"And without doubt, bold but undisciplined men are more weak than the timid but disciplined ones; for discipline drives away fear from men, lack of discipline makes the bold act foolishly."
— Niccoló Machiavelli, The Art of War, Bk II
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Medium |
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Despite being classified as militia, Urban Militia however are not your average peasant levy. Armed with a spear and shield, and some armour, urban militia are often substantially stronger than the average peasants with farming tools, and while they are capable of dishing out some damage, a charge with armoured knights will sweep them away. For Venice, Urban Militia are a vital component of its fighting force which can be be used defensively, while the Papal States prefers to use them as a screening component, given the bizarre quality of its costly cavalry and weak archers. For Burgundy and Serbia, the Urban Militia are a welcome adjunct to their armies, giving them a cheap and useful addition to round out their armies in times of need, particularly in the early Castle Age until more professional forces like Knights and/or Spear Sergeants can take over..
As the settlements of the Dark Ages became thriving towns through trade with the Eastern Roman Empire and the Middle East, this also resulted in the formation of a mercantile bourgeoisie with strong cultural ties to their respective hometowns, especially in the cities of Italy and the Alps. A dependence on trade and industry as opposed to the more agrarian feudal kingdoms of other parts of Europe meant that military strategy emphasised dependence on a militia which was maintained by the urban magistracy, and recruited from all citizens by way of national service. With the coming of the Crusades, however, more experienced and professional forces arrived on the scene in the form of mercenaries, and by the 15th century, militia gave way to mercenaries as the primary component in the armed forces of the Italian city-states.