. Vassals would receive land as a reward for performing military duties. To be a noble king’s knight meant to own land and have power over others. All nobles and sons were trained as knights to ensure that the fief was owned by the family. Boys began training at around age six and would then become squires and assist a knight in battle. This is also why the most powerful nobles were the ones who commanded the cavalry during feudal times. Women were prohibited from inheriting land, as they couldn’t provide military services. It’s because of this that feudalism has not spread much in other nations. The mountainous terrain of Switzerland, and Scandinavia was not suitable for heavy cavalry use. Lords’ primary obligations to their vassals were the fiefs and protection of the vassals. This use of military force continued up to and including the king. The theory behind Feudalism states that it is both a society and a machine for providing troops to the King and his Lords.
As time passed, barbarians began to invade Western Europe. The stronger warlords began to claim lands and recruit weaker barbarians into their vassals. This was the first form of feudalism. Viking chiefs started accepting land bribes as payment for their loyalty. William the Conqueror recruited knights to his invasion in England 1066 A.D. by promising them land. Since the fall of Rome, the once well-trained Roman legions that defended the lands were now a mob of barely competent infantry. Charles Martel won the Battle at Torres when he united the Franks, in response to the Arab threat. Martel’s lack of cavalry prevented him from destroying the enemy and bringing them to a complete stop. Martel is determined to increase his cavalry strength from this point forward. Martel confiscated church lands to feed his cavalry horses. Amid the shockingly low quality of infantry, remnants of empires relied on heavy cavalry to fight each other as well as the invading barbarians tribes. The Franks organized their military. The Franks reorganized their military system.
Feudalism was accompanied by a new military strategy and tactics. The effective and highly disciplined Roman legions were replaced by a poorly-equipped light peasant infantry. Before the battle, these conscripts likely received very little or no training in military matters. As armor was expensive, they wore very little or none. Most of them were armed by cheap weapons like clubs, spears or sharpened farm tools. They were expected to retreat from sustained combat and die due to the lack of discipline they possessed. Due to the lack of reliable infantry, the Middle Ages kings resorted to heavy cavalry. Knights would make up the cavalry. The lances were used by these knights to try to breach the battle lines of opposing forces. The knights also used other shock weaponry when the fights became close-quarters. Knights could afford to wear armor, and they often wore a metal helmet. In addition to shields and chainmail, they would also have worn some plate armor. The knights could mount and dismount in battle to fight on their feet if required. Knights had to adhere to a code called chivalry, which dictated how they could fight. Women, priests, children and other wounded knights could not be killed because they were deemed unarmed and non-combatants. However, the peasants had not sworn an oath to chivalry. They were used by knights who were severely injured. Medieval warfare was less focused on unit cohesion than previous wars and more on individual skills. The two opposing armies charged each other, and the first side to break was determined by who broke.
Feudalism had as its main goal to supply an army heavy cavalry in the service of lords. It succeeded in creating knights with skills and a reputation that are still recognized today. Unlike the Roman legions it did not develop the professionalism to defend its kingdoms or endure prolonged campaigns.
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