„There is a time of war and a time of peace…” In which times of the year, were the military activities carried out in the Middle Ages in Poland?

Abstract

The military actions in the Middle Ages usually did not take long. During these actions their participants undertook the military expeditions to the enemy territory trying to defeat the enemies’ army in battle or to conquer its fortresses. The possessions of the enemy were than regularly despoiled and devastated. To realize these goals, the most convenient times of the year were chosen, by taking into account the natural conditions and the possibilities of the military functioning. For the Polish people and some of their adversaries, the best time for conducting the war was late Summer and early Autumn. At these times the most battles took place, as the favorable weather conditions and the greater possibilities to fulfil the supply requirements were used. Big armies took part in them, being often led by monarchs and carrying out their actions numerous weeks. Their duration was however limited by the worsening of the weather conditions in the Autumn months and the physical and material exhaustion of the army. Another period of the year, which was also used to carry out the military actions was Winter. The severity of the weather conditions was compensated by the facilitating of moving through the territory, even in the areas which were difficult to access in the remaining periods of the year, such as the water reservoirs, in particular big rivers. The military actions in Winter had a different character then those in Summer or Autumn; they lasted usually short and the smaller armies participated in them. In the remaining times of the year the armed battles, in which the Polish people participated, took place more seldom and were conditioned by exceptional circumstances.