Over the thousand years of the period of the Middle Ages many incredible groups of warriors emerged to seize glory on the battlefield and cement their place in history.
Here are my favorites. 🧵
(Artwork by Jama Jurabaev)
1. The Knights Templar: Founded in the early 12th century the Knights Templar were created to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land. They would soon rise in power and wealth and become some of the most elite warriors of their time.
Renowned for their prowess in battle during the Siege of Jerusalem and the Battle of Ascalon in 1099 and 1153 respectively.
2. The Gallowglass: These fierce warriors played a pivotal role in battles and feuds across Ireland. Originating in 1259 they descended from Vikings who had previously settled in Scotland and it's western islands and highlands.
They carried their mighty axes and claymores into battle and sundered their foes, towering over them. They would be paid mercenary's known for their loyalty to whoever hired them. (Art by Joseph Feely)
3. The Varangian Guard: This mighty group of elite warriors come from the Eastern Roman Empire and would come to be known as the Vikings of Byzantium.
Known for their undying loyalty to the Emperor and their ferocity in battle these hulking warriors would cleave their enemies with their powerful dane axes. Revered for the defense of Constantinople in 1043 by a large raid by the Rus.
4. The Teutonic Knights: Originating in the Holy Land in 1190 during the Third Crusade in the city of Acre. Most known for their prowess in battle and their campaigns in the snowy north known as the Baltic Crusades.
They had powerful cavalry units and fortified castles. Becoming a formidable and powerful order. (Art by Territory Studio)
5. Ottoman Janissaries: These were the elite infantry of the Ottoman Empire. This unit originated around 1363 and were likely the first infantry group in the world to be equipped with firearms.
They were the Sultan's household soldiers and played a pivotal role in many victories, most notably the conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
6. English Longbowmen: The longbowmen of England were feared greatly by their enemies during the Hundred Years War. The weapon was a marvel and was unmatched by other archers of other armies.
They played crucial roles in victories at Crecy and Agincourt.
It had a required a force of as much as 150 to 180 pounds (70 to 80 kg) to draw, and shot arrows with an effective range of some 450 to 1,000 feet (140 to 300 meters).
7. The Knights Hospitaller: This order first originated as giving medical care to pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Later becoming a strong and formidable military order known for holding off the Ottomans during the Great Siege of Malta and defeating them at the Siege of Rhodes.
8. Knights of Santiago: Founded in 1170 in Spain, this order still survives to this very day! They fought during the Reconquista and defended Christendom in Iberia from Muslim invaders.
They defended pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago which was a prominent path of pilgrimage.
9. The Catalan Company: The Catalan Company were a group of mercenaries of Catalan and Aragonese origin. They originated in 1302 who most notably fought in the War of the Sicilian Vespers which was a conflict vying for control of Sicily.
10. The Black Army of Hungary: This mercenary army founded in 1458 was one of the most sought after professional fighting forces in the late Middle Ages.
They took part in the war against the encroaching Ottomans in Hungary and were personally employed by the King of Hungary Matthias Corvinus.
I hope you enjoyed my thread about my favorite military units of the Middle Ages! This is not a list in order of best to worst but just the ones I love the most. Thank you for reading!
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In around the year 1060, in modern day Belgium in the county of Flanders, one of the greatest knights in history was born.
He would grow up to be a hero of the first crusade, a hero of Christendom, a warrior unlike any other.
This is the story of Godfrey of Bouillon. 🧵
Godfrey of Bouillon, born around 1060, was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, and Ida, daughter of the Lotharingian duke Godfrey the Bearded.
His birthplace is likely Boulogne-sur-Mer, though some sources suggest Baisy, in modern day Belgium.
In 1076, Henry IV, future Holy Roman Emperor, deemed the duchy too critical to entrust entirely to Godfrey. Instead, Henry gave Lower Lorraine to his own son, allocating Bouillon and the Margraviate of Antwerp to Godfrey as a test of how loyal Godfrey would truly be.
Godfrey proved his allegiance by supporting Henry during the Investiture Controversy, fighting against Rudolf of Swabia, and participating in the capture of Rome.
In the shadow of Notre Dame, King Philip IV of France, orchestrated the downfall of the Knights Templar.
With a relentless hand, he seized their wealth and shattered their power, casting the order into chains on a fateful day in 1307. Many meeting a fiery end.
A Thread 🧵
The Knights Templar were founded in the year 1119 at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
The Templars upon creation were a small order with only a handful of knights but as time went on it would grow drastically and become a force across Europe.
After the conclusion of the First Crusade, the roads to Jerusalem became dangerous for travelling merchants and pilgrims alike due to Muslim raiding parties.
The Church would seek to remedy this with the founding of an order of dedicated warriors to protect those pilgrims.
On this day, August 22, 1485, England's fate hanged by a thread as two rival kings prepared to clash on the fields of Bosworth.
Richard III, the final Plantagenet king, rode to defend his crown against the upstart Henry Tudor.
In the 15th century, England was fighting a civil war known as the Wars of the Roses, where the Houses of York and Lancaster fought for the English throne.
In 1471, the Yorkists secured a big victory by defeating the Lancastrians at the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, leading to the deaths of King Henry VI and his son, Edward of Westminster.
This event left the House of Lancaster without direct heirs, and the Yorkist Edward IV became the undisputed ruler of England.
He declared Lancastrian supporters like Jasper Tudor and his nephew Henry Tudor as traitors and confiscating their lands. The Tudors fled to Brittany, where Duke Francis II provided them with protection.
Pierre Terrail, known as Chevalier de Bayard, a man who's resolve was unyielding.
Praised by his contemporaries for his gaiety and kindness he was "The Good Knight."
Fearless and unwavering in battle, he'd be remembered as the knight without fear and beyond reproach 🧵
Bayard, a descendant of a noble French family with a strong military tradition, was born at Château Bayard in Dauphiné, near Pontcharra in southern France.
His family had a history of sacrifice in battle, with three generations of his Terrail ancestors falling in combat from 1356 to 1465.
Bayard began his career as a page to Duke Charles I of Savoy, but in 1490, the Duke passed away.
At just thirteen, Bayard impressed King Charles VIII of France with his exceptional horsemanship during a display for the Duke of Savoy, earning him the nickname "piquet" which means spur