Evolution of Medieval Warfare Recruiting, Organization, Tactics
Pay for the Troops Ransom for Those Captured in Battle Warfare
was a way of life in Medieval Europe. The nobility held their
power by virtue of their status as professional soldiers. Many
commoner soldiers were also professionals, usually led by
nobles. And all who wished to maintain their safety and security
had to be ready for a fight. It was, without too much
exaggeration, a population in arms. The form of warfare in
Medieval Europe was that which developed out of the military
traditions and practices of the German tribes that overran the
Roman empire in the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries. The Romans had
been fighting the German tribes since the 2nd Century BC. The
Romans had a professional, standing army and, as a result, they
usually won. The Germans were bigger and wilder, but not highly
organized and not nearly as professional. This changed over the
centuries as technology improved and the Germans learned more
about how the Romans did things,