How did Infantry Take Over Medieval Battlefields and Push Cavalry into the Background?
So far, we have seen that cavalry dominated warfare, while infantry was often overlooked and rarely taken seriously. But that soon changed. Read on to find out how.
As mentioned in the last post, cavalry dominated warfare throughout the early and high Middle Ages. Infantry, by contrast, was largely overlooked and rarely taken seriously. Foot soldiers were often seen as background players — useful, perhaps, but not decisive. That perception began to change in the 14th century, when infantry slowly but surely started proving that fighting on foot could be just as effective as charging on horseback.
Flemish Infantry: A Turning Point for Medieval Foot Soldiers
Flemish infantry offers a textbook example of how medieval foot soldiers could challenge mounted elites. They were well equipped, wearing full armor that included helmets, gauntlets, and chest protection, and they fought with bows, crossbows, and spears.
Their most famous success came at the Battle of Courtrai in July 1302. Flemish cities had rebelled against the French king and laid siege to the castle of Courtrai. In response, the king sent a force of around 2,500 knights and 8,000 infantry to crush the uprising. Confident in his numerical superiority, the French king assumed the Flemings would flee at the sight of his army.
Instead, the Flemish infantry retreated to marshy terrain outside the city, flanked by streams that protected them from side attacks. When the French cavalry charged, it found itself trapped, disorganized, and ultimately destroyed. The victory at Courtrai not only secured a Flemish triumph but also seriously challenged the long-held belief that cavalry was unbeatable.
Swiss Infantry: Masters of Organization
Another major milestone for infantry came in 1315 at the Battle of Morgarten, the first major military success of the Swiss Confederation against the Austrian Habsburgs. Swiss soldiers relied heavily on the halberd as their primary weapon, using it to devastating effect against armored cavalry.
The halberd required strength, skill, and excellent timing, but it was terrifyingly effective. It could pierce armor and deliver fatal blows, making it a favorite weapon despite its demanding handling. Due to its size, it couldn’t be used with a shield, so Swiss soldiers depended on speed and precision rather than brute defense.
In addition to halberds, Swiss infantry also employed long spears. Their success lay not only in weapon choice but in superior organization. Wearing relatively light armor, Swiss soldiers could move quickly across the battlefield. Like the Flemings, they fought in dense, deep formations, with the first four ranks holding spears angled slightly downward, ready to repel cavalry. The ranks behind held their spears higher, creating a forest of points that was anything but inviting to charge into.
By the 14th century, infantry had firmly established its value. Knights increasingly dismounted and joined infantry formations, discovering that heavy armor protected them well, but also made graceful movement something of a challenge.
The Beginning of a New Age in Warfare
By the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the balance between infantry and cavalry shifted decisively. Cavalry gradually faded from its dominant role, and the spear gave way to the firearm. Infantry equipment became lighter, armor fell out of use, and with that, the Middle Ages quietly came to an end on the battlefield.
Write in the comments who you think introduced firearms on European battlefields.
#history #middleages #warfare #wartactics #infantry #conflict #battle #battlefield
Sources:
Palermo, B., Waddell, J., Medieval arms, armor and tactics: Tactics of the Middle Ages, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2002
Pješaštvo. Hrvatska enciklopedija, mrežno izdanje. Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, 2013. – 2026. https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/pjesastvo
Britannica Editors. "Battle of Morgarten." Encyclopedia Britannica, November 8, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Morgarten.