Could You Survive a Medieval Battle? | Wars of the Roses

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In this episode, I’m dropped into the middle of one of the most brutal – and misunderstood – civil wars in English history. Forget the myths about York vs Lancaster or red vs white roses. The reality was far messier… and far more dangerous for the thousands of ordinary men forced to fight for the ambitions of nobles, dukes and would-be kings. We're also releasing just as Medieval 3 Total War has been announced, which is exciting.

Armed with a full suit of 15th-century plate armour, a handful of weapons, and some very questionable battlefield skills, I join the Coventry Levy and an incredible group of living-history reenactors to find out what it actually took to survive medieval warfare.
We explore:
⚔️ How a man-at-arms really dressed for battle
🏹 How longbowmen fought, trained, and got paid
🛡️ What armour really weighed — and what protection it offered
🥵 The brutal fitness demands of fighting in full harness
🥖 How armies fed themselves (and what you’d eat on campaign)
🚽 How to go to the toilet in armour (yes, really)
🏇 The real role of cavalry in the Wars of the Roses
🔥 Artillery, arrow storms and chaotic melee combat
💀 Why most soldiers died during the rout, not the battle
💰 Why plundering bodies was often the only way to profit
⚕️ How medieval surgeons saved more lives than you’d expect
🩸 The staggering human cost of Towton and other major battles
🎭 Treachery, desertion and unreliable commanders — and how they shaped survival

🙌 Huge Thank You to Our Reenactment Partners
This episode would not have been possible without the skill, knowledge and enthusiasm of:
The Coventry Levy, The Blount Household, The Corbetts, The Shrewsbury Levy, The Croft Household, The Medieval Stokemen, The English Free Companye, and Gallop and Glory.
Please check them out and support their work!

📚 Sources & Historical Material
This episode draws on contemporary chronicles, muster rolls, archaeological analysis of battlefield graves, and first-hand accounts from the Croyland Chronicle, Warkworth’s Chronicle, Dominic Mancini, Gerhard von Wesel, Philippe de Commines and others.

☕ Support the Channel
If you enjoy these deep dives into historical survival, you can support our work by donating the cost of a coffee:
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/survivehistory

#history #medieval #warsoftheroses #couldyousurvive #survivehistory #middleages #platearmor
00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:48 The Wars of the Roses begin
00:07:53 Armour and equipment
00:13:21 Getting dressed in plate armour
00:16:13 Longbowmen
00:23:31 Yorkists or Lancastrians?
00:26:51 Badges and symbols
00:29:57 Choosing a weapon
00:34:44 One-on-one armoured combat
00:37:11 Feeding an army
00:43:35 Sanitation and toilet business
00:45:12 Life on the march
00:49:08 Getting ready for battle
00:51:01 Cavalry during the Wars of the Roses
00:55:13 The battle begins
00:57:57 The army routs
01:00:35 Rough treatment and plundering
01:03:10 The impact of the Wars of the Roses