"Hans Delbrück, in his History of War, contended that early medieval Europe was devoid of military science, particularly effective foot soldiers and logistics, leading to a focus on the problem of numbers in warfare."
"Delbrück meticulously gathered data on claims of large numbers in early medieval sources, arguing that chroniclers exaggerated enemy forces to enhance their own victories or explain defeats."
"The debate over army size reveals deeper issues regarding the military capabilities of the so-called 'barbarian' successor regimes and their ability to maintain or develop military institutions after the fall of Rome."
The debate over the size of early medieval armies is contentious, with some scholars asserting that these forces were small warbands. Hans Delbrück, a key figure in this discussion, argued that early medieval Europe lacked military science, leading to exaggerated claims about army sizes. He believed chroniclers inflated enemy numbers for glory or to rationalize defeats. However, he overlooked that chroniclers could also minimize their own forces. The discourse reflects broader themes about military capacity and the legacy of Roman institutions in post-Roman Europe.
Read at Medievalists.net
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