Curry, Ann/Martinez, Andrew English Military Ordinances 1385-1599

Discipline and Control in English Royal Armies from Richard II to Elizabeth I

Volume 7 of the series "A Time of Knights: 400 CE to 1453 CE." In modern armies, the enforcement of discipline is a fundamental principlebut how did matters stand in earlier times? "English Military Ordinances, 13851599" offers important new insights into how the armies of English monarchs during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period were governed through the issuance of disciplinary ordinances. The volume presents the complete texts of ordinances issued for campaigns across a range of different theaters of warfrom Richard IIs campaign in Scotland in 1385 (the earliest for which a complete text survives) to the campaign in Ireland in 1599 under the command of Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Each of these collections of ordinances is carefully contextualized within the specific campaign for which it was issued; this approach makes it possible to trace both continuities and changes in the manner in which armies were raised, organized, and deployed. "English Military Ordinances, 13851599" constitutes the first comprehensive study of the rules that governed conduct within royal English armies during a period of profound military transformation. The work vividly illustrates how systems of disciplinary control were developed and expanded in response to evolving challenges both at home and abroad.