Bocage

Bocage

Andre Willers

16 Oct 2013

Synopsis :

Why did Norman Lords allow their lands to be fortified using bocage ?

Discussion :

1.This was because they did not fear peasant rebellions .

This is an extension and translation of Dutch citizen defenses after the fall of the Western Roman Empire .

2. Micro-Killing grounds for armoured cavalry .
3. Defeat in detail by geography .

4. Local rulers encouraged bocage , since it helped their defense .
5. Peasants did it because it helped their defense when interests diverged .
6. There were no successful squashing of rebellions during the period of Infantry (ie no heavy armour) . Google it
7. It is very successful . During WWII , Allied forces had major problems with bocage and armour .
8. Superficially , it seems that German forces had the advantage . In actual fact , they lost because local intelligence of the micro-killing grounds from the sympathetic population sapped them .
9. A variant of the Knight-Castle Defense . The whole countryside was a pre-prepared killing ground .
10. Mongols ?
    They would have lost too . The whole defensive system evolved as a counter to distance weapons (arrows) launched from armoured , fast platforms (mongol rider) from Hun times .
11. Now do you see why any military armoured force will have a tough time in Bocage .
12. It is like stickles . It slows both attackers and defenders , but the support of the locals makes the difference .

It is a brave tax inspector that ventures here .

Andre