14世纪的步兵革命与西欧封建制的瓦解

The Revolution of Infantry in the 14~(th( Century and the Collapse of the Feudal System of the Western Europe

以往学者通常把火药武器或雇佣军的出现作为从军事上促进了西欧封建制瓦解的关键性事件 ,但英、法及西班牙等国封建贵族被驯服的过程证明 ,这种观点是存在局限的。在 1 4世纪 ,步兵开始取代重装骑兵成为西欧战场上的主宰 ,这就是所谓步兵革命。因为步兵在作战技能和装备费用等方面的要求比较低 ,步兵的兴起为第三等级进入军队创造了条件。步兵革命不仅削弱了贵族垄断西欧军事事务的基础 ,而且提高了平民的政治及社会地位 ,它从两方面冲击着西欧封建社会的等级秩序 。

Scholars always think that the appearing of the firearm or the naissance of the mercenary army are the main military causes of the collapse of the feudal system in the Western Europe. But this point is defect through the processes during which the feudal nobility in England, France, Spain and other countries were tamed. In the 14 th century, the infantry superseded the men-at-arms and began to dominate the battlefield of the Western Europe. This process is called the Revolution of Infantry. The rise of the infantry made it possible the third estate enter the army since the infantry need less skill and expenditure The Revolution of Infantry not only broke the nobility's monopoly in the military affairs but also improved the status of the third estate. It struck the old social order of the Western Europe and accelerated the collapse of the feudal system.