Army composition
What Army composition means in History GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Army composition
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Army composition in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: Pearson Edexcel
The make-up of the forces, with the English relying on the inexperienced fyrd alongside elite housecarls and fighting exclusively as infantry, while the Normans possessed a balanced force of archers, infantry and highly trained cavalry.
Infantry remained the core of the army, the role of cavalry diminished, and the artillery branch grew in importance and size.
Topics that use Army composition
- Option 12: c1700–c1900: Warfare and British society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Option B1: Key topic 1: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest, 1060–66 - 4 The Norman invasion (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- conquest
- Leadership
- Military tactics
- Preparation and logistics
- shield wall
- Technological change
- turning point
- Tactical evolution
Using Army composition in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise History questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge