While gunpowder weapons such as the "houlnice" (howitzer) and "pistala" (pistol) were being introduced in greater numbers into the medieval armies, combat was still primarily hand-to-hand. In the close-in fighting around the wagon forts and for the castles and walled towns, crossbow archers and men armed with flails, swords, and pole-arms determined the outcome of battle. The early Hussite army reflected its peasant background; soldiers were armed with slings, axes, clubs, and agricultural flails. The flails evolved into sophisticated weapons and became the Hussites' favorite "tools." As the wars continued, victories and raids provided booty and materiel, so the Hussite soldier became better armed, eventually reaching a parity in equipment and armor with his Catholic enemies. A representative sampling of medieval weapons used in the wars is shown here, those used predominantly by one side are noted: H=Hussite; G=German. More Hussite Wars Hussite Wars: Introduction Hussite Wars: Jan Zizka: The Man Hussite Wars: Papal Schism and John Huss Hussite Wars: The Land Hussite Wars: Operations to February 1421 Armistice Hussite Wars: Operations 1421 Hussite Wars: Operations 1422 Hussite Wars: Operations 1423 Hussite Wars: Operations 1424 and After Hussite Wars: Hussite Wagon Fort Tactics Hussite Wars: Medieval Weapons Hussite Wars: Soldiers Hussite Wars: Jan Zizka: The Military Leader Hussite Wars: Large Map of Bohemia/Moravia (slow: 175K) Hussite Wars: Jumbo Map of Bohemia/Moravia (extremely slow: 504K) Hussite Wars: Time Line Back to Conflict Historical Study 1 Table of Contents Back to Conflict List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1974 by Dana Lombardy This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com