Page 62 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

60 KEY FORCE KEY DEVELOPMENT

WMEN 500–1500 KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ARMORED CAVALRY

1119–1312

IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Founded in Jerusalem during the
Crusades, the Knights Templar were
a military organization dedicated to
the defense of Christianity. While
following religious rules of conduct,
The armored knight appeared as the key figure in western European
the Templars were also elite fighters
forces. They took part in the failed
this elite warrior evolved constantly in search of better protection and
AND BO in the Crusader wars against Muslim warfare around the 11th–12th centuries. The armor and weaponry of
defense of the last of the Crusader
kingdoms in 1291, after which they
more effective attack.
were suppressed by the papacy
and their wealth was plundered by
Heavily armored cavalry first developed in
prevented a knight from mounting his horse
King Philip IV of France.
Asia, and reached Europe through the Roman
unaided or fighting on foot: its main disadvantage
KNIGHTS Empire’s contacts with Sassanid Persia from the was that it caused overheating. Both armor and
3rd century ce. As a result, the Byzantine Empire
helmets continued to evolve in terms of the skill
fielded cataphracts (early heavy cavalry) as its shock
of manufacture and complexity of design and
decoration, reaching a pinnacle of elaboration
battlefield force. Both the cataphract and his horse
were fully covered by scale armor, which was
in the 16th century, by which time display was
made of overlapping metal plates. His main weapon as important a function as practical defense.
was a long lance. Sustaining such a warrior required
a supply of specially bred large horses, skilled KNIGHTS IN COMBAT
metalworkers, and the resources to pay for these. The evolution of armor also led to changes
in weaponry. The ideal knightly combat—rarely
DEVELOPMENTS IN ARMOR encountered outside jousting tournaments—
Cavalry in western Europe evolved independently, started with a charge with couched lance (held
but was influenced by the Byzantine example. in the attacking position), followed by a close-
Mounted forces had adopted the lance by the quarters mêlée. In the era of mail, knights hacked
▲ A knight charges with his lance 12th century, but their armor was still relatively
ready for combat. The cross on his primitive. A coat of mail, the hauberk, covered the
shield identifies him as a crusader.
body, while the head was protected by a mail hood
and conical iron helm, the face exposed except for
a “nasal,” a central metal guard covering the nose.
The cylindrical great helm completely enclosed
the heads of the knights who fought for Richard
the Lionheart on the Third Crusade in 1191–92,
improving protection but sacrificing all-round
vision and ease of breathing. Over the years, plate
armor was added, first on the legs, arms, and
shoulders. The great helm was superseded by
the pointed basinet with a hinged visor.
By the 15th century, suits of full plate armor
had come into general use. A well-made suit of
armor, its weight well distributed, never

▲ WAR-HAMMER
The short-handled war-hammer was a
weapon used by late medieval knights.
The hammer could deliver a stunning
blow to a helmet, while the spike might
penetrate weak points in armor.