Strategy & Tactics Quarterly 33: Armies of the Dark Ages

Armies of the Dark Ages. An in-depth examination of warfare in the twilight era of the Roman Empire and beginning of the Dark Ages (roughly, AD 476 to 732), centering around the legendary King Arthur who may have been a British warlord. The central theme will be the relative efficiency of the warlord armies of this era as the older Roman professional system fell apart in the wake of the barbarian invasions. There will be an analysis of the weapons and tactics of the era, as well as the rise of great military leaders. Great battles will be included: Badon Hill (Britons against the Saxons), Nechtansmere (Anglo-Saxons against the Picts which decided the fate of what would become Scotland), and Tours (Charles Martel against the Arabs). A contrast will be made with the contemporary Byzantine military system and professional generals such as Belisarius. Also covered will be the various Arthurian legends and how they influenced warfare from the Middle Ages to the modern day.