FRENCH COMPAGNIES D'ORDONNANCE, 1374-1480: The Birth of French Standing Military Units

Examines the organization, development, command structures, and military equipment of the French compagnies d'ordonnance, francs-archers, and artillery up to 1480. Argues that the creation of a permanent military institution, especially in the face of considerable political and social resistance, must be understood as part of a longer evolutionary process, during which the essential administrative, fiscal, and military foundations were gradually laid. The central question addressed in this book concerns the origins and explanatory factors behind this transformation: how and why did the French monarchy come to replace the feudal model of the host and the arriere-ban with a more stable, paid, regulated, and centrally controlled military system, permanently attached to the crown? Contains 54 black and white illustrations, 1 black and white photo, 12 color plates, 3 black and white maps, and 1 table.