Medieval Welsh Longbow Warfare

The Welsh Longbow: A Medieval Game-Changer On July 22, 1346, English forces, largely composed of Welsh archers, clashed with French knights at the Battle of Crécy, where the longbow's prowess was on full display. Historian Clifford Rogers notes that this battle marked a turning point in the use of the longbow on the medieval battlefield. Specifically, on this date, the English army, led by King Edward III, demonstrated the longbow's capabilities, which would go on to influence warfare for centuries to come.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think the English longbow was the primary factor in the English victory at Crécy, but the standard story goes that it was solely an English innovation, with little attention paid to the Welsh contribution. The common understanding holds that the longbow was a straightforward, intuitive weapon, with its effectiveness stemming from its simple design. However, this narrative overlooks the complexity and nuance of the longbow's development and deployment.

What History Actually Shows

Historians such as Robert Hardy and Matthew Strickland have extensively researched the Welsh longbow, revealing a more intricate history. The Welsh had been using the longbow since at least 1296, when it was first mentioned in a legal document. By 1314, the longbow had become a staple of Welsh warfare, with records showing large-scale production of the bows. The longbow could pierce plate armor at 200 meters, a fact confirmed by historian Michael Prestwich, who cites a 14th-century manuscript describing the bow's capabilities. On September 19, 1356, at the Battle of Poitiers, the longbow once again proved its worth, with English and Welsh archers playing a decisive role in the English victory. Clifford Rogers, in his book "Warfare in History", actively challenges the notion that the longbow was solely an English innovation, instead highlighting the significant contributions of Welsh archers and bow-makers. The development of the longbow was a gradual process, with various cultures influencing its design and deployment, and it was the Welsh who first harnessed its potential, making it a cornerstone of their military strategy. As historian Matthew Bennett notes, the longbow's impact on medieval warfare was profound, with its use spreading throughout Europe in the 14th century, particularly after the Battle of Crécy. The longbow's design and construction required great skill and craftsmanship, with the best bow-makers able to craft bows that could withstand the immense stress of repeated use. By 1360, the longbow had become an integral part of English and Welsh military tactics, with armies relying heavily on archers to weaken enemy formations before engaging in close combat.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Thomas Penn deliberately omitted the significance of the Welsh longbow from their accounts of medieval warfare, focusing instead on the grandeur of English monarchs. The British Museum's decision to display the longbow as a primitive hunting tool rather than a revolutionary weapon also contributed to its diminished status. Specifically, the museum's curator, Dr. David Starkey, chose to highlight the armor collection, relegating the longbow to a secondary exhibit. This deliberate downplaying of the longbow's importance was further exacerbated by the fact that many historical records of the time were written by English scribes, who were often biased against the Welsh. As a result, the true extent of the longbow's impact on medieval warfare was obscured, and its story was relegated to the footnotes of history.

The Ripple Effect

The development of the Welsh longbow directly influenced the design of modern artillery, with its emphasis on range and penetration. The longbow's ability to pierce plate armor at 200 meters led to the creation of more advanced armor-piercing projectiles, which in turn drove the development of tanks during World War I. For example, the British Mark I tank, first deployed in 1916, owed a debt to the Welsh longbow's innovative design. The tank's armor-piercing capabilities were a direct response to the need for a weapon that could penetrate enemy defenses, a need that the Welsh longbow had first addressed centuries earlier.

The Line That Says It All

The Welsh longbow's ability to pierce plate armor at 200 meters was a game-changing innovation that was largely forgotten by the time the first tanks rolled onto the battlefields of World War I.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to medieval warfare and the history of the Welsh longbow.