Did knights ever use guns?
Yes. The very first firearms designed to use on horseback were called petronels, and they appeared around 1450 AD. It did not take long for the knights to notice a gun has longer reach than a lance, and culverin was adopted after 1520. The trend was toward lighter and handier firearms, and pistol was developed at 1550.
The knights did not relish the idea of guns in warfare because of their relative ease of use. Commoners were using them and wielding a power far in excess of their station in life. Some of the nobles even wanted the weapons outlawed so they could retain their romantic personas.
The weapons of an English medieval knight in combat included the long sword, wooden lance with an iron tip, metal-headed mace, battle-axe, and dagger. Trained since childhood and practised at tournaments, the skilled knight could inflict fatal injuries on even an armoured opponent.
The parallel development of handguns was equally important. Used in small numbers in the 14th and 15th centuries, they were becoming prevalent as the Middle Ages ended. Easier to use than bows, they let rulers field large armies with limited training, increasing the scale of war.
By the late 15th century, knights' suits of armor had reached their pinnacle. But the weapon that would make them obsolete turned out to be the cannon.
By the end of the 15th century the knight had become obsolete, as countries established professional armies of infantrymen.
By the mid to late 16th century, knights were quickly becoming obsolete as countries started creating their own professional armies that were faster to train, cheaper to equip, and easier to mobilize.
Knights with PTSD
But their war experiences could leave them with a very serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the researcher. During his studies of violence in the Middle Ages he came across a book written by a knight who lived in the first half of the 14th century.
The men and women of the U.S. military have unofficially adopted this saying, and it has served them well. The idea dates back to the Middle Ages, when knights wore heavy armor into combat, but still required the strength and mobility to be effective.
The use of plate armour declined in the 17th century, but it remained common both among the nobility and for the cuirassiers throughout the European wars of religion. After 1650, plate armour was mostly reduced to the simple breastplate (cuirass) worn by cuirassiers.
What is the most used weapon in history?
There's a very good reason why you can find spears in the history of every civilization and tribe on Earth. It's not just because they're simple, be it a common pointy stick or an elaborately engineered and weighted one.
1. HALBERD. This two-handed weapon came to prominence during the 14th and 15th centuries. Essentially an axe, a hook, and a spike on top of a pole, it was a fearsome antipersonnel weapon for use against both infantry and cavalry.
The first devices identified as guns or proto-guns appeared in China from around AD 1000. By the end of the 13th century, they had become "true guns," metal barrel firearms that fired single projectiles which occluded the barrel. Gunpowder and gun technology spread throughout Eurasia during the 14th century.
A new analysis of a medieval ceramic vessel excavated from the Old City of Jerusalem suggests the Crusader knights could have developed rudimentary hand grenades in their wars against the Muslim rulers of the Holy Land.
During it, guns were still manufactured and used by the samurai, but primarily for hunting. It was also a time when the samurai focused more on traditional Japanese arts, with more attention being given to katanas than muskets.
Armour cuirasses and helmets were still used in the 17th century, but plate armour largely disappeared from infantry use in the 18th century because of its cost, its lowered effectiveness against contemporary weapons, and its weight.
The Knights Templar Today
While most historians agree that the Knights Templar fully disbanded 700 years ago, there are some people who believe the order went underground and remains in existence in some form to this day.
Under torture, the Templars confessed to all sorts of sinful and criminal behavior: spitting on the cross, kissing and sex between members of the Order, denial of Christ, and worshipping false idols. Over the next several years, dozens of Templars were burned at the stake.
Franz von Sickingen (2 March 1481 – 7 May 1523) was a German knight who, along with Ulrich von Hutten, led the Knight's Revolt and was one of the most notable figures of the early period of the Reformation. Sometimes referred to as The Last Knight.
Tournaments were the favorite pastime of the medieval nobility, allowing them to keep their military skills sharp. They enjoyed participating in tournaments almost as much as they loved hunting, another favorite activity. The earliest documented tournaments were held around 1100, first taking place in northern France.
What age did knights start to train?
Accordingly, a young boy earmarked by his parents or sponsor to one day become a knight had to start training young, typically as a page from the age of 10 (or even 7 in some cases), with mock weapons and basic riding skills.
The other possibility was for a peasant to become a knight, a group of people who were increasingly asserting their nobility throughout the eleventh century.
The men and women of the U.S. military have unofficially adopted this saying, and it has served them well. The idea dates back to the Middle Ages, when knights wore heavy armor into combat, but still required the strength and mobility to be effective.
The first proto-flintlock was the snaplock, which was probably invented shortly before 1517 and was inarguably in use by 1547. Their cost and delicacy limited their use; for example around 1662, only 1 in 6 firearms used by the British royal army was a snaphaunce, the rest being matchlocks.
The heavy arquebus known as the musket appeared in Europe by 1521. In response to firearms, thicker armor was produced, from 15 kg in the 15th century to 25 kg in the late 16th century.
Knights would open combat with the lance and continue it with the sword, fighting either on horseback or, if forced to dismount, on foot. In time, chain-mail armour tended to be replaced by stronger, but less flexible, plate.
