Longbow Disadvantages

The longbow is a form of weapon that projects arrows over long distances with high levels of accuracy for hunting and in the Middle Ages during wars. The longbow dominated the warfare of Europe from the 14th century to the 16th century.

  1. History

    • The exact origins of the longbow are unknown, with records showing use of the weapon in Scandinavia and Germany around 500 A.D., according to History Magazine. The longbow reappeared in the U.K. in the principality of Wales around 1000 A.D. and was developed further by the English following a skirmish with the Welsh around 1300 A.D. Between 1300 A.D. and 1588 A.D. the longbow was used with great success by the English army in battles with the Scottish and French, with large numbers of English infantrymen trained in the use of the longbow. The longbow must be manufactured to be at least 4 feet in length, History Magazine reports, and could injure an enemy from a range of around 250 yards. Although no working examples of longbows are still in existence, historical records show that the weapon could kill an opponent from 100 yards and penetrate armor from 60 yards.

    Training

    • One of the major disadvantages of the longbow is the large amount of training required before the weapon can be used effectively. Other weapons of the Middle Ages, such as the crossbow, required little or no training before being used by soldiers. From childhood, soldiers in the English military entered an expensive training program to learn the art of the longbow; this high level of training meant longbow soldiers were highly paid and could not be easily replaced if injured or killed. During the Middle Ages the French monarchy decided against equipping its peasantry with longbows as the king feared the weapon could eventually be used against the ruling classes.

    Firearms

    • The longbow slipped from use by European armies after the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588. Knowing the skills of the English infantry with the longbow, the Spanish equipped their soldiers with longbows to nullify the threat of the English bowmen. The English infantry in 1588 had been armed with Harquebusiers, an early form of firearm that was used to overpower the Spanish longbow users.

    Combat

    • During combat the longbow was a useful weapon from long range, but it offered little protection in close combat. The longbow requires the user to stand or kneel to steady himself for a shot, creating an easy target for an opponent.