Every war is different. “Consequently, the idea that ‘war builds character’ is a lot easier to sustain if the sort of warfare a society (or in this case, a class within a society) engages in produces relatively low casualty rates… Read More »Collections: A Trip Through Bertran de Born (Martial Values in the 12th Century Occitan Nobility)
And it is time we start act accordingly. “The Deluge shows that power and independence are not permanent. If you are surrounded by hostile powers, and if you don’t have the ability to guard yourself against those powers, no amount… Read More »Europe is under siege
Organization matters. “All of those tasks, in turn, require hundreds of literate, expensive bureaucrats to administer.These are not compatible systems. You can have your bannermen call up their retinues, or you can hire long-service professionals, but you cannot have your… Read More »New Acquisitions: Lannister Infantry Kit Review
Castles were important in the middle ages. And not just because of foreign threat. “Castles – in the absence of castle-breaking cannon – shift power downward in this system, because they allow vassals to effectively resist their lieges. That may… Read More »New Acquisitions: How It Wasn’t: Game of Thrones and the Middle Ages, Part III
You cannot win a war without strong economy. “Because Sparta produced so little of value, the Spartan state simply lacked the funds to supplement its operational capabilities. It could not afford foreign siege engineers or experts (an increasingly dire liability… Read More »Collections: This. Isn’t. Sparta. Part VII: Spartan Ends
Spartans weren’t super warriors. “Part of this, to be fair, is about time – tactical sophistication increases quite a bit from 500 to 50 B.C. But that’s the thing about judging the Spartans – the claim is often not “they… Read More »Collections: This. Isn’t. Sparta. Part VI: Spartan Battle
It was worse than in the movie. “This is perhaps the most glaring way that 300 sugar-coats the agoge. In the film, Leonidas graduates by slaying a wolf that was hunting him. But it is almost certain that the real… Read More »Collections: This. Isn’t. Sparta. Part I: Spartan School
State craft in old Greece. “Consider modern nuclear deterrence theory as an extreme example – deterrence is maintained not by launching nuclear weapons, nor by being willing to to do, but by the belief of other states that you will… Read More »Collections: A Trip Through Thucydides (Fear, Honor and Interest) – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
Experimental knowledge is important and not to be dismissed. “That said, our ancient – or even medieval – smiths do not understand the chemistry of all of this, of course. Understanding the effects of carbuzation and how to harness that… Read More »Collections: Iron, How Did They Make It, Part IVa: Steel Yourself
War horses did not work like you think. “if for some baffling reason you are going to charge enemy infantry in good order over an open field, you really want a weapon which can reach past the head of your… Read More »That Dothraki Charge