An Intro to Medieval Military Logistics

Many characters who are supposed to be "tactical geniuses" are anything but. Learn how to keep an army fed, clothed, and armed, and you'll be crushing the hordes of the Dark Lord Genericus in no time!

[meghanmullen]

Army supply chains are a significant plot point in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, especially starting in the third book. Novik has me fairly convinced that there WERE dragons in the Napoleonic Wars. Though this series isn't medieval, it is amazing military fantasy!

[JayM]

I recommend you read 'Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, ' by Donald W. Engels. I also recommend 'The Great War in Africa, ' by Byron Farwell. An almost total absence of railroads or roads of any kind, coupled with the Tsetse fly devastating the animal transport, left Human bearers as the principle movers of supplies away form the coast. Each German soldier had 6-8 bearers. Fiction often ignores logistics. In Jules Vern's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth, ' The expedition leader pays the guide a gold coin every week, apparently from an inexhaustible supply he has been carrying with him. Contrast that with 'King Solomon's Mines.' by H. Rider Haggard. Alan Quatermain obtains eight Oxen teams to pull a wagon into the interior, later selling them to purchase the services of bearers to carry the remaining supplies into rougher country.

[sonofthewolfguardianofthef]

Napoleon said that: “an army marches on its stomach.”

[_DarkEmperor]

In case of fantasy, huge flying carpets, solves the problem of logistics :-)

Your statement, about not existing supply lines in medieval times is not accurate.

On this movie, You can see Medieval Granary in Grudziądz (this long red bricks row of buildings), perfect source of grain or flour for a supply line:

I made a playlist, some time ego, "Military Logistics during Antiquity and the Middle Ages":

Regarding spears and swords, yes swords are harder to master and spears are easier to learn and more dangerous, but all of this is not that simple, an army fights in a formation, so there is need for coordination - a system of fighting with spears.
Anyway spear fighting playlist, from basics, to more advanced concepts:

I also made 3 playlists with castles, feel free to checkout.
Now I'm going to see this interview with Myke Cole.