The military of Wallachia existed throughout the history of the country. Starting from its founding to 1860, when it was united with the Moldavian army into what would become the Romanian Army .
126-478: The army mainly consisted of light cavalry which was used in hit-and-run tactics , though various other units existed as well. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the army was mostly formed from mercenary units. In 1830, following the Organic Regulation , the standing army of Wallachia was created. The Wallachian fleet used riverboats of various sizes between the 15th and 17th centuries. In 1794,
252-512: A shaft , with an arrowhead at the front end, and fletchings and a nock at the other end. Arrows across time and history have normally been carried in a container known as a quiver , which can take many different forms. Shafts of arrows are typically composed of solid wood , bamboo , fiberglass , aluminium alloy , carbon fiber , or composite materials . Wooden arrows are prone to warping. Fiberglass arrows are brittle, but can be produced to uniform specifications easily. Aluminium shafts were
378-438: A tactical doctrine of using short surprise attacks, withdrawing before the enemy can respond in force, and constantly maneuvering to avoid full engagement with the enemy. The purpose is not to decisively defeat the enemy or capture territory but to weaken enemy forces over time through raids , harassment, and skirmishing and limiting risk to friendly forces. Such tactics can also expose enemy defensive weaknesses and achieve
504-433: A bowstring exist, such as the 'endless loop' and 'Flemish twist'. Almost any fiber can be made into a bowstring. The author of Arab Archery suggests the hide of a young, emaciated camel. Njál's saga describes the refusal of a wife, Hallgerður, to cut her hair to make an emergency bowstring for her husband, Gunnar Hámundarson , who is then killed. Most modern archers wear a bracer (also known as an arm-guard) to protect
630-556: A contingent of 4,000 archers led by the Voivode participated in the Battle of Kosovo . Due to the constant internal and external conflicts, Vlad Dracula organized a small army of 6,000 to 8,000 soldiers composed of small land owners, boyars, courtiers, and a hired personal guard of trabants from Transylvania . Vlad also made use of artillery , which was likely operated by foreign mercenaries. With this army, Vlad campaigned against
756-482: A large army (such as scouting parties ), but it was common to see them employed in such a way even as part of a major force. Romans first encountered that tactic in the Lusitanian War in which Lusitanians used the tactic called concursare ("bustling"). It involved charging forwards against the enemy lines, only to retreat after a brief clash or without clashing, which would be followed by more attacks in
882-580: A main shaft and a 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) fore shaft with a flint point. There are no definite earlier bows; previous pointed shafts are known, but may have been launched by spear-throwers rather than bows. The oldest bows known so far comes from the Holmegård swamp in Denmark. At the site of Nataruk in Turkana County , Kenya, obsidian bladelets found embedded in a skull and within
1008-552: A mass weapon rather than an individual one. Significant victories attributable to the longbow, such as the Battle of Crecy and Battle of Agincourt resulted in the English longbow becoming part of military lore. Tribesmen of Central Asia (after the domestication of the horse ) and American Plains Indians (after gaining access to horses by Europeans) became extremely adept at archery on horseback . Lightly armoured, but highly mobile archers were excellently suited to warfare in
1134-409: A mechanism to pull the string. Directly drawn bows may be further divided based upon differences in the method of limb construction, notable examples being self bows , laminated bows and composite bows . Bows can also be classified by the bow shape of the limbs when unstrung; in contrast to traditional European straight bows, a recurve bow and some types of longbow have tips that curve away from
1260-471: A nonprofit scientific organization, the Club was patterned after the prestigious Boone and Crockett Club and advocated responsible bowhunting by promoting quality, fair chase hunting, and sound conservation practices. From the 1920s, professional engineers took an interest in archery, previously the exclusive field of traditional craft experts. They led the commercial development of new forms of bow including
1386-413: A pre-determined tension. Stabilizers are mounted at various points on the bow. Common with competitive archery equipment are special brackets that allow multiple stabilizers to be mounted at various angles to fine tune the bow's balance. Stabilizers aid in aiming by improving the balance of the bow. Sights, quivers, rests, and design of the riser (the central, non-bending part of the bow) make one side of
SECTION 10
#17327824691341512-400: A psychological effect on the enemy's morale . Hit-and-run is a favored tactic where the enemy overmatches the attacking force and any sustained combat is to be avoided, such as guerrilla warfare , militant resistance movements , and terrorism . However, regular army forces often employ hit-and-run tactics in the short term, usually in preparation for a later full-scale engagement with
1638-610: A similar cadence. The Lusitanians drove the Roman armies to break formation and chase them, leading them to traps and ambushes . The Seljuk victory over the Byzantine Empire at the Battle of Manzikert was preceded by hit-and-run attacks of Seljuk cavalry, which threw the Byzantine army into confusion and proved fatal once it started to retreat. Similarly, the earlier Parthian and Sassanid Persian horse archers paved
1764-578: A similar motif is present in the Turkic Iranian heroic archeheroic poem Alpamysh . The Nymphai Hyperboreioi ( Νύμφαι Ὑπερβόρειοι ) were worshipped on the Greek island of Delos as attendants of Artemis , presiding over aspects of archery; Hekaerge ( Ἑκαέργη ), represented distancing, Loxo ( Λοξώ ), trajectory, and Oupis ( Οὖπις ), aim. Yi the archer and his apprentice Feng Meng appear in several early Chinese myths, and
1890-669: A small flotilla was created with the approval of The Porte . After the regulations of 1830, a military flotilla was created as well. The Wallachian flotilla was merged with the Moldavian one in 1860, forming the Danube Flotilla Corps , the precursor of the Romanian Naval Forces . Before the formation of a Wallachian state, some Romanian leaders controlled lands south of the Carpathians . During
2016-434: A special glove is used that has a ridge to assist in drawing the string. A release aid is a mechanical device designed to give a crisp and precise loose of arrows from a compound bow. In the most commonly used, the string is released by a finger-operated trigger mechanism, held in the archer's hand or attached to their wrist. In another type, known as a back-tension release, the string is automatically released when drawn to
2142-477: A stock or other mounting, such as the crossbow . Crossbows typically have shorter draw lengths compared to compound bows. Because of this, heavier draw weights are required to achieve the same energy transfer to the arrow. These mechanically drawn bows also have devices to hold the tension when the bow is fully drawn. They are not limited by the strength of a single archer and larger varieties have been used as siege engines . The most common form of arrow consists of
2268-553: A time of political tension in Europe. The societies were also elitist, and the new middle class bourgeoisie were excluded from the clubs due to their lack of social status. After the Napoleonic Wars , the sport became increasingly popular among all classes, and it was framed as a nostalgic reimagining of the preindustrial rural Britain. Particularly influential was Sir Walter Scott 's 1819 novel, Ivanhoe that depicted
2394-422: A very popular high-performance choice in the latter half of the 20th century, due to their straightness, lighter weight, and subsequently higher speed and flatter trajectories. Carbon fiber arrows became popular in the 1990s because they are very light, flying even faster and flatter than aluminium arrows. Today, the most popular arrows at tournaments and Olympic events are made of composite materials. The arrowhead
2520-479: Is four-fletched , two opposing fletches are often cock feathers, and occasionally the fletches are not evenly spaced. The fletching may be either parabolic cut (short feathers in a smooth parabolic curve) or shield cut (generally shaped like half of a narrow shield), and is often attached at an angle, known as helical fletching, to introduce a stabilizing spin to the arrow while in flight. Whether helical or straight fletched, when natural fletching (bird feathers)
2646-454: Is a technique eschewing sights and is often preferred by traditional archers (shooters of longbows and recurves). In either the split finger or three finger under case, the string is usually placed in the first or second joint, or else on the pads of the fingers. When using a mechanical release aid, the release is hooked onto the D-loop. Another type of string hold, used on traditional bows, is
SECTION 20
#17327824691342772-463: Is also used in economics to describe a firm that enters a market to take advantage of abnormal profits and then leave. These tactics can be seen in a contestable market . Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows . The word comes from the Latin arcus , meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it
2898-399: Is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an archer , bowman , or toxophilite . The oldest known evidence of the bow and arrow comes from South African sites such as Sibudu Cave , where the remains of bone and stone arrowheads have been found dating approximately 72,000 to 60,000 years ago. Based on indirect evidence,
3024-477: Is the Penobscot bow or Wabenaki bow, invented by Frank Loring (Chief Big Thunder) about 1900. It consists of a small bow attached by cables on the back of a larger main bow. In different cultures, the arrows are released from either the left or right side of the bow, and this affects the hand grip and position of the bow. In Arab archery , Turkish archery , and Japanese archery . The arrows are released from
3150-512: Is the primary functional component of the arrow. Some arrows may simply use a sharpened tip of the solid shaft, but separate arrowheads are far more common, usually made from metal, stone, or other hard materials. The most commonly used forms are target points, field points, and broadheads, although there are also other types, such as bodkin, judo, and blunt heads. Fletching is traditionally made from bird feathers, but solid plastic vanes and thin sheet-like spin vanes are used. They are attached near
3276-512: Is used it is critical that all feathers come from the same side of the bird. Oversized fletchings can be used to accentuate drag and thus limit the range of the arrow significantly; these arrows are called flu-flus . Misplacement of fletchings can change the arrow's flight path dramatically. Dacron and other modern materials offer high strength for their weight and are used on most modern bows. Linen and other traditional materials are still used on traditional bows. Several modern methods of making
3402-491: The Amazons was that they had one breast removed to solve this problem. Roger Ascham mentions one archer, presumably with an unusual shooting style, who wore a leather guard for his face. The drawing digits are normally protected by a leather tab , glove, or thumb ring . A simple tab of leather is commonly used, as is a skeleton glove. Medieval Europeans probably used a complete leather glove. Eurasiatic archers who used
3528-797: The Battle of Ain Jalut , the first defeat of the quickly expanding Mongol Empire. Vastly outnumbered in North America, the French made effective use of hit-and-run raids during the various French and Indian Wars . In the Turkish War of Independence , the Turks fought against the Greeks by hit-and-run tactics before a regular army was set up. Marathas under shivaji and his successors also resorted to hit and run tactics against Mughal Empire. During
3654-462: The Battle of Finta . As the Seimeni did not receive their pay after the battle, they began revolting against the Voivode. Initially, the revolt was stopped with the threat of invasion from George II Rákóczi . Due to the cost of maintaining the army, the new Prince, Constantin Șerban , disbanded the Seimeni in 1655. After this action, the uprising started again, this time the Seimeni being joined by
3780-441: The Battle of Guruslău against Sigismund Báthory in 1601. Besides the local troops of Roșii , Călărași , and Dorobanți , Michael's armies were composed of various mercenaries including Cossacks , Székelys , Serbs , Moldavians, and Germans . Over the course of his reign their number increased, and by 1598 there were over 13,000 mercenaries . During the time of Leon Tomșa , there were 10,000 horsemen and 2,000 footmen in
3906-451: The Dorobanți and some Roșii , and was aimed towards the boyars. The rebelling army reached a number of 20,000 soldiers and 30 cannons. They plundered churches, monasteries , and boyar estates, killing 32 boyars in the process. With help from Rákóczi, the rebel army led by Hrizea of Bogdănei was defeated in battle at Șoplea after the betrayal of some rebel commanders who joined forces with
Wallachian military forces - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-700: The Holy League , the troops under his command were ordered to sabotage the Ottoman siege works and left the battlefield soon after Sobieski 's attack without taking part in the battle. In 1711, Constantin Brâncoveanu prepared his army near the Moldavian border and waited for the Russian army. Due to the Voivode's hesitations, Spătar Toma Cantacuzino left with eight cavalry regiments to join with
4158-817: The Kongsberg attack . Deities and heroes in several mythologies are described as archers, including the Greek Artemis and Apollo , the Roman Diana and Cupid , the Germanic Agilaz , continuing in legends like those of Wilhelm Tell , Palnetoke , or Robin Hood . Armenian Hayk and Babylonian Marduk , Indian Karna (also known as Radheya/son of Radha), Abhimanyu , Eklavya , Arjuna , Bhishma , Drona , Rama , and Shiva were known for their shooting skills. The famous archery competition of hitting
4284-597: The Levant , artifacts that could be arrow-shaft straighteners are known from the Natufian culture , (c. 10,800–8,300 BC) onwards. The Khiamian and PPN A shouldered Khiam-points may well be arrowheads. Classical civilizations, notably the Assyrians , Greeks , Armenians , Persians , Parthians , Romans , Indians , Koreans , Chinese , and Japanese fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. Akkadians were
4410-620: The Middle Ages through the early modern period , the soldiers ( voinici ) of the Wallachian army were organized in three types of military units : The Wallachian Army used various units between the 14th and the 19th centuries: The first mention of Wallachia's use of ships for military operations comes from Jean de Wavrin , who wrote about the 1445 Burgundian expedition in Wallachia. During this expedition led by Walerand de Wavrin,
4536-747: The Mongol invasion of Europe , two such leaders, Bezerenbam and Mișelav , fought against the invading Mongol armies. Bezerenbam's army was defeated in the Ilaut Country , while Mișelav's army was defeated by Budjek. In 1277, the Wallachian voivode Litovoi , first mentioned in the Diploma of the Joannites , fought against the Hungarians over the lands claimed by the Hungarian crown . Litovoi
4662-509: The Râureni camp by Gheorghe Magheru . Due to the poor economic conditions which did not allow the resistance to properly arm itself, and due to the hesitation of some revolution leaders, these troops never entered combat with the Ottomans. On 24 September, the Ottomans set up their camp at Cotroceni , being faced by several thousand peasants who tried to defend Bucharest. After arresting
4788-557: The Transylvanian Saxons who supported his rivals. He also defeated an Ottoman army led by Hamza Bey in 1460. In 1462, Vlad launched a campaign south of the Danube. Dividing his army into six columns, he attacked strategic settlements near the river. Vlad led the army heading towards Nicopolis . During this offensive, he utilized culverins in his attack on Svishtov , and also destroyed a number of 50 Ottoman ships. During
4914-693: The Vietnam War , Viet Cong forces used hit-and-run tactics to great effectiveness against U.S. military forces. The tactic was also used in Afghanistan by rebel forces during the Soviet–Afghan War . Various Iraqi insurgent groups have also used hit-and-run tactics against Iraqi Security Forces and American-led coalition forces in Iraq. Improvised fighting vehicles, called " technicals ", are often used in such operations. The term "hit-and-run"
5040-605: The bow and arrow obsolete in warfare, although efforts were sometimes made to preserve archery practice. In England and Wales, for example, the government tried to enforce practice with the longbow until the end of the 16th century. This was because it was recognized that the bow had been instrumental to military success during the Hundred Years' War . Despite the high social status, ongoing utility, and widespread pleasure of archery in Armenia, China, Egypt, England and Wales,
5166-435: The drawing hand or string hand . Terms such as bow shoulder or string elbow follow the same convention. If shooting according to eye dominance, right-eye-dominant archers shooting conventionally hold the bow with their left hand. If shooting according to hand dexterity, the archer draws the string with the hand that possesses the greatest dexterity, regardless of eye dominance. To shoot an arrow, an archer first assumes
Wallachian military forces - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-508: The night attack on Mehmet 's camp near Târgoviște in 1462, the Voivode's army took heavy losses. The large host ( oastea cea mare ) was an army that consisted of peasants and city dwellers. The number of soldiers in this army could reach 30 to 40,000. Once the Prince ordered the call to arms, special envoys were dispatched to the territory to deliver the message. Territorial governors ( vornici de județ and vornici de târg ) then passed
5418-490: The port areas. Between 1844 and 1845, the river police corps was equipped with three gunboats built in Austria and with another 42 boats. Of the three, one was armed with two 3-pounder guns and two 1-pounder guns, and the other two were armed with one 3-pounder. The gunboats patrolled the ports of Brăila , Giurgiu , and Calafat . In 1851, another gunboat was purchased. Hit-and-run tactics Hit-and-run tactics are
5544-552: The " Hrisov for the country's ships, which are to sail on the waters of the Danube" ( Hrisov pentru corăbiile țărei, ce sunt a umbla pe apa Dunărei ). In 1794, 5 large sailing ships and 16 smaller vessels were built, followed by two gunboats a year later. With the establishment of the regular armies of Wallachia and Moldavia, each state created a flotilla of 26 row boats . The Wallachian boats were constructed in Giurgiu . These were crewed by army soldiers and tasked with patrolling
5670-517: The " militia " (army) was Spătar Alexandru Ghica, while the officer corps was made up of boyars and sons of boyars. The regimental commanders, appointed in July 1830, were Colonel Emanuel Băleanu and Major I. Solomon. Alexandru Ghica's brother, Costache, became the inspector of the cavalry. The reception of certain Pandur chiefs, like Christian Tell , as officers in the army caused some displeasure among
5796-703: The 15th century BC. The Welsh longbow proved its worth for the first time in Continental warfare at the Battle of Crécy . In the Americas archery was widespread at European contact. Archery was highly developed in Asia. The Sanskrit term for archery, dhanurvidya , came to refer to martial arts in general. In East Asia, Goguryeo , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea was well known for its regiments of exceptionally skilled archers. The medieval shortbow
5922-466: The 2nd Line Infantry Regiment and the 7th Company of the 1st Line Infantry Regiment, refused to hand over the barracks to the Ottomans. In the ensuing battle [ ro ] , the Wallachain soldiers managed to hold their lines. To try and break them, the Ottomans used their cannons, causing casualties among the defenders. The firemen rushed the two pieces of artillery and managed to turn them on
6048-669: The Americas , India, Japan, Korea, Turkey and elsewhere, almost every culture that gained access to even early firearms used them widely, to the neglect of archery. Early firearms were inferior in rate-of-fire, and were very sensitive to wet weather. However, they had longer effective range and were tactically superior in the common situation of soldiers shooting at each other from behind obstructions. They also required significantly less training to use properly, in particular penetrating steel armor without any need to develop special musculature. Armies equipped with guns could thus provide superior firepower, and highly trained archers became obsolete on
6174-536: The Austrian vanguard of 5,000 Hungarian Hussars and 300 Germans was attacked and destroyed at Pitești , forcing the main army corps to retreat towards Oltenia . The Wallachian army continued the offensive and further defeated a 10,000-strong Imperial army at Râmnicu Vâlcea in November. By December 1737, all of Oltenia was under Wallachian control. The next year, an Austrian attack was repelled at Cozia and
6300-591: The Central Asian steppes, and they formed a large part of armies that repeatedly conquered large areas of Eurasia. Shorter bows are more suited to use on horseback, and the composite bow enabled mounted archers to use powerful weapons. Seljuk Turks used mounted archers against the European First Crusade , especially at the Battle of Dorylaeum (1097) . Their tactic was to shoot at the enemy infantry, and use their superior mobility to prevent
6426-440: The Danube and won at the Battle of Călugăreni a year later. With new support from Transylvania, Michael launched another offensive against the Ottomans in the summer of 1595, continuing with his attacks as far as Adrianopole . His anti-Ottoman campaigns lasted until 1599. After the peace with the Ottomans, Michael then attacked Transylvania and disposed of Andrew Báthory following the Battle of Șelimbăr . His last victory came at
SECTION 50
#17327824691346552-559: The Grand National 11 times in a row and published a highly influential guide to the sport in 1856. Towards the end of the 19th century, the sport experienced declining participation as alternative sports such as croquet and tennis became more popular among the middle class. By 1889, just 50 archery clubs were left in Britain, but it was still included as a sport at the 1900 Paris Olympics . The National Archery Association of
6678-661: The Italian chronicle " Cronaca Carrarese ", Radu I of Wallachia acquired a number of 10,000 suits of armour from the Republic of Venice around the year 1377. In a document issued by John Zápolya to the Saxons of Brașov regarding a ban imposed by the King on the arms trade with Wallachia in 1522, it is detailed that the Saxons were bringing many weapons and armour to Transylvania from Hungary, and then selling them to Wallachia. From
6804-480: The Moldavians captured this fort. Like Moldavia, Wallachia predominantly used light cavalry , therefore they were lightly equipped with their defensive equipment mainly consisting of a shield of different shapes ( round , triangular, or winged ). Gambesons and mail armour were also used. The viteji and the boyars, could be equipped with heavier equipment including plate armour . For example, according to
6930-720: The Ottomans. Due to the entry of the United Kingdom and France into the war on the side of the Ottomans, the Russians were forced to retreat from the Principalities. Following the Boiagi-Kioi agreement from 14 July 1854, the Principalities were to come under a joint Austrian -Ottoman occupation. An Ottoman and an Austrian brigade were to be stationed in Bucharest, and General Johann Baptist Coronini-Cronberg
7056-463: The Ottomans. Due to the intervention of an Ottoman cavalry squadron, however, the Wallachians were pushed back. Seeing the determined defense of their opponents, the Ottomans went on to negotiate with them. In exchange for laying down their weapons, they were to be guaranteed safe exit from the barracks, however, once a group of unarmed soldiers left the barracks the Turks opened fire. Eventually,
7182-499: The Prince. The remnants of the Seimeni were further defeated at Târgul Bengăi. The uprising, although subsided, continued until 1657. As an Ottoman vassal , Prince Șerban Cantacuzino was required to participate in the siege of Vienna in 1683. The 4,000 strong army raised by the Prince was given auxiliary tasks, such as building bridges, as the Ottomans did not have much faith in them. Since Cantacuzino had secretly allied himself with
7308-545: The Russians on 22 June. The Wallachian cavalry led by Toma took part in the siege of Brăila together with a Russian detachment led by General Carl Ewald von Rönne , an event which would lead to Brâncoveanu's arrest and execution. After the establishment of the Phanariot rule, the armies of Wallachia and Moldavia continued their service. Like a century prior, the Wallachian army was mainly made up of mercenaries. A total number of 27 different types of troops existed throughout
7434-534: The Toxophilite Society in London in 1781, with the patronage of George, the Prince of Wales . Archery societies were set up across the country, each with its own strict entry criteria and outlandish costumes. Recreational archery soon became extravagant social and ceremonial events for the nobility, complete with flags, music and 21-gun salutes for the competitors. The clubs were "the drawing rooms of
7560-475: The United States was organized in 1879, in part by Maurice Thompson (the author of the seminal text “ The Witchery of Archery ”) and his brother Will Thompson . Maurice was president in its inaugural year and Will was president in 1882, 1903, and 1904. The 1910 President was Frank E Canfield. Today it is known as USA Archery and is recognized by United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee . In
7686-596: The United States, primitive archery was revived in the early 20th century. The last of the Yahi Indian tribe, a native known as Ishi , came out of hiding in California in 1911. His doctor, Saxton Pope , learned many of Ishi's traditional archery skills, and popularized them. The Pope and Young Club , founded in 1961 and named in honor of Pope and his friend, Arthur Young, became one of North America's leading bowhunting and conservation organizations. Founded as
SECTION 60
#17327824691347812-587: The Voivode himself led a 3,000-strong army in support of the invasion of Moldavia against Petru Rareș . To better equip his army with cannons for an upcoming anti-Ottoman offensive, Voivode Petru Cercel established a bronze cannon foundry in Târgoviște . The foundry, organized with the help of Venetian craftsmen, functioned until the end of his reign. Voivode Michael the Brave carried out several successful campaigns. In 1594, he captured several Turkish forts along
7938-470: The Wallachain Voivode Vlad Dracul offered to guide the Burgundian fleet on the Danube . A number of 40 or 50 monoxyles with 500 soldiers were sent to aid the eight crusader galleys . These kinds of boats might have also been used by Vlad the Impaler during his 1462 campaign south of the Danube. During the reign of Michael the Brave , the voivode constructed șăici of various sizes to arm his fleet. These were used to harass Ottoman commercial ships on
8064-452: The Wallachian army, as the Voivode recounted to Paul Strassburg, a secret counselor of King Gustav II Adolph . Prince Matei Basarab increased the number of soldiers in his army. The army, divided into Roșii , servants ( Dorobanți and Călărași ), and mercenaries reached around 40,000 soldiers. In 1646, Matei Basarab hired additional mercenaries, the Serbian Seimeni . With this army and with his Polish allies, he defeated Vasile Lupu at
8190-506: The advance of an army and to try and lure the enemy into more defensible places like marshes , wooded areas , or mountain passes . The equipment and weapons of the Wallachian soldiers during the Middle Ages were Western-like with melee weapons like lances , swords , and maces . Later, with the influence of the Ottoman Empire , eastern style sabers were adopted. Ranged weapons used were bows and crossbows . The bows were made of hazel , hornbeam , ash or elm wood and their string
8316-503: The archer when the bow is unstrung. The cross-section of the limb also varies; the classic longbow is a tall bow with narrow limbs that are D-shaped in cross section, and the flatbow has flat wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. Cable-backed bows use cords as the back of the bow; the draw weight of the bow can be adjusted by changing the tension of the cable. They were widespread among Inuit who lacked easy access to good bow wood. One variety of cable-backed bow
8442-431: The arrow). This step is called "nocking the arrow". Typical arrows with three vanes should be oriented such that a single vane, the "cock feather", is pointing away from the bow, to improve the clearance of the arrow as it passes the arrow rest. A compound bow is fitted with a special type of arrow rest, known as a launcher, and the arrow is usually loaded with the cock feather/vane pointed either up, or down, depending upon
8568-402: The barracks were captured, and the rest of the city was pacified as well. In June 1853, Russian troops crossed into the two Danubian Principalities and occupied them without declaring war on the Ottoman Empire. The Russian administration decided to incorporate the Wallachian and Moldavian troops into the Imperial Russian Army . At the same time, volunteer detachments were formed to fight against
8694-418: The base of an abbey tower to dislodge a wood pigeon placed approximately 30 m (98 ft) above.) The Royal Company of Archers was formed in 1676 and is one of the oldest sporting bodies in the world. Archery remained a small and scattered pastime, however, until the late 18th century when it experienced a fashionable revival among the aristocracy . Sir Ashton Lever , an antiquarian and collector, formed
8820-438: The battlefield. However, the bow and arrow is still an effective weapon, and archers have seen military action in the 21st century. Traditional archery remains in use for sport, and for hunting in many areas. Early recreational archery societies included the Finsbury Archers and the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers. The latter's annual Papingo event was first recorded in 1483. (In this event, archers shoot vertically from
8946-419: The battles against the Ottomans during the Crimean War , being confiscated by the Russians to avoid capture after their retreat from the Principality. The artillery was returned after the unification with Moldavia . During the 1848 revolution , as the Ottoman army led by Omar Pasha and Fuat Pasha crossed into Wallachia, an armed resistance began to be organized. Military units of the army were rallied at
9072-637: The bow also seems to have appeared or reappeared later in Eurasia, near the transition from the Upper Paleolithic to the Mesolithic . The earliest definite remains of bow and arrow from Europe are possible fragments from Germany found at Mannheim-Vogelstang dated 17,500 to 18,000 years ago, and at Stellmoor dated 11,000 years ago. Azilian points found in Grotte du Bichon , Switzerland, alongside
9198-449: The bow and draws the string, with varying alignments for vertical versus slightly canted bow positions. This is often one fluid motion for shooters of recurves and longbows, which tend to vary from archer to archer. Compound shooters often experience a slight jerk during the drawback, at around the last 4 cm (1.6 in), where the draw weight is at its maximum—before relaxing into a comfortable stable full draw position. The archer draws
9324-494: The bow heavier. One purpose of stabilizers are to offset these forces. A reflex riser design will cause the top limb to lean towards the shooter. In this case a heavier front stabilizer is desired to offset this action. A deflex riser design has the opposite effect and a lighter front stabilizer may be used. Stabilizers can reduce noise and vibration. These energies are absorbed by viscoelastic polymers, gels, powders, and other materials used to build stabilizers. Stabilizers improve
9450-404: The bow in the left hand.) Therefore, if one is right-eye dominant, they would hold the bow in the left hand and draw the string with the right hand. However, not everyone agrees with this line of thought. A smoother, and more fluid release of the string will produce the most consistently repeatable shots, and therefore may provide greater accuracy of the arrow flight. Some believe that the hand with
9576-582: The boyars. In 1843, with the occasion of a visit to Constantinople and advised by Lieutenant Ion Emanuel Florescu , Prince Gheorghe Bibescu requested and received four cannons for equipping the Wallachian army. The 4-pounder cannons, similar to the Gribeauval system , entered service with the first modern artillery battery of Wallachia on 10 November 1843. Another eight artillery pieces were received in 1849 and by 1850 these were organized in two batteries of six guns each. The two batteries participated in
9702-602: The call to arms to villages and towns . In an Ottoman document from 1521, it is specified that this mobilization took at least 20 days. The first documented mention of the large host comes from the reign of Mircea the Elder in 1408 when the Voivode granted a village to the abbot of the Snagov Monastery , who was exempt from all taxes but not from service in the large host. Vlad the Impaler tried to raise this army in
9828-535: The century. Their equipment and uniforms varied between each troop type. Though the boyars who led them were not trained at military academies , they studied the military tactics of their time and instructed their troops accordingly. While the Phanariot armies carried out their tasks well during peacetime, such as guarding the Princely Courts , borders, and towns, and ensuring public order; during wartime,
9954-416: The correct stance. The body should be at or nearly perpendicular to the target and the shooting line, with the feet placed shoulder-width apart. As an archer progresses from beginner to a more advanced level other stances such as the "open stance" or the "closed stance" may be used, although many choose to stick with a "neutral stance". Each archer has a particular preference, but mostly this term indicates that
10080-544: The early Crusades , with models having a range of 274 m (899 ft) and being able to penetrate armour or kill a horse. During the late medieval period the English army famously relied on massed archers armed with the longbow . The French army relied more on the crossbow. Like their predecessors archers were more likely to be peasants or yeomen than men-at-arms. The longbow had a range of up to 270 m (890 ft). However its lack of accuracy at long ranges made it
10206-749: The efficiency of these armies was limited due to the poor training of the troops, lack of equipment, and the lack of a well-trained officer corps . Some victories were however achieved. During the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739 , an army led by Spătar Ioan Nicolae Mavrocordat, Constantin Mavrocordat 's brother, together with an Ottoman detachment defeated the Austrian troops in the Argeș and Muscel counties in September 1737. On 18 October,
10332-497: The ends of the limbs to achieve this. A typical let-off is anywhere from 65% to 80%. For example, a 27 kg (60 lb) bow with 80% let-off only requires 53 N (12 lb f ) to hold at full draw. Up to 99% let-off is possible. The compound bow was invented by Holless Wilbur Allen in the 1960s (a US patent was filed in 1966 and granted in 1969) and it has become the most widely used type of bow for all forms of archery in North America. Mechanically drawn bows typically have
10458-674: The enemy from closing with them. Empires throughout the Eurasian landmass often strongly associated their respective "barbarian" counterparts with the usage of the bow and arrow, to the point where powerful states like the Han dynasty referred to their neighbours, the Xiong-nu , as "Those Who Draw the Bow". For example, Xiong-nu mounted bowmen made them more than a match for the Han military, and their threat
10584-478: The enemy when and where conditions are more favorable. Examples of the latter include commando or other special forces attacks, reconnaissance-in-force , or sorties from a fortress, castle, or other strongpoint . Hit-and-run tactics were also used by the lightly-armed horse archers , typical of the Eurasian steppe peoples, who excelled at them. That holds especially true for such troops that were not part of
10710-631: The eye of a rotating fish while watching its reflection in the water bowl was one of the many archery skills depicted in the Mahabharata . Persian Arash was a famous archer. Earlier Greek representations of Heracles normally depict him as an archer. Archery, and the bow, play an important part in the epic poem the Odyssey, when Odysseus returns home in disguise and then bests the suitors in an archery competition after hinting at his identity by stringing and drawing his great bow that only he can draw,
10836-559: The first phase of the battle which lasted two days, the Hungarian army was stopped in the valley and attacked with ranged weapons. The last two days of battle were primarily fought in melee combat , which marked the character of the battle. While portrayed only as peasants armed with bows and rocks in the Illuminated Chronicle , the Wallachian army of Basarab was just as well equipped as the King's army as noted by Stephen,
10962-496: The first to use composite bows in war according to the victory stele of Naram-Sin of Akkad . Egyptians referred to Nubia as "Ta-Seti," or "The Land of the Bow," since the Nubians were known to be expert archers, and by the 16th Century BC Egyptians were using the composite bow in warfare. The Bronze Age Aegean Cultures were able to deploy a number of state-owned specialized bow makers for warfare and hunting purposes already from
11088-435: The forgiveness and accuracy by increasing the moment of inertia of the bow to resist movement during the shooting process. Lightweight carbon stabilizers with weighted ends are desirable because they improve the moment of inertia while minimizing the weight added. The standard convention on teaching archery is to hold the bow depending upon eye dominance. (One exception is in modern kyūdō where all archers are trained to hold
11214-422: The great country houses placed outside" and thus came to play an important role in the social networks of the local upper class. As well as its emphasis on display and status, the sport was notable for its popularity with females. Young women could not only compete in the contests but retain and show off their sexuality while doing so. Thus, archery came to act as a forum for introductions, flirtation and romance. It
11340-406: The greatest dexterity should therefore be the hand that draws and releases the string. Either eye can be used for aiming, and the less dominant eye can be trained over time to become more effective for use. To assist with this, an eye patch can be temporarily worn over the dominant eye. The hand that holds the bow is referred to as the bow hand and its arm the bow arm . The opposite hand is called
11466-630: The heroic character Lockseley winning an archery tournament. The 1840s saw the second attempts at turning the recreation into a modern sport. The first Grand National Archery Society meeting was held in York in 1844 and over the next decade the extravagant and festive practices of the past were gradually whittled away and the rules were standardized as the 'York Round' - a series of shoots at 55 m (180 ft), 73 m (240 ft), and 91 m (299 ft). Horace A. Ford helped to improve archery standards and pioneered new archery techniques. He won
11592-540: The historical character of Zhou Tong features in many fictional forms. Jumong , the first Taewang of the Goguryeo kingdom of the Three Kingdoms of Korea , is claimed by legend to have been a near-godlike archer. Archery features in the story of Oguz Khagan. Similarly, archery and the bow feature heavily into historical Korean identity. In West African Yoruba belief, Osoosi is one of several deities of
11718-433: The hunt who are identified with bow and arrow iconography and other insignia associated with archery. While there is great variety in the construction details of bows (both historical and modern), all bows consist of a string attached to elastic limbs that store mechanical energy imparted by the user drawing the string. Bows may be broadly split into two categories: those drawn by pulling the string directly and those that use
11844-446: The inside of the bow arm from being hit by the string and prevent clothing from catching the bowstring. The bracer does not brace the arm; the word comes from the armoury term " brassard ", meaning an armoured sleeve or badge. The Navajo people have developed highly ornamented bracers as non-functional items of adornment. Some archers (nearly all female archers) wear protection on their chests, called chestguards or plastrons. The myth of
11970-554: The lack of weapons they were defeated by the Turkish cavalry with hundreds of peasants being killed in the fight. The third Ottoman column, led by Kerim Pasha advanced along Calea Pandurilor, heading to the barracks on Dealul Spirii . Despite being ordered not to do so, Captain Pavel Zăgănescu [ ro ] prepared the fire company for armed resistance. At the same time, Colonel Radu Golescu [ ro ] with
12096-411: The leg furthest from the shooting line is a half to a whole foot-length from the other foot, on the ground. To load, the bow is pointed toward the ground, tipped slightly clockwise of vertical (for a right handed shooter) and the shaft of the arrow is placed on the arrow rest or shelf. The back of the arrow is attached to the bowstring with the nock (a small locking groove located at the proximal end of
12222-779: The modern recurve and compound bow . These modern forms are now dominant in modern Western archery; traditional bows are in a minority. Archery returned to the Olympics in 1972. In the 1980s, the skills of traditional archery were revived by American enthusiasts, and combined with the new scientific understanding. Much of this expertise is available in the Traditional Bowyer's Bibles (see Further reading). Modern game archery owes much of its success to Fred Bear , an American bow hunter and bow manufacturer. In 2021, five people were killed and three injured by an archer in Norway in
12348-453: The modern spin vanes. This fletch is called the "index fletch" or "cock feather" (also known as "the odd vane out" or "the nocking vane"), and the others are sometimes called the "hen feathers". Commonly, the cock feather is of a different color. However, if archers are using fletching made of feather or similar material, they may use same color vanes, as different dyes can give varying stiffness to vanes, resulting in less precision. When an arrow
12474-478: The nock (rear) end of the arrow with thin double sided tape, glue, or, traditionally, sinew. The most common configuration in all cultures is three fletches, though as many as six have been used. Two makes the arrow unstable in flight. When the arrow is three-fletched , the fletches are equally spaced around the shaft, with one placed such that it is perpendicular to the bow when nocked on the string, though variations are seen with modern equipment, especially when using
12600-510: The purchase of firearms from Brașov also exists, while archeological evidence suggests that the first guns of Wallachia date to the rule of Mircea the Elder . The use of wagon forts by Wallachia was first noted during the battle [ ro ] of Râmnicu Sărat in November 1473, when Radu the Handsome used one against the army of Stephen the Great of Moldavia. After the battle,
12726-526: The remains of both a bear and a hunter, with flint fragments found in the bear's third vertebra, suggest the use of arrows at 13,500 years ago. Other signs of its use in Europe come from the Stellmoor [ de ] in the Ahrensburg valley [ de ] north of Hamburg , Germany and dates from the late Paleolithic , about 10,000–9000 BC. The arrows were made of pine and consisted of
12852-405: The revolution leaders, the Ottoman army began marching towards the city on 25 September, dividing their forces in three columns. The first column, led by Mehmed Pasha, passed through Văcărești . The larger second column, led by Fuat and Omar Pasha, forced their entry through the barrier at Beilic Bridge (Calea Șerban Vodă). The peasants tried to stop the advance of the Ottoman column, however, due to
12978-403: The right hand side of the bow, and this affects construction of the bow. In western archery, the arrow is usually released from the left hand side of the bow for a right-handed archer. Compound bows are designed to reduce the force required to hold the string at full draw, hence allowing the archer more time to aim with less muscular stress. Most compound designs use cams or elliptical wheels on
13104-563: The river. According to Turkish chronicler Mustafa Selaniki , in 1596 the Wallachians used some 200 șăici to transport an army of over 2,000 soldiers and attack Ottoman positions in the Babadag region. In 1598, these ships were also used to carry out an attack on Vidin , transporting soldiers, horses, artillery, and ammunition. The șaica along with other boats was further used in the attack against Nicopolis. Voivode Constantin Brâncoveanu also encouraged naval construction. During his reign,
13230-413: The so-called Brâncovean caïques were built. These caïques were similar to galleys, being crewed by 28 oarsmen , one or two gunners, a helmsman , and a commander, and could transport up to 100 soldiers. In 1793, Alexander Mourouzis obtained the approval of The Porte to build a small flotilla of " bolozane , șăici , caïques, and other vessels, to carry out the emperor 's orders". For this, he issued
13356-595: The son of the Cuman Ispán Parabuh. Wars with Hungary continued during the reign of Vladislav Vlaicu , with Vlaicu defeating an army led by Nicholas Lackfi in the autumn of 1368, though he later submitted to Louis I . For a battle against the Hungarians, Radu I prepared his army with armour from Venice as described in Cronaca Carrarese by Galeazzo and Bartolomeo Gatari. His army
13482-399: The string hand towards the face, where it should rest lightly at a fixed anchor point . This point is consistent from shot to shot, and is usually at the corner of the mouth, on the chin, to the cheek, or to the ear, depending on preferred shooting style. The archer holds the bow arm outwards, toward the target. The elbow of this arm should be rotated so that the inner elbow is perpendicular to
13608-571: The summer of 1462, during Mehmet's invasion. Due to the relatively short time, Vlad failed to form the army and only relied on his small host. From the first half of the 16th century, this army was no longer raised. The last mention of the large host comes from Vlad Înecatul , who mentioned that villagers were still required to serve in this army. After this mention, the large host never appeared in any documents or other sources. During his four reigns as Voivode between 1522 and 1529, Radu of Afumați fought in 20 battles with Ottoman-supported pretenders to
13734-513: The supervision of Russian General Pavel Kiseleff , a Wallachian standing army was created. In April 1830, a committee composed of General Starov, Lieutenant Alexandru Ghica , Colonel Ment, and Lieutenant-colonel Ion Odobescu was formed. According to the drafted law, the Wallachian army was to be organized into 6 infantry battalions and 6 cavalry squadrons . The core of this army were the Pandurs , which formed six battalions. Around June 1830, it
13860-631: The thoracic cavity of another skeleton, suggest the use of stone-tipped arrows as weapons about 10,000 years ago. Bows eventually replaced the spear-thrower as the predominant means for launching shafted projectiles , on every continent except Australasia , though spear-throwers persisted alongside the bow in parts of the Americas, notably Mexico and among the Inuit . Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian and neighbouring Nubian culture since its respective predynastic and Pre-Kerma origins. In
13986-594: The throne such as Vladislav III and Mehmed Bey. He won an important victory against Mehmed Bey at Grumazi. Forced out of the country in a new campaign launched by Mehmed, Radu gained support from John Zápolya , the Voivode of Transylvania , and defeated the pretender in the autumn of 1522. The army of Radu Paisie participated in the Ottoman expedition in Hungary under the command of Ban Șerban of Izvorani. In 1538,
14112-539: The thumb or Mongolian draw protected their thumbs, usually with leather according to the author of Arab Archery , but also with special rings of various hard materials. Many surviving Turkish and Chinese examples are works of considerable art. Some are so highly ornamented that the users could not have used them to loose an arrow. Possibly these were items of personal adornment, and hence value, remaining extant whilst leather had virtually no intrinsic value and would also deteriorate with time. In traditional Japanese archery
14238-557: The troops under Constantin Mavrocordat forced a Russian army to retreat to Transylvania. Other victories were registered against the Austrians along the Wallachian border by the army of Nicolae Mavrogheni in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) before the allied victory at the Battle of Focșani . The Wallachian soldiers mainly wore green and blue colored uniforms , with red being reserved for nobles, though eventually red
14364-537: The type favoured by the Mongol warriors, known as the "thumb release", style. This involves using the thumb to draw the string, with the fingers curling around the thumb to add some support. To release the string, the fingers are opened out and the thumb relaxes to allow the string to slide off the thumb. When using this type of release, the arrow should rest on the same side of the bow as the drawing hand i.e. Left hand draw = arrow on left side of bow. The archer then raises
14490-403: The type of launcher being used. The bowstring and arrow are held with three fingers, or with a mechanical arrow release. Most commonly, for finger shooters, the index finger is placed above the arrow and the next two fingers below, although several other techniques have their adherents around the world, involving three fingers below the arrow, or an arrow pinching technique. Instinctive shooting
14616-439: The way for their cataphracts ' attack, which achieved the decisive victories at the Battle of Carrhae and Battle of Edessa . The use of hit-and-run tactics dates back even earlier to the nomadic Scythians of Central Asia , who used them against Darius the Great 's Persian Achaemenid Empire and later against Alexander the Great 's Macedonian Empire . The Turkish general Baibars also successfully used hit-and-run during
14742-550: Was adopted by officers and certain troops as well. Yellow uniforms were sometimes worn by officers, while white ones were worn by the Princely Court guards. Other troops might have worn uniforms in multiple colors. Some irregular troops like the potecași wore peasant clothes . During the Russian occupation of the Danubian Principalities from 1829 to 1834, the Wallachian army was modernized. Under
14868-471: Was announced that the new army would have 6 cavalry squadrons, and 3 regiments (the 1st [ ro ] , 2nd [ ro ] and 3rd [ ro ] line infantry regiments), each with 2 infantry battalions. The previous Wallachian units were disbanded and the soldiers were instead transferred to the Dorobanți units which would ensure the internal guard of the country. The commander of
14994-580: Was at least partially responsible for Chinese expansion into the Ordos region, to create a stronger, more powerful buffer zone against them. It is possible that "barbarian" peoples were responsible for introducing archery or certain types of bows to their "civilized" counterparts – the Xiong-nu and the Han being one example. Similarly, short bows seem to have been introduced to Japan by northeast Asian groups. The development of firearms rendered
15120-463: Was however defeated in the clash according to the chronicle . During the reign of Mircea the Elder , Wallachia first faced the Ottomans . A victory was achieved at the Battle of Rovine , and Mircea also participated in the Battle of Nicopolis . In 1430, a document issued by King Sigismund of Luxembourg mentioned that Wallachia and Moldavia could raise an army of 10,000 pancerati , and in 1448
15246-461: Was killed in the battle, and his brother, Bărbat , was captured and forced to pay a ransom and recognize Hungarian rule. One of the first military actions after the founding of Wallachia was the Battle of Velbazhd in 1330. There, an army led by Basarab I fought alongside the Bulgarians . The battle ended in a defeat. In the same year, Wallachia was invaded by Charles I of Hungary who
15372-493: Was made of flax , hemp , or bowels . According to historian Radu Rosetti , the Wallachian archers could shoot about 10-12 arrows per minute, up to a distance of 220 m (720 ft). The use of guns in Wallachia was first mentioned in the mid-15th century when Vlad Dracul used two bombards during the siege of Giurgiu in 1445 as part of the Burgundian crusade led by Walerand de Wavrin. A prior mention from 1432 of
15498-465: Was named commander of the occupation troops. The occupation lasted until 1857. The strategies used by Wallachia, as in Moldavia , were mostly defensive in nature. In order to disrupt an enemy's advance in the country, the population was often required to retreat to the wooded or mountainous regions, while the army engaged in hit-and-run tactics and avoided direct confrontations. This was done to delay
15624-424: Was often consciously styled in the manner of a Medieval tournament with titles and laurel wreaths being presented as a reward to the victor. General meetings were held from 1789, in which local lodges convened together to standardise the rules and ceremonies. Archery was also co-opted as a distinctively British tradition, dating back to the lore of Robin Hood and it served as a patriotic form of entertainment at
15750-472: Was seeking to recapture the "marginal lands" held by Basarab. The Hungarian royal army captured Severin in September, appointing Dionysius Széchy as Ban . Due to the poor supplies of Charles' army, he was compelled to sign an armistice and retreat from Wallachia. His army was ambushed by Basarab in a mountain valley on 9 November. According to historian Constantin Rezachevici [ ro ] , in
15876-430: Was technically identical with the classical era bows, having a range of approximately 91 m (299 ft). It was the primary ranged weapon of the battlefield through the early medieval period. Around the tenth century the crossbow was introduced in Europe. Crossbows generally had a longer range, greater accuracy and more penetration than the shortbow, but suffered from a much slower rate of fire. Crossbows were used in
#133866