Option 12: c1500–c1700: Warfare and English society in the early modern period - 2 The experience of war — Edexcel GCSE History
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Option 12: c1500–c1700: Warfare and English society in the early modern period - 2 The experience of war explained
During the early modern period (c1500–c1700), warfare significantly impacted civilians through recruitment and requisitioning.
Read the full explanation
Recruitment often relied on the militia system and impressment (forced conscription), which disrupted local economies by removing able-bodied men from agriculture and trades. Requisitioning involved armies seizing food, horses, and supplies from civilian populations, often without adequate compensation, leading to hardship and starvation. The English Civil War (1642–1651) provides a stark example, where both Royalist and Parliamentarian forces heavily requisitioned goods and billeted soldiers in civilian homes, causing widespread resentment and economic devastation in affected communities.
Your focus
- Describe the methods of recruitment used in the early modern period and their effect on local communities.
- Explain how requisitioning and billeting impacted the daily lives and economies of civilians.
- Evaluate the overall impact of warfare on civilian populations during the English Civil War.
Option 12: c1500–c1700: Warfare and English society in the early modern period - 2 The experience of war exam tips
Marking Points
- Explain how the militia system and impressment were used to recruit soldiers, removing men from civilian occupations.
- Describe the process of requisitioning, where armies seized food, livestock, and transport from local populations.
- Analyse the economic and social disruption caused by billeting soldiers in civilian homes without adequate payment.
- Evaluate the impact of these practices during specific conflicts, such as the English Civil War, on civilian attitudes towards the military.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use the English Civil War as a primary example to illustrate the severe impact of requisitioning and billeting on civilians.
- 💡When discussing recruitment, distinguish between the local militia (intended for home defence) and impressment for foreign or national campaigns.
- 💡Link the economic impact of requisitioning directly to the loss of agricultural output and local trade.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Assuming civilians were largely unaffected by war in this period. Correction: Emphasise that recruitment, requisitioning, and billeting caused severe economic and social disruption to civilian life.
- Error: Confusing early modern recruitment with modern volunteer armies. Correction: Highlight the use of impressment and the compulsory nature of the militia system.
- Error: Believing requisitioning was always paid for fairly. Correction: Note that compensation was often delayed, inadequate, or non-existent, leading to civilian hardship.