Siege Weapons

Question 1: In the Middle Ages the defenders of a fortified place had probably their greatest advantage in history over the besiegers. That evaporated in 1460. Examine the development of fortifications and garrison weaponry from 1050 to 1700, and describe the counter developments in siege craft. Conclude with a discussion of the consequences of the defensive or offensive advantage for warfare in those eras.

During the Dark Ages, along with the 17th and 18th centuries, fortified strongholds and castles were always changing and improving. However, as these fortifications improved, so did the siege weapons used to assault these defenses. Through the course of time the siege weapons and fortifications improved steadily which created close battles
Before the invention of siege weapons, the main method for countering these fortifications was mining. This mining tactic consisted of burrowing under ground and tunneling under the wall in order to either burn the wood supports or remove enough stone to collapse the wall. To counter act these methods, walls were built much deeper and made much thicker, forcing the invention of siege weapons as early as 1099. By the year 1220, siege weapons were in full force and being used to counter fortifications. The primary siege weapon used by armies was the siege tower. Made of wood, this tower relied upon wood rollers as its main method of transportation. Due to the careful construction required to build these towers, they were built far from the battlefield in order to avoid archers shooting at them. In order to prevent the danger of being burnt down, siege towers usually were covered in animal hides to prevent the tower from burning more quickly. Although the siege tower was the primary craft of choice for assaulting armies, it was very ineffective, which set the stage for another siege weapon to be
Measuring 18 to 20 feet long this cannon fired metal balls weighing up to 80 pounds. These culverins were highly inaccurate but deadly if it hit on target. The inaccuracy of these weapons stemmed from the charge stimulator at the end of the barrel seriously affected the spin of the ball upon firing. Even though there were still many issues with these two new siege weapons, their future development would prove to be deadly to fortifications of the future. The advantages and disadvantages of either attacking or defending became mostly obsolete as siege weapons and fortifications improved over the years. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and at the end of the battle, either the fortress was still standing or it was not. If it was, then the city was safe, and those remaining lived to fight another day, if not the city would be pillaged and ransacked. Either way, the casualties piled up quickly and neither side had an easy