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ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5154-3174
Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
History
Degree Type
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Year Degree Awarded
2022
Month Degree Awarded
February
Abstract
How and why did plate armor come to be widely used in Medieval Europe? I trace the historical development of armor in Europe from antiquity to the middle ages, and then identify the main causes that pushed European warriors to develop and adopt plate armor from the 14th to the 16th centuries. I rely on prior research by scholars and historians of arms and armor, as well as primary source documents that describe arms and armor and their use in tournaments and on the battlefield. I conclude that a combination of social, political, military, and technical factors pushed European warriors to adopt plate armor. I also briefly discuss the demise of plate armor due to increasing use of firearms in the 16th century and the growth of professional armies.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/27251926.0
First Advisor
Brian Ogilvie
Second Advisor
Anne Broadbridge
Third Advisor
Jason Moralee
Recommended Citation
Klimmek, Sean M., "Heavy Metal in Medieval Europe" (2022). Masters Theses. 1162.
https://doi.org/10.7275/27251926.0
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/1162
Included in
European History Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Medieval History Commons, Military History Commons