“Castles were the unambiguous statements of powerful i gures
that they were prepared to invest heavily in fortii cations to defend
their own interests.” h is is how British historian R.L.C.
Jones describes the most important of the many structures erected
in medieval Europe. Castles, he continues,
complicated the way war was waged. With more fortii cations
in the landscape, the siege began to predominate as
the most ef ective style of warfare. Few campaigns were
waged during the period 800–1450 without a siege being
laid to at least one, and sometimes several, key strongholds.
Only where societies relied less on castles [did] siege
warfare remain of secondary importance. Sieges far outnumber
pitched battles, naval skirmishes, mounted raids,
and all other forms of warfare during the period.22
World History
