Author Archives: DRM_peter

Call for Papers: War in the Ancient World International Conference 2026

by DRM_peter Posted on October 8, 2025

War in the Ancient World International Conference 2026 (WAWIC 2026) June 9–11, 2026 (Winnipeg and Madrid) We are pleased to announce the upcoming War in the Ancient World International Conference 2026 (WAWIC 2026), an annual event that brings together researchers … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Comments Off on Call for Papers: War in the Ancient World International Conference 2026

The French Army in Italy (1494), according to Matteo Maria Boiardo

by DRM_peter Posted on March 21, 2025

The following text is a letter from Matteo Maria Boiardo, author of Orlando Innamorato and captain of Reggio Emilia in 1494, describing some French soldiers of King Charles VIII’s army going through the Este territories. Boiardo focused his attention on … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , | Comments Off on The French Army in Italy (1494), according to Matteo Maria Boiardo

A Description of English Soldiers during the Wars of the Roses

by DRM_peter Posted on March 21, 2025

The Italian scholar Dominic Mancini spent the first half of 1483 in England, likely on a diplomatic mission to gather intelligence for the French court. In December of that year, he completed his report, De Occupatione Regni Anglie Per Riccardum … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Description of English Soldiers during the Wars of the Roses

Two 15th-century documents concerning Crossbow-Shooting in the Marquisate of Mantua

by DRM_peter Posted on March 21, 2025

Dilecte noster. Voressemo che come da te tu monstrassi haver inteso che nui a questa Pasqua de Mazo proxima vogliamo far trare cum le balestre quatro o cinque presii, tra li quali ge ne serà uno forsi de XX braza … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Two 15th-century documents concerning Crossbow-Shooting in the Marquisate of Mantua

The Campaigns of Joan of Arc, according to the Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet

by DRM_peter Posted on February 10, 2025

The work by Enguerrand de Monstrelet, Governor of Cambrai, covers the years 1400 to 1444. The section given below deals with events in France from 1428 to 1430, focusing on the rise of Joan of Arc, and ending with her … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Campaigns of Joan of Arc, according to the Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet

Joan of Arc’s victory at Orleans (1429), according to the Commentaries of Pius II

by DRM_peter Posted on February 10, 2025

Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, a statesman, poet and humanist, ascended to the Papal throne as Pius II in 1458. Writing in the third person, his work, the Commentaries of Pius II is part autobiography, memoir, diary and history. Much of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Joan of Arc’s victory at Orleans (1429), according to the Commentaries of Pius II

Battle Tactics of the Hussites in the 15th century

by DRM_peter Posted on February 10, 2025

The Hussites, also known as the Taborites, became a formidable fighting force in the early fifteenth-century under the leadership of Jan Ziska (d.1424).  In the following two accounts, the first by Enea Silvio Piccolomini (later to be Pope Pius II), … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Battle Tactics of the Hussites in the 15th century

The Battle of Bouvines (1214), According to Guillaume le Breton’s Gesta Philipi Augusti

by DRM_peter Posted on January 24, 2025

A translation of Chapters 181 to 190 from the Latin text in Guillaume le Breton, Gesta Philippi Augusti, in H. François Delaborde, ed., Oeuvres de Rigord et de Guillaume le Breton, historiens de Philippe-Auguste, vol. 1 (Paris: Société de l’Histoire de France, 1882), 264-81. Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Comments Off on The Battle of Bouvines (1214), According to Guillaume le Breton’s Gesta Philipi Augusti

The Battle of Nicopolis (1396), according to Johann Schiltberger

by DRM_peter Posted on January 11, 2025

One of the most important battles in European history was fought on September 25, 1396. Nicopolis was the first battle where the Ottoman Turks encountered a Western European army. The Ottomans were led by their sultan, Bayezid I, while the … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Battle of Nicopolis (1396), according to Johann Schiltberger

Warfare in France and Flanders, 1381 to 1386, according to Buonaccorso Pitti

by DRM_peter Posted on January 11, 2025

Buonaccorso Pitti, who wrote a diary of his life, was a Florentine businessman who went into exile from his city in 1382.  His travels took him to the Low Countries and France, where he acted as a money lender and … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Warfare in France and Flanders, 1381 to 1386, according to Buonaccorso Pitti

The Bishop of Norwich’s Crusade (1383), according to the Chronica maiora of Thomas Walsingham

by DRM_peter Posted on January 9, 2025

Thomas Walsingham, a Benedictine monk at St Albans Abbey until his death in 1422, was among the most significant chroniclers of the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV. Renowned for his detailed historical works, Walsingham’s account of Henry Despenser’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Bishop of Norwich’s Crusade (1383), according to the Chronica maiora of Thomas Walsingham

The Crusade of the Bishop of Norwich (1383), according to the Westminster Chronicle

by DRM_peter Posted on January 9, 2025

The Westminster Chronicle appears to have been the work of two authors: one who recorded events from 1381 to 1383, and another who continued the narrative up to 1394. The text below, detailing the Crusade of Henry Despenser, Bishop of … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Crusade of the Bishop of Norwich (1383), according to the Westminster Chronicle

The Crusade of the Bishop of Norwich (1383), according to the Chronicle of Henry Knighton

by DRM_peter Posted on January 9, 2025

Henry Knighton, a canon at the Augustinian abbey of St. Mary of the Meadows in Leicester, chronicled English history from the tenth century to 1396 in his work, of which only two manuscripts survive today. His chronicle relies on earlier … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Crusade of the Bishop of Norwich (1383), according to the Chronicle of Henry Knighton

Hungary in the Thirteenth Century

by DRM_peter Posted on January 3, 2025

Hungary in the Thirteenth Century by Zoltan J. Kosztolnyik Published by East European Monographs Distributed by Columbia University Press New York, 1996 We have included two portions from Professor Kosztolnyik’s  book Hungary in the Thirteenth Century. Many of the other … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Comments Off on Hungary in the Thirteenth Century

The Battle of Hattin Revisited

by DRM_peter Posted on January 3, 2025

The Battle of Hattin Revisited By Benjamin Z. Kedar The Horns of Hattin: Proceedings of the Second Conference of the Society of the Crusades and the Latin East (1992) Just fifteen words of his multi-volume Geschichte der Kriegskunst did Hans Delbruck, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Comments Off on The Battle of Hattin Revisited

Contrat de maître Barra, facteur d’arbalètes et autres artilleries, pris au service du consulat de Cahors le 1er octobre 1369

by DRM_peter Posted on December 31, 2024

Contract of master Barra, crossbows and other weapons manufacturer, in the service of the consulate of Cahors, dated October 1st, 1369. Origin of the document: Town archives of Cahors (Lot department, France), Livre Tanné (tanned book), folio 83 both sides. … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Comments Off on Contrat de maître Barra, facteur d’arbalètes et autres artilleries, pris au service du consulat de Cahors le 1er octobre 1369

The defense of the fortifications of Cahors during the second half of the fourteenth century

by DRM_peter Posted on December 31, 2024

By Nicholas Savy The first events of the Hundred Years’ War in Guyenne prompted the consuls of Cahors to strengthen the defences of their town. As early as 1345, the stories that reached them of the capture and sack of … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Comments Off on The defense of the fortifications of Cahors during the second half of the fourteenth century

Warfare in 14th-century Catalonia, according to the Chronicle of Pere III

by DRM_peter Posted on December 31, 2024

The Chronicle of King Pere III of Catalonia-Aragon (1336–1387) is presented as if written by Pere himself. However, it is more likely that Pere served as a supervisor overseeing a team of writers. His reign was marked by numerous conflicts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Comments Off on Warfare in 14th-century Catalonia, according to the Chronicle of Pere III

Call for Papers: De Re Militari sessions at 2020 International Congress of Medieval Studies

by DRM_peter Posted on August 7, 2019

De Re Militari: The Society for Medieval Military History is sponsoring five sessions for the 2020 International Congress of Medieval Studies, May 7-10, 2020, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA (aka the ‘Zoo) Continue reading →

Posted in News | Comments Off on Call for Papers: De Re Militari sessions at 2020 International Congress of Medieval Studies

New Evidence for the Teutonic Order’s Bavarian Origins: Fragments Found

by DRM_peter Posted on April 12, 2018

This brief article publicizes four little-known sources relevant to the history of the Teutonic Order’s first Grand Master, Heinrich Walpott von Bassenheim, for the purpose of notifying specialists and promoting further research. Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Tagged , | Comments Off on New Evidence for the Teutonic Order’s Bavarian Origins: Fragments Found

Ayyubids, Mamluks, and the Latin East in the Thirteenth Century

by DRM_peter Posted on January 17, 2018

Ayyubids, Mamluks, and the Latin East in the Thirteenth Century By R. Stephen Humphreys Mamluk Studies Review, Vol.2 (1990) We thank Mamluk Studies Review for their permission to republish this article. This journal published by the Middle East Documentation Center devoted to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Ayyubids, Mamluks, and the Latin East in the Thirteenth Century

Rotting Ships and Razed Harbors: The Naval Policy of the Mamluks

by DRM_peter Posted on January 17, 2018

Rotting Ships and Razed Harbors: The Naval Policy of the Mamluks By Albrecht Fuess Mamluk Studies Review, Vol.5 (2001) We thank Mamluk Studies Review for permission to republish this article. This refereed journal published by the Middle East Documentation Center … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Rotting Ships and Razed Harbors: The Naval Policy of the Mamluks

Pre-order: Military Communities in Late Medieval England Essays in Honour of Andrew Ayton

by DRM_peter Posted on November 30, 2017

Military Communities in Late Medieval England Essays in Honour of Andrew Ayton edited by Gary P. Baker, Craig L. Lambert and David Simpkin From warhorses to the men-at-arms who rode them; armies that were raised to the lords who recruited, … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Comments Off on Pre-order: Military Communities in Late Medieval England Essays in Honour of Andrew Ayton

Observations upon a Scene in the Bayeux Tapestry, the Battle of Hastings and the Military System of the Late Anglo-Saxon State

by DRM_peter Posted on October 2, 2017

Observations upon a Scene in the Bayeux Tapestry, the Battle of Hastings and the Military System of the Late Anglo-Saxon State By M. K. Lawson The Medieval State: Essays Presented to James Campbell (2000) If a relative plethora of sources … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Comments Off on Observations upon a Scene in the Bayeux Tapestry, the Battle of Hastings and the Military System of the Late Anglo-Saxon State

Guns and Government: A Comparative Study of Europe and Japan

by DRM_peter Posted on October 2, 2017

What role does technological innovation play in shaping histori–cal change in the premodern world? In general terms, this is the problem I address in this article. Specifically, I analyze the “military revolution” that emerged from Europe in the sixteenth century and the similar military changes that characterized sixteenth-century Japan. Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Comments Off on Guns and Government: A Comparative Study of Europe and Japan

The French Chronicle of London on the Battle of Sluys and the Siege of Tournai

by DRM_peter Posted on November 4, 2016

The French Chronicle of London, detailing events from 1259 to 1343, provides one of the best accounts of the naval battle of Sluys, and the siege of Tournai by Edward III in 1340. Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The French Chronicle of London on the Battle of Sluys and the Siege of Tournai

‘Mount the War-Horses, Take your Lance in your Grip . . .’ Logistics Preparations for the Gascon Campaign of 1294

by DRM_peter Posted on October 7, 2016

In June of 1294 Edward I decided to embark on the most ambitious and desperate campaign of his reign – the recovery of the Gascon lands seized by Philip IV, king of France. Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , | Comments Off on ‘Mount the War-Horses, Take your Lance in your Grip . . .’ Logistics Preparations for the Gascon Campaign of 1294

‘The Lord put His people to the sword’: Contemporary perceptions of the Battle of Hattin (1187)

by DRM_peter Posted on October 7, 2016

This study will seek to argue that such categories were of secondary importance to both Christian and Muslim contemporaries who either fought in the battle or lived through the summer of 1187 when compared with religious explanations. Continue reading →

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , | Comments Off on ‘The Lord put His people to the sword’: Contemporary perceptions of the Battle of Hattin (1187)

Warfare Between England and Scotland, 1299 – 1301, according to Documents from the English Government

by DRM_peter Posted on October 7, 2016

In the following section, one can see the preparations and actions that the Edward I and his forces undertook in their ongoing war with Scotland at the turn of the fourteenth-century. Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , | Comments Off on Warfare Between England and Scotland, 1299 – 1301, according to Documents from the English Government

Warfare between England and Scotland in the late 13th and early 14th centuries from the Chronicle of Lanercost

by DRM_peter Posted on October 7, 2016

The Chronicle of Lanercost covers the period 1201 to 1346. The sections given below involve the ongoing warfare in Scotland between Edward the Second and Robert the Bruce Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , | Comments Off on Warfare between England and Scotland in the late 13th and early 14th centuries from the Chronicle of Lanercost

Warfare between England and Scotland in the late 13th and early 14th centuries from the Scalacronica

by DRM_peter Posted on October 7, 2016

In 1355, Sir Thomas Gray of Heton, warden of Norham Castle, was captured during warfare with Scotland. While being held at Edinburgh Castle, Thomas began writing the Scalacronica, a history of England up to the reign of Edward the Third, with the work ending in 1362. Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources | Tagged , | Comments Off on Warfare between England and Scotland in the late 13th and early 14th centuries from the Scalacronica