tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092640447477949788.post4195255752955384059..comments2023-03-26T04:55:27.526-07:00Comments on Zastrugi: ConceptionDywalgihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09317154904400903552noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092640447477949788.post-64390733024493644462008-08-21T20:56:00.000-07:002008-08-21T20:56:00.000-07:00One trap that I'm sure you'll avoid falling into i...One trap that I'm sure you'll avoid falling into is that of saying "there was a rise in this mindset", taking that too far, and stating or implying that that mindset was not present before. Chivalric warfare wasn't entirely about personal combat, of course, otherwise there'd be no point in having all those other thousands of commoners come along except as an audience. Of course, all the chroniclers prefer to write about warfare in terms of earls and kings, as social focus is mostly on that, and I suppose it's that focus that shifted, leading gradually to the democratisation of the army (well, more or less). The desire to characterise a particular era's attitude to one thing or another tends to lead historians to overly sweeping statements, like Foucault saying that pre-20th century "homosexuality" in fact wasn't, i t was about acts, not identity. I know you know this, I merely point it out in order to say that it is clearly absolutely necessary for me to come to Canada so you have someone around who can say "No, they did this and this and this then too, only a bit differently, here, read THIS PRIMARY SOURCE, for it is fun. And also relevant."<BR/><BR/><I>As more and more men from the lower classes were integrated into the structure of the new army, the concept of rank became superimposed over the existing social differences -- early modern tactics depended more on the ability of its soldiers to work together as a cohesive unit, than as an exemplary group of individuals working to distinguish themselves.</I><BR/><BR/>You realise what this means? You're going to have to read about the Hundred Years War and decline of chivalry and THAT MEANS Edward III and vows taken on the corpse of a crane at a great feast and other fun 14th-century things like that?Hannah Kilpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06750010843246514032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3092640447477949788.post-88017083754538580882008-08-20T20:32:00.000-07:002008-08-20T20:32:00.000-07:00Under political/state violence - Don't forget exec...Under political/state violence - Don't forget executions! Lovely graphic state-sponsored violence for all.<BR/><BR/>Will comment more when I'm not trying to write.Hannah Kilpatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06750010843246514032noreply@blogger.com