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Indiculus loricatorum Ottonis II. in Italiam mittendorum Herkenbaldus episcopus [Argentinensis] C loricatos mittat.

Abbas de Morebach secum ducat XX. Episcopus [Spirensis] al!!o mittat XX. Ildebaldus episcopus ["ormatiensis] ducat X#. Abbas de $ui!enburg mittat #. Abbas de #auresam ducat #. Archiepiscopus Maguntinus mittat C. Coloniensis archiepiscopus mittat C. %uir!eburgensis episcopus mittat #X. Abbas Erobs&eldensis X# mittat. Heribertus comes ducat XXX' et &ratris &ilius aut (eniat cum XXX aut mittat X#. Megingaus iu(ante urchard ducat XXX. Cono &ilius Cononis ducat X#. )e ducatu Alsaciense mittantur #XX. e!olinus &ilius Arnusti duodecim ducat. A!olinus *odul&i &ilius mittat XXX. Oddo &rater +ebi!onis XX mittat. He!el comes ducat XXXX. Abbas $ultensis mittat #X. +untramus comes ducat XII. %ngerus ducat XX. )omnus Sicco imperatoris &rater ducat XX. Otto X# ducat. Adelbertus XXX ducat. Carolus du, [#otharingiae in&erioris]' custos patriae domi dimissus' osonem cum XX mittat. #eodicensis episcopus #X mittat cum Hermanno aut Immone. Episcopus Camaracensis XII mittat. +eldul&us cum adiutorio abbatum I[ndensem et] S[tabulensem] XII ducat. )eodericus comes &ilium suum cum XII mittat. Ans&redus comes X mittat. +otte&redus et Arnul&us marchiones X# mittant. .ilius Sicconis comitis XXX secum ducat. Abbas rumiensis X# ducat. Archiepiscopus /reuerensis #XX ducat. %erdunensis episcopus #X ducat. /ullensis XX mittat. Archiepiscopus Salceburgensis #XX mittat. *atebonensis episcopus totidem mittat. Abraham [episcopus .risingensis] X# mittat. *eginaldus episcopus [Eistetensis] # ducat. Alboinus episcopus [Sabionensis] XX ducat. Episcopus Augustae ci(itatis C ducat. Constanciensis episcopus X# mittat. Curiensis episcopus X# ducat. Augensis abbas #X ducat. Abbas Sancti +alli X# ducat.

Abbas de Eloganga X# ducat. Abbas de 0emboduno XXX ducat.

The iron fist of the Emperor is his cavalry of #oricati (armoured men) or Armati (armed men). Indeed these men are about to become the knights in shining armour, virtuous defenders of Christendom. Unlike their predecessors, they do not plunder and lived a more religious life, although they are no saints, of course. Contrary to popular misconceptions, #oricati ere highly disciplined arriors on the battlefield, capable of studying and e!ecuting comple! tactical maneuvers. There is good reason hy these arriors ere to become the dominating force on any battlefield in Europe, "frica and the #ear East. $eside their discipline, their e%uipment as speciali&ed to allo great fle!ibility. 'et, being heavier armoured than most of their opposition, they could break many battle lines ith their strong charge. "nd still they ere mobile enough to outmaneuver heavier enemies, if necessary. They have met and overcome any imaginable challenge, fighting the armies of the (uslims, the Eastern )oman Empire, the #ormans, the *ikings, the +ungarians, the ,oles and many more. The #orman style of fighting and their e%uipment as %uickly adopted, although some uni%ue -erman features ere still present such as the use of flat domed helmets ithout nasal.

The

.evy

" general levy as no longer state of the art in -erman arfare. The city/d ellers ($rbani) defended their homes themselves if needed, but the mass contingents of the rural population (Compro(inciales) ere seldom called to arms. Instead the 0ukes sent a select levy of better trained and better armed troops to campaigns. (1or the sake of gameplay, e decided to give every 0uke a certain type of arriors, e.g. Crossbo men for 2a!ony. The 0uke of 2a!ony of course did not 3ust have crossbo /men at his disposal). The select levy proved to be vital in many battles and provided a reliable infantry force.

2trategy

and

Tactics

The command and control of the 4ttonian and 2alian armies continued the ell orking traditions of their predecessors.

"lthough military command and control as not as sophisticated as it as in the Eastern )oman Empire, it should not be underestimated either. The Consilium *egis, the advisory staff of the king, carefully planned campaigns on the basis of kno n topographic and ethnographic data. Intelligence gathering and scouting beginning in inter thus usually preceded Carolingian campaigns, hich ere e!ecuted in summer. ,lanning as al ays sub silentio, in secrecy and subordinated commanders ere only given as much information as as necessary for them to fulfill their given task. In battle, the 1rankish army could perform complicated maneuvers, although usually simplicity in tactics as preferred. The heavy cavalry charged multiple times, hile others ould flank the enemy and then charge. Timing as crucial in such operations. (ean hile, the levied infantry covered possible routs of retreat (not only of the o n troops, but if possible they blocked the enemy5s retreat as ell). "dditionally the select levy could be employed in critical points. The improved %uality of the select levy as often used in sieges, to storm breaches or defend the alls. 4n the battlefield, separated contingents communicated via flags or standards and possibly trumpets of some kind. The operational record of the 4ttonian and 2alian armies is %uite good, inning the ma3ority of their campaigns, hich is partly best attributed to sound leadership and partly to the improvements in the army itself, such as the select levy and the #orman cavalry charge.

1amous *ictory6

$attles The

of the Tenth Century1 $attle of .echfeld

The victory near "ugsburg seemed unlikely enough to be considered a miracle. The (agyars raided 1rankish and Italian lands at ill, almost every army that had dared opposing them as destroyed, and had proven the 1rankish kings to be eak. $ut in 788 4tto I led an army of eight legions, each numbering 9.::: #oricati, on the field of the .ech river against the (agyar army, hich as larger (9:.:::/9::.::: depending on the source). The (agyars feinted a frontal attack hile the main force tried to flank 4tto5s army and pressed on, even routing some $ohemians. The 2 abians placed beside them ere no not only attacked by the flanking main body, but also by the frontal attack force of the (agyars and disordered. ;ith the hole left flank collapsing and a still threatened frontal line, 4tto stood on the verge of defeat. +e ordered <onrad the )ed on the right ith his 1ranconians to

pull out fast and envelope the (agyar flanking force. Timing as crucial6 this maneuver created a hole in the battle line, hich could have been easily e!ploited, and if <onrad ere too slo the left flank ould not be saved any ay. $ut it did ork, totally surprising both 2 abians and (agyars, <onrads heavy armoured force smashed through the (agyars ho ere flanked themselves no and cut do n. ;hat follo ed as a simple pursuit massacre ith no mercy. $ut it did not stop simply hen the (agyars ere out of range for the .oricati. $avarian levy had set up ambushes for the retreating (agyars, and again there as no mercy. 4nly their nobles ere taken prisoner = to be e!ecuted later on in )egensburg publicly. This systematic bloodshed marked the ending of -erman territory to be raided by *ikings, 2lavs, and (agyars, but more importantly it marked the beginning of a strong kingship. 4tto as hailed Emperor on the field already, and became a ruler to be counted on. .astly it as signal to Constantinople, since the (agyar leaders ere )oman allies, even 2atricii.

0efeat6

The

$attle

of

Crotone

Called the >+erman Cannae3, the defeat near Cape Colonna had epic scale. In 7?9 the .ombard 0uchies ere breaking apart after ,andulf Ironhead had died. +is successors ere fighting each other. The E)E under $asil II as plagued by rebellions and $ulgars and could do nothing in Italy, but 3ust at that time the (uslims under "l/@asim attacked Italy. The ,ope re%uested 4tto II to react. Engaging .ombard, $y&antine and (uslim forces, 4tto made slo progress. +e arranged himself ith the .ombards, and the $y&antines avoided combat even though they lost some territory. $ut the (uslims opposed 4tto. #ear Cape Colonna the t o armies met. "lthough the -erman charge as very successful, even killing "l/@asum amidst his guard in close combat, the reserve force of the (uslims caught 4tto by total surprise and destroyed the -erman army. The (uslims claimed A::: dead and this might be very accurate6 among the fallen ere the ,rince of Capua, the $ishop of "ugsburg, the (argrave of (erseburg, and the "bbot of 1ulda, 3ust to name the most important. 4tto himself as saved by 2lav and a Be C the latter gave him his horse. 4tto 3umped into the sea and as picked up byD a $y&antine arshipE )emember, they ere at ar. Chroniclers tell adventurous stories of 4tto5s return and indeed it seems the cre did not reali&e ho high ranking their >passenger5 as, although some bribing is still more likely than the other stories.

The defeat undermined the trust into the -erman kings, it spurred a 2lavic revolt at the ne ly e!panded eastern border, and it left southern Italy fragmented bet een .ombards, (uslims and E)E.

#umbers

and

Tactics

;e have no idea of telling ho large the levy forces ere, but thanks to the Indiculus #oricatorum and other numbers e can make good estimations about the total of professional soldiers in the -erman territories6 9F.:::. It should be stressed that all of them ere .oricati, armoured from tip to toe. $y comparison, the E)E had G7.G:: professional soldiers, and 98:.G:: thematic troopers in 787. The army seems a bit one/dimensional having only heavy armoured cavalry and semi/professional au!iliary, especially hen the .oricati ere usually those ho did the battle. Truly the charge as highly effective, $y&antine military manuals invariably advice not facing the H1ranksI frontally, but also a very limited tactic6 it either on or lost the battle. 2till, it as not one mass of horsemen stupidly chargingC on the contrary several independent units ith e!cellent timing in their maneuvers are reported. Even more note orthy is the use of select levy as strategic reserve. It saved the day breaking the alls of ,avia here the king as stuck, and it cut off the (agyar retreat from $avaria, to name t o e!amples. In both cases it acted independently and very prudent, but cases of recklessness and savagery are reported.

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