Fascinating how the French aristocracy's social hubris basically tanked their military effectiveness. The bit about nobles seeing infantry as an insult to their class-pride makes so much sense when you think about Crecy and Poitiers. I've always thought the English longbow advantage gets overhyped, but this point about professional volunteers vs pressed peasants is more convincing than the usual narratives. The mercenray angle adds another layer too since even hired troops would absorb that same aristocratic contempt.
Fascinating how the French aristocracy's social hubris basically tanked their military effectiveness. The bit about nobles seeing infantry as an insult to their class-pride makes so much sense when you think about Crecy and Poitiers. I've always thought the English longbow advantage gets overhyped, but this point about professional volunteers vs pressed peasants is more convincing than the usual narratives. The mercenray angle adds another layer too since even hired troops would absorb that same aristocratic contempt.