...CATAPULTS: HISTORY Catapults 1 The US Navy is now moving to use Electro-Magnetic Catapult System (EMCS) on their aircraft carriers. The EMCS is replacing the Steam Compulsion System (SCS) that aircraft carriers have used for over 9 decades. These catapult siege engines are a dying breed, but let us find out the history of the catapult. Where did the word catapult come from? A catapult comes from two Greek words “kata” and “pultos”. “Kata” means downward and “pultos” refers to a small circular shield which was carried in battle (Catapults, nd). This formed the word katapultos and its meaning is “shield piercer”. What is a catapult? A catapult is an engine that can store energy and then can quickly release this energy to fire a projectile (A brief history of the Catapult, nd). In order for a catapult to be an effective weapon, it must be too big for a person to carry and would require more than one person to operate. As with many inventions, the catapult was developed from the idea of the Crossbow. The crossbow was invented as a handheld weapon and as the crossbow became more superior, it went from a belly-bow to a stand crossbow. The crossbows eventually became so large that they became something in their own right, the Catapult. The Chinese are believed to be the first to use a catapult sometime during the third and fourth Century BC. The type of catapult the Chinese used was an eight foot catapult that was much like a big crossbow. Even though this...
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...Introduction II. Knights Weapons A. Topic sentence B. Used Swords C. Used heavy artery D. Conclusion III. Castle (Defense and Offense) A. Topic sentence B. Trebuchet C. Catapult D. Cross-bow E. Conclusion IV. Coat and Arms Weapons A. Long-bow B. Flail C. Mace D. War hammer E. Conclusion V. Final Conclusion Medieval Weapons C. Wilburn 2 Have you ever wanted to know about the weapons knights used? Well the knights used different things including battle axes, bow-and-arrows, and catapults. Some were used by different people though. Some spent years of training, while others spent just a year. Some knights had armor while others didn’t. But the kind of weapons in use was the types of weaponry of the Medieval Ages. All in all, the knights had some good weapons. Medieval knights used some cool weapons. Usually when knighted, the knights would get spurs which are sharp spikes behind the heels of the knight’s shoe, to guide the horse, a shield to protect themselves in battle, and a sword to fight with. Some swords could be the slashing swords that were flat and wide sharp-edged swords to make a very destructive blow. Later in the Medieval Ages, sword makers would make thrusting swords which were longer and more pointed than slashing swords. The point of the sword can fit between armor of the knight and the chain mail...
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...According to Medieval Life and Times, The trebuchet dates back to before the Middle Ages believing to be invented in 300 B.C. China. It was brought to Europe during the middle ages. (Alchin) However, Byzantium and Middle Eastern armies made use of the trebuchet design during the 6th century (Farrell). The term “Trebuchet” derives from French origin. They used it exclusively and are responsible for introducing it to the English when they used trebuchets and other siege weapons in the attack of Dover castle (Alchin). Design Ideas The image above was used to allow the group to have a sense of how big the trebuchet was going to be for this lab. We did not use it as the initial design, instead it was used as a starting point. We chose this design because of the size and the idea of the trough was helpful in pinpointing accuracy. Work...
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...Siege And Defense Of A Castle “Because castles were made with such massive defense fortifications it was extremely hard to destroy them. Thus, the goal of a siege army was not to destroy a castle, but to penetrate it.” (http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hisiege.html). The attacker had many options at their disposal when trying to penetrate the castle’s walls. The army could not attack the castle at all but simply seize the land around it and cut out all supply routes going to and from the establishment. Another was a direct assault or siege on the castle itself. And lastly, is besieging. Effectively starving them out. Starvation was a key weapon used in all methods, but solely used in besieging. The most effective direct assault was the use of tunneling. The very time consuming chore was first started by constructing wooden palisades, a type of fence, next to the wall, and then building a shed to lean against it. Defenders high on the castle walls would try to thwart the enemy in its attempt to mine under the wall by dumping hot oil or pitch and tar and then setting it a blaze with flaming arrows. This could be countered by covering the structure with thick leather hides in an attempt to keep the fires at bay and stop the diggers from taking a flaming hot oil bath. Next, special diggers called sappers were called in to start their work on the castle’s foundation. “Once the tunnel was long enough the attacker’s had two choices: Continue digging until they...
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...Castles and Knighthood Castles a) This is a typical castle, its name is Harlech. a) Questions about the features of a castle Q: What was the moat for? A: The moat was mainly used to stop enemies from reaching the walls but its other use was to make a reflection of the castle in order to make it look bigger. Q: What is a drawbridge? A: A drawbridge was a defensive mechanism that allowed access to the castle by providing a temporary bridge across the moat. This bridge can be withdrawn in the case of an attacking force; this was done with a winch. Q: What were castles made of? A: Stone, mortar and wood. These were the simple components used to construct some of the most heavily fortified structures ever created. Q: Where did the stone used to make the castle come from? A: The stone came from local mines or quarries if possible. If stone was scarce they would carry it long distances by water or on land by oxen. Q: What was the roof made of? A: The roof was made from slate tiles and shale. Q: Where were castles built? A: Prime locations for castle construction include high, rocky ground, mountain passes, isolated peninsulas and lake islands. Q: How big were castle walls? A: To withstand besieging, castle walls were sometimes constructed to be up to 30 feet (9 metres) thick. Stone curtain walls were constructed anywhere between 20 and 40 feet high. Q: How high were the towers in the castles...
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...The Mangonel The Mangonel is what many people think of when they think of a catapult. It is derived from the Latin word "manganon," which means engine of war. The Mangonel was invented by the Romans in 400 B.C. The Mangonel consists of a long wood arm with a bucket, with a rope attached at the end. Older models used a sling instead of a bucket. The arm is then pulled back from a natural 90 degree angle, then energy is stored in the tension of the rope and the arm. The bucket would be loaded. When released, the Mangonel's arm returns to its equilibrium position. When it comes in contact with the beam, the arm stops, but the missiles stored in the bucket continue to launch toward the enemy. The Mangonel fired projectiles in an overhead arc,...
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...also called the Middle Ages. This was the time of knights, castles, and jousts.Also in the is time gunpowder was very useful because it had just started being used for war. The Middle Ages took place in 500 AD-1500 AD. The Middle Ages were a time of war and men had to be completely devoted to it. In this time some of the most brutal and bloodiest battles were fought. Most battles in this time were bloody,because you would have to get up close and personal to attack, unlike battles today which are less gory because we try to stay away from the threat. The Crusades also occurred in this time period and were a horrible time. The crusades were military campaigns controlled by the Latin Roman Catholic Church. They started in 1095 and the goal was to restore Christian access to Holy places in and around Jerusalem. During this time artillery was very important.They used many weapons such as swords, pikes, spears, and axes. These weapons were used by many foot soldiers. They were used to take out...
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...over England in major towns. The first castles were built very quickly and were very simple, but during the reign of William and throughout the rest of the Middle Ages (1066-1500) the design of castles changed. In this essay I will talk about how much castles changed during the Middle Ages and the reasons for this. Motte & Bailey Castles (1066 – 1078) The first castles to be built in England by the Normans were called Motte & Bailey castles. They had: • The Keep – a wooden tower used when under attack and for soldiers to keep lookout. • A Motte - a large mound of earth that the Keep was built on. • A Bailey – a large yard that sat next to the Motte, attached to the Motte by a wooden bridge. • A Palisade – a wooden fence all around the Bailey with a ditch around the outside. • Wooden gateway - the entrance to the castle with a wooden bridge over the ditch. Norman soldiers lived in wooden buildings in the Bailey. Motte & Bailey castles were made of earth and wood, which was easy to find, and they could be built really quickly, in 7-21 days. The height of the wooden tower on top of the Motte meant that the Norman soldiers could see what was going on around the castle and see enemies coming. The castles were built near big towns so that the Norman soldiers could move quickly and stop enemies up to 30 miles away. William built over 60 Motte & Bailey castles during the early years of his reign. There are still remains of a Motte & Bailey...
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...kill the infantrymen. Cavalry was important for victory, but only helpful if it was deployed after the formation broke, so it could ruin the formation even more and cause chaos. If cavalry wasn’t deployed at the right time, pikemen could easily slaughter the horses. Cavalry was important for another reason; it was easier to fight mounted on a horse, swinging down, than on foot, swinging up. Without cavalry, battles with only infantry would take a very long time. Armour was also very important in pitched battles. There were two main types of armour, plate and chainmail. Chainmail had little rings and was invented in 500 BCE. Plate armour, as the name suggests, was made out of metal plates, usually steel or iron. They were invented in Italy during the 15-17th...
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... Introduction Allen West, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that “We must never forget why we have, and why we need our military. Our armed forces exist solely to ensure our nation is safe, so that each and every one of us can sleep soundly at night, knowing we have 'guardians at the gate.'”. Through methods of weaponization armies have been changed but the objective remains to protect the land and be strong to fight in warfare. Before a thousand years, armies fought with each other in the battlefield and the distance between fighters was about 100 yards. At that time, they used to arm themselves with knifes, swords, spears, and shields to protect themselves. When the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese used the catapult in siege warfare, it was an invaluable weapon...
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...Effi's Creative Frustration Trickery. Taboos. Punishments. All are common and frequent in the unfortunate history of female characters and protagonists. Eve bites the forbidden apple and forces mankind out of the Garden of Eden. Hester Prynne commits adultery and, marked forever by the brazen scarlet letter on her bosom, is shunned by her community. It then comes to no surprise that Effi Briest, the ambitious wife of a successful baron, is ostracized after her youthful affair in the novel Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane. While justifications for the former women's actions are convoluted and debatable, Effi Briest's reason for her infidelity is clear and straight forward: the suppression of imagination. Upper-middle class women of Imperial Germany were constantly constrained by social expectations and cultural standards. Creativity was not encouraged or fostered. Without an outlet, Effi of course jumps at the chance to interrupt the monotonous, boring hours of her lonely marriage with the dangerous dreams of a higher romance. On the surface, it may be difficult to understand why Effi risks her 'perfect' marriage for an affair with Major Crampas. The novel begins with admiration for the distinguished Baron von Innstetten, whom Effi quickly marries, and continues to shower with high praise. Innstetten is “very dashing” (9) and the “Bismark thinks highly of him, and the Kaiser too,” (9). Her beau is not only good looking, but extremely respected and raising on the social ladder....
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...Canterbury Tales Webquest Today you are going to research background information about Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales. Anything not completed in class should be finished for HW. - Use the links to answer the questions listed below. - Please PARAPHRASE your answers rather than copying and pasting information. You may type your answers directly into the document and print when finished. 1. Geoffrey Chaucer 1. What kind of writer was he? He is a realistic writer. 2. What were the years of his birth and death? Born 1340/44, died 1400. 3. Where was he from? London, England 4. What was his “masterpiece”? The Canterbury Tales http://www.bartleby.com/65/ch/Chaucer.html 2. What is a pilgrimage? (You should already know this from our vocab. quiz.) A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey in to someone's own beliefs. 3. Define prologue. The preface or introduction to a literary work. http://www.webster.com (or other dictionary site) 4. Where is Canterbury? Canterbury is located in Kent county, south-east of London. It is home to the Caterbury cathedral, the burial site of King Henry IV. What famous...
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...MEDIEVAL WEAPONS Other Titles in ABC-CLIO’s WEAPONS AND WARFARE SERIES Aircraft Carriers, Paul E. Fontenoy Ancient Weapons, James T. Chambers Artillery, Jeff Kinard Ballistic Missiles, Kev Darling Battleships, Stanley Sandler Cruisers and Battle Cruisers, Eric W. Osborne Destroyers, Eric W. Osborne Helicopters, Stanley S. McGowen Machine Guns, James H. Willbanks Military Aircraft in the Jet Age, Justin D. Murphy Military Aircraft, 1919–1945, Justin D. Murphy Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918, Justin D. Murphy Pistols, Jeff Kinard Rifles, David Westwood Submarines, Paul E. Fontenoy Tanks, Spencer C. Tucker MEDIEVAL WEAPONS AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THEIR IMPACT Kelly DeVries Robert D. Smith Santa Barbara, California • Denver, Colorado • Oxford, England Copyright 2007 by ABC-CLIO, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data DeVries, Kelly, 1956– Medieval weapons : an illustrated history of their impact / Kelly DeVries and Robert D. Smith. p. cm. — (Weapons and warfare series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-10: 1-85109-526-8 (hard copy : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-85109-531-4...
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...Military Technology Technology in the military has greatly increased strength and eased the ranking among world powers and effected the development of new military weapons. The term "Survival of the fittest" means that the strong will succeed but the meek will not, this is the case with military technology. The U.S. has the best technology in the world, therefore we are the highest military power. Technology is a very important part of warfare. Technology is driven by the military. The army's race during the cold war, spawned some of the greatest technical achievements in human history. Space travel for example is a result of the X-plane project. The Internet was produced by the military as well. If we stop investing in military technology, we risk our safety. If other nations had more advance technology than we do, they would have more power than we do. If that was to happen, we face the threat of that nation taking over us. Military technology may be divided into five categories. Offensive arms harm the enemy, while defensive weapons ward off offensive attacks. Transportation technology moves soldiers and weaponry; communications coordinate the movements of armed forces; and sensors detect forces and guide weaponry. There are many types of technological developments in the military happening at all times. They range from new aircraft to sophisticated guidance systems. Teams of specialists work for years to develop some of our simplest equipment. These people's...
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...develop and became stable as World War II was ceased and he was able to grow up in a peaceful environment without sirens of the enemy’s invasion. He is the fifth born out of six, with two brothers and three sisters. The first page of his life started in a middle class suburban household located in Muar, Johor. As a baby, Ernest was very chubby as well as adorable. He was raised on by his mother’s milk and therefore, since small he has a very close relationship with her mother. As both of his parents were school teachers, Ernest was raised up in a family that emphasized discipline and education. In that sense, he was especially forbidden to speak vulgar words, tells lies and smoke. Apart from that, he was constantly instilled by his parents the importance of education. However, unlike his siblings who are excelling in their studies, Ernest showed only a little interest in what had taught in school and he never did any revision. Therefore, most of the time, he just barely passed the exams. The only thing that amazed him is the natural world. The large and empty compound of undeveloped land and Muar River were both his favorite spot for wandering around and discovering. Besides playing games such as kite, gasing, marbles and catapult, his greatest entertainment will be sitting on the back of the buffalo and swimming in the monsoon drain. His obsess towards animals and natures molded him into a person who is so fit in his later wildlife career. Since his grandparents and parents accepted...
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