Doomie yelped,
Ok, forget everything I said about tech levels. I didn't know there were different 'classes' of technology, and ..
Sapura groand,
There are four classes, Henrik my kind Swedish supermodel: Latin, Orthodox, Muslim & Exotic. Depending on how much you invest in the military area, the amount you invest is multiplied by a number represening each class.
Latin 1.0
Orthodox 0.8 ..or 0.7
Exotic 0.1
Muslim 0.5 or 0.6
I don't know the exact stats and neither does Greven off hand. (I got the stats from Greven). Now I hope you understand the difference..
Doomie uttered,
, but how can we say that the Danes were technically superior when they did not use national troops?
Well, there is one simple way to say it. Denmark was a great power during that time, Sweden wasn't It's elemental, great powers have certain characteristics and assets which make them rise above lower ranked powers. If they had the capacity to rent mercenaries, they almost assuredly had the capacity to train their own infantry and equip them very well too.
Doomie chortled,
(I don't know much about the state of the Russian attackers though)
In the period 1228 to 1462, Muscovite Russia was the scene of some 40 punitive Tartar expeditions, 90 dynastic wars and 80 invasions by Poles, Lithuanians, Teutonic Knights and Swedes. For much of the period, Muscovite satellites were subject to the Lithuanian crowen (Novgorod-Seversk, Chernigov, Kiev, Galicia, Smolens). The Republic of Novogord of which Contartini wrote that it ' might raise a large army, but the men are worthless', became subject to Muscovy in 1471. During most of this period Muscovites used general levy to conscript armies, boyars were elected commanders on basis of seniority <- bad move.
Artillery,
Some authorities argue that Musvovite sfirst encountered gunpowder artillery in 176, during the siege of Greaty Bulgar on the River Volga in the domain of the Horde. In 1382 it was confirmed, a strong garrison left in Mosccow by Donskoi was equipped with pushki and tiufiaki, the first use of gunpower artillery in Muscovy. Light, mobile guns appeared in the first half of the 15th century. Muscovites usually used artillery in principally fixed positions - i.e. in the defence of their cities, only rarely in sieges and then rather ineffectively. Rarely did they take them on campaign. In 1481, Ivan III's artillery achieved its only success of the period (the artillery was actually from Pskov) by breaching the walls of fortress of Fellin in Livonia against the Order.
Lithuanians on the other hand were introduced to artillery in 1382, given to Jagailo as a present by the Order during one of their rare detentes. Lithuanians used these guns successfully by 1384 at least, when they employed it in the siege of Marienwerder against the Order. Vyautus was the first Lithuanian commander to use artillery in a field battle, against Timur Kutluk at Worskla in 1399.
So whilst the Muscovites had artillery rather early, they used it ineffectively especially compared to the Lithuanians. Even the Poles used artillery more rarely than the Lithuanians in field battles, preferring to use them in sieges and defence of cities for much of this period.
Sapura
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'Kill first, calculate later'
Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Polish-Lithuanian Hetman
