Comments by "" (@neutronalchemist3241) on "Genoese Crossbowmen: What Were They REALLY Like?" video.

  1. At Jaffa, in 1192, Richard used them (by far his most numerous unit) like Edoard III used the archers at Crecy. The result had been the destruction of Saladin's cavalry, that outnumbered the Christians 4 to 1. To know your troops is paramount.
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  2. Crossbows became paramount in northern Italy because they were great for a citizen's militia. A shopkeeper, by training on sunday, after the mass, became proficient enough to kill a fully equipped knight (and that's why they were frowned upon by the upper class, see the papal ban. They were socially levelling). Obviously, when there were many crossbowmen around, the better trained were better, and the better trained were the Genoese, because they were full-time used on the ships.
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  3. "easier to train" was the reason crossbows became the ranged weapon of choice on northern Italy, the land of merchant municipalities. It was great for citizen's militia, since a shopkeeper, training on sunday after the mass, could kill a trained and fully kitted knight. Obviously, once you have a lot of crossbowmen available, the professional ones are better, and the Genoese were professional. However, if you see the recruitment standards, the Genoese companies recruited among the lower strata of the population, or among artisans in economic difficulties, that decided to became mercenaries (even if the Genoese crossbowmen were not really mercenaries, since only the Republic of Genoa could sell their services), even for just a period. So people without, or with little, experience were recruited and intensively trained in a short period. The same with archers was nearly impossible. An archer was the son of an archer, that trained since childhood.
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  4. 1) First crusade. Gerusalem had been taken only with the arrival of the Genoese. Among them, the crossbowmen, that neutralised the Mameluc archers. 2) 1192, battle of Jaffa. Richard, a far better military commander than Philip VI, deployed the crossbowmen, by far the most numerous troops he had, behind a defensive hedge of spears. From there, the crossbowen destroyed Saladin's cavalry, that outnumbered the Christians 4 to 1. 3) 1248, battle of Parma, Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick II decisively defeated by the Lombard league (with the complete loss of the army, camp, crown, banner, scepter and seal), among them, the Genoese crossbowmen. And obviously many naval battles, (Meloria, Curzola...).
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  5. At Jaffa, in 1192, Richard used them (by far his most numerous unit) like Edoard III used the archers at Crecy. The result had been the destruction of Saladin's cavalry, that outnumbered the Christians 4 to 1.
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  6.  @Knoloaify  Don't know for sure for the equipment, but probably it was "on leasing" like for the legionary's kits. The crossbowmen was equipped with an almost standard kit, the cost was gradually detracted from his salary, but, on discharge, he could sell the kit back to the company, so that a new recruit could use it.
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  7.  @TheLoyalOfficer  First crusade, Jerusalem had been taken only with the arrival of the Genoese, among them the crosbowmen, that neutralised the Mameluc archers. Battle of Parma, 1248. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II decisively defeated by the Lombard League (lost the entire army, camp, crown, banner, scepter and seal), among them, 600 Genoese crossbowmen. And obviously several naval battles (Meloria vs. Pisa, Curzola vs. Venice...)
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  8. English longbows were tipically made of yew. Already the Simlaun Man had a yew made longbow.
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  9. See also the battle of Jaffa in 1192. On the Christian side, 2000 Genoese/Pisan crossbowmen, no more than 500 infantrymen and 54 knights, of which only a dozen mounted. On the other side, the 7000/10000 strong cavalry of Saladin.
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