folks, we don't talk about military history all that much on the show except as an aspect of the overall narratives and histories we tell. however, we do sometimes have to talk about it specifically because it is both interesting and necessary to understanding things. it's not the end-all, be-all, most important thing ever as it is sometimes portrayed but, ya know, you can't fully enforce your politics from the throne, now can you? that monopoly of violence is there for a reason. anyway, we start a two-part series talking about the evolutions of Medieval armies in Afroeurasia. this time, we talk about why the size of European armies dropped so drastically following the fall of Western Rome (while Eastern Rome and Asia did not), how was military training accomplished on a macro level, why the Crusades acted as a kickstarter to future European military endeavors, and more! next time: gunpowder! enjoy.

cover image is part of an illuminated manuscript by Jean Froissart about the Battle of Crecy