Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Carolingian Soldier


Training for the Carolingian Soldier
By: Jeremy Profitt

The training of a soldier is among the most important aspects of maintaining a kingdom, because when war erupts it is up to the soldiers to defend the lands. This is why professional soldiers trained full-time, so as to meet the challenges on any battlefield and bring glory to their lands. Although recruits may come from any walk of life, once they stepped onto that battlefield only their specialized training could determine their fates.

The most common Carolingian Soldier (milites) was the infantryman. Although other tribes at that time preferred to use cavalry as their main force, the Franks showed their strength with infantry. Each of these soldiers would be equipped with, at least, a sword and a shield. Body armor was not common amongst foot soldiers because it simply cost too much to produce for that many men. The common sword in early Carolingian times was the short sword (sax), which measured about 65-80 cm in length and was used primarily for thrusting, as opposed to slashing. This would be replaced a couple of centuries later with a longer sword, about 90-100 cm, that gradually tapers to a point along the entire length of the sword. This tapering caused the center of gravity to be fixed closer to the pommel of the sword, allowing for quicker movements, which was one of the main benefits of the shorter sword. This was the reason for the eventual replacement of the short sword. The shield used by the common foot soldier was round, wooden, and approximately 80 cm in diameter. It was held in their left hands and could be swung over to the soldier’s back to protect them during retreat. These soldiers could have also carried various other weapons, depending on their preference. One common weapon that was famed by the Franks was a small axe type weapon called a francisca. This axe was used more as a throwing axe than for hand-to-hand combat. It could be hurled at the opposite battle line right before the lines met to disrupt the enemy’s charge. The soldiers were also familiar with the javelin which, like the francisca, could be thrown from a distance or be used in close combat (although not as common). The bow-and-arrow and the sling were other possible additions to the foot soldier’s equipment. Although most infantrymen were not trained in archery or “slinging”, most were more than competent in these skills because of their practical uses in hunting. The bow could me slung around the back side of the soldier, and the quiver (which usually held 12 arrows) would be hung on his hip. The sling could be held at the hip as well and many different projectiles could be used with it.

Equipment was not enough for a soldier to go to war however. These men were trained daily in order to execute vital maneuvers that would help them on the battlefield. The most basic of these skills was the march. The men would need to be lined up and while keeping order, march the length of a battlefield. Usually the march was at a slow pace, but with enough practice the men could keep their formations while running. This cohesion was very critical when attacking an enemy, because any flaw in the battle lines could be a vulnerable point that the enemy might exploit. The most crucial of the foot soldiers’ skills, however, was the forming of a phalanx. The Carolingian infantry phalanx is not the typical “hedgehog” phalanx that one may think of, with the shields up and the long spears sticking out to face the enemy. In fact, this was hardly used, and only against cavalry, since horses were known to turn away from a wall of spears and often losing their riders in the process. The Carolingian phalanx was used defensively on the battlefield and took advantage of the short, thrusting sword that the infantrymen used. To train for this type of defensive maneuver, the soldiers would set up a “quintain,” which was basically a large (about 6 feet) wooden pole planted in the ground, and practice their drills against it. This type of drill was used by new recruits as well as older, veteran soldiers. The soldiers would approach the quintain with a large wooden shield and club which weighed much more than the actual sword and shield. This obviously strengthened the soldier and allowed for much quicker movements when it came to using the real equipment. The soldier would then practice by stabbing at the target, first at the face and head, then at the stomach and legs. Stabbing and thrusting were much more effective against an enemy than the commonly perceived slashing attack. Using the sword as a thrusting weapon had many benefits over slashing. Perhaps most importantly, it could penetrate armor much more readily than slashing. It is also more accurate and can be done in close quarters with friendly units right next to each other; as was the case in the phalanx formation. The soldiers would practice many different exercises that could be used in a battle. They would jump toward, away, and side to side the quintain, thrusting at it the entire time. They would have to do all of this while maintaining a strong formation with the men around them. It is common for the formation to drift to the sword side (right side – left handed men were taught to use their swords with their right hands), and so it is important to keep your position so that you don’t inevitably give up an opening when you’re in an actual battle. This takes much practice and dedication to perfect, and contrary to the popular saying “practice makes perfect,” these soldiers believed more in the mindset of “perfect practice makes perfect.”

Although originally used only to protect the king, the horsed soldier eventually became the predominate unit in the army. These soldiers were often from wealthier backgrounds since they were able to afford better swords and much more armor. Some were even clothed in full scale armor, including greaves, gauntlets, and armguards. These men, also, typically needed training from a very young age, which could normally only be done by wealthy nobles. The training, however, was not at all soft and luxurious, and these men were typically the best of the best when it came to battle. They were expected to be able to fight while riding the horse, then dismount and defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat, and also mount the horse again while encumbered with their armor and weapons and continue fighting. The practice of mounting and dismounting was well respected by other tribes at that time. To practice mounting/dismounting the soldier would first do it with no armor on at all, and once he was competent at this, he would slowly progress by adding more and more armor until he was fully capable of mounting/dismounting the horse in full armor from any direction (from either side of the horse, and even from the back or the head). This allowed the soldier to jump down from the horse, engage the enemy, and even form up a phalanx with the rest of the troops; then he could mount the horse again and continue to battle from horseback. Attacking from horseback was obviously another factor in the cavalry training. To practice this they would line up in two groups facing each other, beginning about 100 meters apart, and then they would charge at each other while staying in perfect lines (shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee) with heavy wooden poles. Right before they met each other at a full charge, one of the forces, at a signal, would suddenly turn completely around and feign a retreat. They would turn their horses and fling their shields to their backs to protect them during their retreat. Then suddenly they would turn their horses again and engage with the pursuing army. This feigned retreat was practiced to perfection so as to undermine an enemy phalanx.

Other forms of training were available, too, from spear throwing, to archery, and maybe even “slinging.” Spear throwing was very important because it was probably the most used weapon at the time since it could be thrown or used in hand-to-hand combat. To practice this, the soldier set up a quintain and practiced hitting it from a distance with a heavy, wooden, spear shaped pole. This extra weight, again, allowed for the soldier to throw the actual spear with more strength when in a battle situation. Although some soldiers were experts at spear throwing, and could take down a particular unit, sometimes armies use a hail of spears to disrupt an engaging enemy. Archers were trained similarly to the spear throwers, where they set up a quintain and practiced shooting it. Many soldiers were already quite efficient in archery, however, because they used the bow and arrow as a means for hunting. This is the same for soldiers using a sling. Although it’s not recorded that they actually practiced the sling, it was a very effective weapon (especially in rocky terrain with a surplus of “ammo”), and was quite lethal in the right hands. Many soldiers that used to be shepherds (they used slings to fend of wolves and other threats) were incredible shots with a sling, and could hit vital points on an opposing soldier’s body (i.e. David and Goliath). All of these ranged weapons were of great use in a battle, and so were practiced by almost all the soldiers. This allowed for military flexibility and thus better military tactics that helped ensure victory on the battlefield.

The life of a Carolingian soldier was not a glamorous one, but without these highly trained professionals, the Carolingian empire would not have existed. Because of these men’s dedication to their training and to their country they would be looked at as heroes for centuries to come.

Bibliography

Coupland, Simon. "Carolingian Arms and Armor in the Ninth Century." 7 May 2008 (http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/coupland.htm).

Oman, Charles W. "Charles William Chadwick Oman, John H. Beeler." The Art of War in the Middle Ages (1960): 15-30.

"Medieval Warfare." Wikipedia. 26 May 2008 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_warfare).

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Nice writeup, thanks.