Forces of the Hanseatic League

13th–15th Centuries

Forces of the Hanseatic League cover

Description

The famous but largely unchronicled Hanseatic League (or simple "the Hanse/Hansa") was a Tuetonic German commercial and defensive federation of merchant guilds based in harbor towns along the North Sea and Baltic coasts of what are now Germany and her neighbors, which eventually dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe and spread its influence much further afield. The League was formed to protect the economic and political interests of member cities throughout a vast and complex trading network. While most members remained basically subject to the local rulers who profited from their prosperity, in a sense the League might be seen as foreshadowing today's ambiguous relationship between global corporations and political nation states.

The League continued to operate well into the 17th century, but its golden age was between c. 1200 and c. 1500; thereafter it failed to take full advantage of the wave of maritime exploration to the west, south and east of Europe. During its 300 years of dominance the League's large ships - called "cogs" - were at the forefront of maritime technology, were early users of cannon, and were manned by strong fighting crews to defend them from pirates in both open-sea and river warfare. The home cities raised their own armies for mutual defence, and their riches both allowed them, and required them, to invest in fortifications and gunpowder weapons, since as very attractive targets they were subjected to sieges at various times.

Table of Contents

Introduction: origins and nature of the League/ Knights and militias, 13th–14th centuries/ Hanseatic shipping: the 'cog', its capabilities and influence; armed ships and piracy; river trade and river wars/ Fortified ports and siege warfare/ Introduction of cannon by land and sea/ The League in the late 15th century: the 'age of discoveries', from peak of prosperity to decline/ Select bibliography/ Plate commentaries/ Index

Product details

Published Apr 22 2014
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 48
ISBN 9781782007791
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 40 b/w; 8 col
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Men-at-Arms
Short code MAA 494
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

David Nicolle

David Nicolle is Visiting Research Fellow at the I…

Illustrator

Gerry Embleton

Gerry Embleton has been a leading illustrator an…

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