Forces Of The Hanseatic League: 13th - 15th Centuries (men-at-arms)
by David Nicolle /
2014 / English / PDF
3.1 MB Download
The famous but largely unchronicled Hanseatic League (or simple
"the Hanse/Hansa") was a Tuetonic German commercial and defensive
federation of merchant guilds based in harbor towns along the North
Sea and Baltic coasts of what are now Germany and her neighbors,
which eventually dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe and
spread its influence much further afield. The League was formed to
protect the economic and political interests of member cities
throughout a vast and complex trading network. While most members
remained basically subject to the local rulers who profited from
their prosperity, in a sense the League might be seen as
foreshadowing today's ambiguous relationship between global
corporations and political nation states.
The famous but largely unchronicled Hanseatic League (or simple
"the Hanse/Hansa") was a Tuetonic German commercial and defensive
federation of merchant guilds based in harbor towns along the North
Sea and Baltic coasts of what are now Germany and her neighbors,
which eventually dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe and
spread its influence much further afield. The League was formed to
protect the economic and political interests of member cities
throughout a vast and complex trading network. While most members
remained basically subject to the local rulers who profited from
their prosperity, in a sense the League might be seen as
foreshadowing today's ambiguous relationship between global
corporations and political nation states.
The League continued to operate well into the 17th century, but its
golden age was between c. 1200 and c. 1500; thereafter it failed to
take full advantage of the wave of maritime exploration to the
west, south and east of Europe. During its 300 years of dominance
the League's large ships - called "cogs" - were at the forefront of
maritime technology, were early users of cannon, and were manned by
strong fighting crews to defend them from pirates in both open-sea
and river warfare. The home cities raised their own armies for
mutual defence, and their riches both allowed them, and required
them, to invest in fortifications and gunpowder weapons, since as
very attractive targets they were subjected to sieges at various
times.
The League continued to operate well into the 17th century, but its
golden age was between c. 1200 and c. 1500; thereafter it failed to
take full advantage of the wave of maritime exploration to the
west, south and east of Europe. During its 300 years of dominance
the League's large ships - called "cogs" - were at the forefront of
maritime technology, were early users of cannon, and were manned by
strong fighting crews to defend them from pirates in both open-sea
and river warfare. The home cities raised their own armies for
mutual defence, and their riches both allowed them, and required
them, to invest in fortifications and gunpowder weapons, since as
very attractive targets they were subjected to sieges at various
times.