Medieval Warfare

In this course we will examine in detail the development of warfare between the late Roman Empire and the Early Modern world (c. 400-1500), and we will concentrate in particular on Western Europe and on the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The only departure from this scheme will involve the Mongols, a people of Far Eastern origin, whose quick territorial expansion in the 12-13th centuries reached the West. We will read scholarly articles, learning and discussing together about political and social background material to better understand military developments. All classes will be conducted as a seminar, with also short lectures and student presentations, and evaluations will be based on active participation, one essay, one quiz, and a final project.



Federico Canaccini ‘74 has a PhD in Medieval History at University of Florence and has published monographs and articles about various aspects of medieval history such as warfare, factionalism and papacy and empire.