Records: the Academy of Royal Arms

## **Founding *the* *Academy***

### **The Politics**

The Plantagenet plan was to build a truly professional fighting force, with tight standards and practices, controlled directly by the crown. A bit of “New Model”, it had an integrated command and logistics structure.

Charles V of France had done this in France, to a small degree – creating first permanent army paid with regular wages. In one regard, this was more to liberate the French populace from the companies of routiers who regularly plundered the country when not employed – but in that effect, it was working. Led by Bertrand du Guesclin, the new French Army just happened to hone its skills against the English.

This was, of course, a threat to the peerage, but that’s where the biggest recent threat had coming from. Even the allies raised the flag of the dangers of a Praetorian Guard or bastard feudalism, with the King replacing his vassal's military service with a simple levy. But that was the point…

This structure was beyond politics. There were inherent limitations of most militaries, which but for the largest campaigns (usually foreign), forces were usually tied to a single area or garrison. Even in the larger foreign campaigns, it was a collection of individual forces as led by their designated nobles. Their training was inconsistent, their equipment piecemeal and their coordination sporadic.

### **The People**

The Crown Prince, Edward of Woodstock, was deeply involved at every step, promoting his methods and leading by example. Close behind him were very particular allies and the constant reminder that this wasn't building a force for something as minor as France, it was preparing for something that otherworldly beyond description.

But they had to start somewhere.

The first recruiting efforts had targeted retired officers and NCOs to form the skeleton of the new army and begin forming the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP) that would be taught and used. Secondarily, there were three companies of private-level troops recruited with the full knowledge that the demands would be both rigorous and dynamic.

The new Plantagenet concepts generated some inertia, mostly in the officer corps, and would’ve weeded out many if Richard (and friends) wasn’t employing subtle SNS to keep them on the right track. Once the officer corps was finished, they built the non-commissioned officer cadre (the sergeants). Now, the leadership corps was bringing on the bulk of the army, which would be some 240 corporals and nearly 1,000 privates.

The leadership introduced compulsory calisthenics, acrobatics and weight training to supplement daily fighting and maneuver drills.

One moderating element was the standards the Royal Army had set: what each exercise was intended to do, with minimum thresholds and rewards for the best.

The constancy of their training was not usual for the militias of the time, but it was giving the young soldiers a great deal of pride to bolster their capacity.

The growth process weeded out many of applicants, but attracted just as many to replace them, seeking to be a part of something very special.

## **Mission and Structure**

Richard’s New Model Army would be liable for service anywhere in the country (including in Scotland and Ireland), and eventually anywhere in the world. It would have members from across England, trained together and unified more than any other force on Earth.

The new Royal Army would be full-time professional soldiers, rather than part-time militia, and would be loyal to the rightful regent rather than beholden to a given noble's house (in effect, a sort of early Continuity of Government assurance).

The benefits would not include non-military offices, grants or titles, but would include an above-average salary, food and housing. To a large degree, this limitation on Royal Army retainers helped soothe the fears of the king's "affinity".

Soldiers that completed a full tour would receive a pension, with pensions increasing based on time past the minimum (unless receiving muster due to medical discharge). Those medically discharged would, under medical review, also receive a pension for having received wounds in the line of duty.

### **Ranged Combat**

The longbow company was experimenting. The archers were equipped with helmets and chain, as well as short sword. There was practice twice a week for close combat, practice 12 times a week for archery, but they were also learning the ins and outs of gunpowder.

The first "practical" infantry firearms, great clumsy things several feet long overall, consisting of a very light cannon, firing perhaps a one-inch ball, mounted onto one end of a long, heavy wooden stock. Such an early "musket" was extremely heavy, 40 to 60 pounds. But they could be carried and fired by one man, though in order to do so the man had to make use of a sturdy forked brace.

These weapons were fairly popular, if not particularly effective. First reported in the 1360s from Italy, they had spread through much of Europe by 1380, undergoing considerable evolution in the process. Richard II had nine of the 43-pound "cannon" in his Cheshire retinue.

By 1377, they were still novelties on the battlefield, but more expensive versions had shrunk to three feet in length and 20 or 30 pounds, and with the ability to build on defenses, were becoming useful in the defense of towns, and were probably the first firearms used aboard ships.

### **The Royal Infantry**

The infantry themselves were extraordinarily well equipped for the standards of the time. In fact, equipping them took more of the high grade steel than was used for the cannons.

Each infantry soldier was equipped and trained on a halberd, short swords and buckler shield. Their armor included a distinctive heavy helmet and full metal breast plate, which they usually did their calisthenics in. When equipped for battle, they added shoulder pads, vambraces (articulated plate armor for the arms), Couters (elbows) and gauntlets. On the lower half, they wore cuisses (thighs), poleyns (knees), demi-greaves (shins) and sabatons. While not *quite* the full armor of a knight, the design was actually more comprehensive *and* more maneuverable.

The shoulder pads alone were a new development, like wearing shields – and they looked like a perfect extension of the soldiers themselves. The psychological effect was that the soldiers – already big by training – appeared that much larger. In a one-on-one fight, the Royal infantry were more terrifying than facing a traditional knight.

The individual armor alone would've made them a daunting foe, but marching that across the countryside was an issue. To fix that, the ARA leaned on the Royal Company, blazing trails with troop delivery. The infantry was the first since antiquity to be transported in carriages rather than walking. Not *entirely* a new concept: the Mesopotamians had used chariots as early as 3000 BC to deliver fresh warriors to crucial areas of battle with swiftness. In this case, the ARA was planning on swiftly carrying *the whole army* places.

As the plan was coming together, it was seen by many in London as the soldiers suddenly raced from their barracks on some training mission into the countryside. Criticized as wretched excess of the “new warrior king” by "making every soldier a noble", the tactic started to make sense. 60 heavily armored soldiers could make it from one side of the city to the other in ten minutes. The amount of force the Crown could apply at any point, at any time, quickly reversed itself to be a mildly intimidating point of English pride.

The infantry themselves were still used to running – it was part of the training – but that running was conditioning for combat. The ARA was leading extremely aggressive infantry maneuvers. Further, in the event of extended campaigns, the troops' wagons would wind up being used to transport supplies, whether from logistical resupply or from seizure of enemy material.

### **Soldier Scholars and Army Academics**

The ARA was blazing trails that would've been advanced for earth in the 22nd century, much less the 14th. For a few insiders, they were aware that the brain trust was sparked by "divine providence" – or more specifically, SNS enhanced training of their own behind the scenes.

Richard (and his secret allies) were never publicly connected to the ARA, but again, there was circumstantial evidence to say the brilliance of Merlin likely had a hand in formulating military policy. After the seeding, though, the ARA (like all the recently created functions and agencies) stood solidly on its own.

The academics and scholarship of the ARA elevated military affairs to scientific study and immediately applied the results.

Professional soldiers were highly paid, in a prestigious position, but it was daunting: they lived a “regimen of rigors”, simulating the combat lifestyle in ways that were often significantly harder than field living. As the saying went: *The Only Easy Day is Yesterday*.

The ARA created and tracked the first forms of resistance training, calisthenics, plyometrics, gymnastics and diet. The principles were technically sound (as they were based on knowledge of physics and human anatomy that started at the subatomic level and scaled up)… but the instruction and education at the soldier level was approachable and understandable.

The ARA publicly compiled known works on fencing, from Homer’s Iliad to German treatises on sword and buckler fighting (I.33). This was ample cover for techniques that were built from the ground up based on human physiology, the weapons employed, the field conditions and the likely enemy armaments and techniques. While most opponents were named, some weren't. It was taught as theory of combat, and it defined the difference between foreign and *Foreign*.

### **Military Intelligence**

It was a little known fact – but it was known – that there were spies among the military ranks. Alleged, at least, as nobody short of the the Earl Marshal – *newly minted spymaster* – ever actually admit to being *in* military intelligence.

The ARA was also the training cadre for the Sergeants-at-Arms, who were the field operatives for intelligence work.

Closely related, the ARA provided the intelligence analysts who pored over SA "product."

## **The ARA Coat of Arms**

The *Academy of Royal Arms* adopted themes that emphasized education and training. The escutcheon featured two crossed diagonal quills over a single vertical sword.