Medieval Military History

Catalog description

This course is a comprehensive study of European post-classical warfare from the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century to the integration of reliable gunpowder technologies at the beginning of the sixteenth century (c. 450 to c.1500 AD). Students will read and analyze a wide variety of sources on medieval warfare in order to develop an appreciation of the important contributions of the European Middle Ages to the continuity of warfighting in Western civilization. Contrary to popular belief, the millennium under study in this course was a dynamic period in warfare, full of important rediscoveries and innovations in fortification, siegecraft and combined-arms technology, organization and tactics, all of which allowed Europe to become the preeminent military power in the period after 1500 AD. (Prerequisite: HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only)