A battle or ''battaile'' was a division of a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
army. The word may be rendered as "
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
", but Abels and Bachrach et al. state this is not accurate because the ''bataille'' was a completely
ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with '' a priori''.)
C ...
formation. In late
medieval warfare
Medieval warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. Technological, cultural, and social advancements had forced a severe transformation in the character of warfare from antiquity, changing military tactics and the role of cavalry and artillery ( ...
, field armies were often drawn up into three main battles, also called guards: the
vanguard
The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.
History
The vanguard derives fr ...
(''avant-garde''), the middle guard, and the
rearguard
A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...
(''arrière-garde''), often abbreviated to simply the van, middle, and rear. These terms imply, correctly, that the van preceded the middle, which in turn preceded the rear into battle, if the battles were arranged sequentially as a
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
. If arranged abreast, the van was on the right, the middle in the center, and the rear on the left.
References
*(1992) 122 The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal 324 at footnote 2 (West of England Press
Google Books*Richard Philip Abels and Bernard S Bachrach (eds). The Normans and Their Adversaries at War: Essays in Memory of C Warren Hollister. Boydell & Brewer. Revised edition. 2001. . (Warfare in History, ISSN 1358-779X, volume 12)
Page 181
*Jim Bradbury. "Battle" in ''Routledge Companion to Medieval Warfare''. Routledge. 2004
Page 273
*Brian Todd Carey. Warfare in the Medieval World. Pen & Sword Military. 2005. Pen & Sword Digital. 2011. . Chapter 5 a
page 80 and "bataille" in glossary a
page 133
*Kelly DeVries (ed). Medieval Warfare 1300–1450. Routledge. 2017. (International Library of Essays on Military History).
Page 130
*Stephen Friar. "Captain" in ''The Sutton Companion to Castles''. Sutton. 2003. . Page 46
Google Books*Gary E Sanders.
Through Trial and Error: Learning and Adaptation in the English Tactical System from Bannockburn to Poitiers. Defense Technical Information Center. 2014.
*J F Verbruggen. The Art of Warfare in Western Europe During the Middle Ages: From the Eighth Century to 1340. The Boydell Press. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged, in English. Woodbridge. 1997. . (Warfare in History, volume 3). Page
75and 76.
Military units and formations of the Middle Ages
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