In Germanic society, the surest route to wealth, status and power was success in battle. Its most important institution was the comitatus or war band, the personal retinue of elite warriors that every king or chief tried to gather around him and which formed the core of the tribal army. The need to keep the war band together often dictated the politics of early German chiefdoms and kingdoms.
Warriors needed war as an arena to display their prowess and win status and wealth. Kings and chiefs needed success in war to provide the means to reward their warriors and keep them loyal. In such a society, long periods of peace were impossible to sustain. Success bred success, as more warriors would be attracted to the war band of a triumphant leader. The confederations and political centralization of the third and fourth centuries were in part driven by particularly successful war bands.
Loyalty Unto Death
Warriors were expected to be loyal to their leaders, unto death if necessary. There was no formal discipline; fear of dishonour was generally sufficient to prevent a warrior abandoning his comrades in battle. Loyalty to the war leader was higher than loyalty to one's people (modern ideas of nationalism are not appropriate to the early Middle Ages). Germanic mercenaries maintained this attitude when they enrolled in the Roman army – they were no more likely to mutiny than Roman soldiers and were loyal to their Roman commanders even when asked to fight against their own people. In early Germanic society all able-bodied free men were expected to bear arms.
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Trace the tumultuous history of Europe during the Early Middle Ages through 90 specially commissioned maps and a authoritative narrative. Medieval Europe remains a mystery to many, yet the relative dearth of information about the period cannot mask its crucial importance in history. Often mischaracterized as a time of darkness and decline, the period from 476 to 1000 CE was marked by turmoil, rebirth and transformation.Weapons & Armour
The favoured offensive weapon was a long two-edged sword, the finest of which were made by the Roman pattern-welding or damascening technique. Swords were very expensive and most warriors fought with only a spear and a large single-bladed knife for close combat. Also employed were the bow and arrow and the throwing axe, especially popular among the Franks.
For protection, a well-equipped Germanic warrior would have a coat of chainmail or scale armour (a leather coat to which overlapping metal plates were riveted), a conical iron helmet with cheek plates and a mail neckguard, and a large circular wooden shield covered in leather and sometimes rimmed with metal. Such protection was not cheap. Frankish laws assessed the value of a chainmail coat at two horses or six oxen and a helmet at one horse, so it was only affordable to high-ranking warriors.
Most Germanic warriors went into battle protected only by a wooden shield and perhaps a toughened leather cap – a serious handicap when faced with regular Roman troops, who all wore mail or scale armour. As their migrations progressed, Germanic warriors acquired more and more Roman equipment, especially swords and armour.
Fighting Techniques & Tactics
Most Germans fought on foot. Only the Goths, under the influence of steppe nomads, had developed effective cavalry, and its role was decisive in their victory over the Romans at Adrianople in 378. Stirrups were not used in Europe until the sixth or seventh century, but saddles were designed to allow warriors to fight effectively on horseback without the risk of dismount by the shock of impact with an opponent.
Among the other Germans, cavalry was important for skirmishing, raiding and reconnaissance, but in a defensive engagement even those warriors who had horses usually dismounted and fought on foot. By giving up the easy means of escape, war leaders showed their willingness to share the same fate as their less well-equipped followers.
The Germans did not employ sophisticated battle tactics and lacked siege warfare skills. Visigoth leader Fritigern said that he 'had no quarrel with stone walls'. Attacks were launched in deep formations, with the high-ranking, best-equipped warriors in the first rank and the humblest at the rear.
The favoured defence formation was the shield wall, where the warriors formed tightly together behind their overlapping shields. The formation was probably inspired by Roman legionary tactics. Germanic warriors were not drilled like Roman soldiers: if a formation was broken there was little chance of it reforming and a rout would ensue.
