HYPOTHESIS

Siege warfare created an environment in which invention flourished and encouraged

society to progress in ways it wouldn’t have otherwise.
Introduction
Siege warfare created an environment in which invention flourished and encouraged
medieval society to progress in ways it wouldn’t have otherwise. The medieval age
(or the middle ages) is known as a time of warfare however these times and battles
created a new frontier altogether. Castles became a pivotal part of medieval society
they created changes in the general wellbeing of the peasantry, warfare and created a
great deal of unforseen knowledge in the fields of physics, mathematics and chemistry.

TITLE OF TOPIC PAGE NUMBER

The Effect of Castles on War 3
Science in Medieval Times 3
Life of a Peasant in a Castle 4
Castles as Figureheads 4
Conclusion 5
Bibliography 5
The effect of castles on war
Castles and generally siege warfare changed the
way that war was approached. A greater emphasis
was placed in defence to get the task of war
completed; war was no longer fought over open
plains but sheltered behind the walls of a castle.
Where there were knights there was trebuchets,
where there were archers there was strategy and
where there was foot soldiers there was science.
Although they were still needed in the long term
capturing of a castle fewer soldiers were needed
as their primary role was to operate the machinery
and make a final blitz into the castle once the enemy
was worn down and the perimeter was breached.
Therefore as fewer soldiers were need
-ed than in open war more soldiers could be afforded to be
held in reserve back at a friendly castle/ fortified The trebuchet was one of the defining
town. War became a much more tactical affair weapons of the age
http://gottatopic.com/blueprint-for-a-trebuchet/
exploiting the enemies weakness’ to the full of
your abilities for example through detailed
observations it was found that the corners of castles were the most vulnerable point so
they used large wooden shields to give cover to soldiers digging out a tunnel
underneath a turret supported by wooden planks, these planks would then be burned
causing the corner to come plummeting down. Science, war machines and castles as
parts of siege warfare changed the way war was approached.

Science in Medieval Times

The fields of mathematics and physics benefited greatly
from the new and enlightening field of siege warfare.
Although during medieval times war was rife
throughout the known world, religion was all that
mattered and sometimes science could contradict the
holy words and interpretation of the times this severely
stunted the growth in all fields of science. However
there was also an unprecedented increase in knowledge
in these fields, on the surface this may seem strange
however through this time of warfare and great suffering The measuring string was one of
the innovations that allowed the
there was one factor that wasn’t considered. Castles, age of castles to begin
siege warfare and the skills required in both created for http://www.flickr.com/photos/coconino/806976770/

example in the creating of castles a great deal of knowl

-edge was inadvertently gained about architecture and measurement using items like
measuring string which is very similar to the measuring tools of today. Siege warfare
was a different affair as ammunition was often sparse and exact accuracy was often
needed so a great deal of knowledge was gained in the field of trigonometry. So even
through all hostility from the church science was continued and strongly built upon
through the new field of war siege warfare.

The life of a peasant in the castle

With siege warfare there is of course came
castles to siege and the peasantry’s quality of
life differed greatly if they took residence
within the walls of a castle. A castle offered a
variation on the work a day life of the peasant;
it offered unparalleled protection (as far as the
residents knew), a sense of entitlement and
most importantly employment. Those lucky
enough to be the resident leaders of the estates
surf would take residence inside the castle
providing them with protection and a sturdy
roof over their heads, the less lucky folks had Castles offered a great deal of opportunities
to a budding young peasant
little choice but to find jobs as stable hands or http://freelantern.com/pelk/images/20080704165607_castle.jpg

have the opportunity to work as a mason or

smith to find residence inside the walls of a castle. However a great deal of the
peasants who went for help or protection within castles will be cast back out with
nothing but the rags on their back if they’re lucky. However there are thousands of job
opportunities for peasants through the monolithic structures that were castles, this
meant that many people who worked hard in their fields were afforded the chance to
work within the walls of a castle meaning that less of the populace’s life was
committed to tending fields and so one and so forth and dedicate them selves to
creating a much more comfortable life for those in power. The peasantry on a whole
was largely un affected by the inclusion of a cast in their area past extra taxes bar the
lucky few who could finding occupation inside the castle, these lucky few were
afforded better protection, salary and a solid roof over their heads. For those lucky few
a castle could change their life for the better.

Castles as Figureheads
Castles were optimized to be points of
leadership rather than impenetrable fortresses
contrary to popular belief as during times of
siege warfare they were just very big targets.
Although castles were powerful defensive
positions they are first and foremost places from
which to assert your power and domination,
having a castle or even a fortified city
represented the proprietors huge wealth. A castle
The king/sheriff/duke of Castle is considered by the
was also a powerful psychological weapon to public to be blessed by god and deserve to receive
enforce the rule of the king, castles were made to tax and produce. http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-
be tall enough to see for miles in all directs so 03/art/hs-environment-castle1.jpg

when a peasant thinks of slacking they can look up and be scared back into
compliancy by the sheer sight of such a monolith, this theory also applied to invaders.
Evidence toward this is that it was discovered fairly early in the times that the corners
of a castle were the most susceptible to damage however new castles were continued to
be built with sharp corners to conserve resources and labour lending to the thought that
they were designed as structures to enforce feelings of futility rather that platforms to
annihilate the enemy. The inclusion of secondary defences to a castle were abysmal
during these times, there were ledges against the tops of castle walls for archers
however the ledgers are built such as if you were to stand on them your whole body
would be exposed but it you were to kneel you wouldn’t be able to see their target..
These critical errors and others in the building of castles were almost all ‘budgetary’
measures to keep the castle as proud as possible and to be able to assert the power and
superiority of the leaders dwelling within.

Conclusion
Siege warfare changed everything in medieval culture, status was no longer shown by a
lack of filth upon your gown but through the size of your castle. Peasants were
afforded the opportunity for an occupation that was not farming or hard labour. But
perhaps most importantly it created a huge amount of knowledge in the fields of maths
and science particularly physics. All of these factors attributed to advancements of the
age and most would not have even been thought of if siege warfare and castles weren’t
introduced.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES
Chris Trueman, 2001, History Learning, 23/3/11,
{http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk.htm}

VIDEOS
Knights Death and the Devil, 2005, Marcom Projects SBS Television, Germany, 2000
Crusades, 1995, BBC worldwide, Great Britain, Terry Jones