Western European feudal knight heavy cavalry

Timeline

1. c. 750–900Carolingian Empire · Carolingian EmpireRulers such as Charles Martel reformed their armies around heavy cavalry, granting fiefs in exchange for mounted service, laying the economic and military foundations of Western European feudal knighthood.
2. 1000–1200Kingdom of France · Kingdom of FranceKnighting ceremonies, chivalric codes, and the castle-fief system matured; heavy cavalry became the main force in lords' wars, and lance-charge tactics demonstrated their power in battles such as the Norman Conquest.
3. c. 1300–1450Anglo-French battlefields · Anglo-French battlefieldsFull plate armor and the lance charge reached their technical peak, with battles such as Crécy and Poitiers demonstrating heavy cavalry's advantages, while longbows and infantry tactics began to constrain their battlefield dominance.
4. c. 1450–1600Western European states · Western EuropeThe rise of firearms and standing armies gradually marginalized feudal knight heavy cavalry on the battlefield; knightly status became a ceremonial and noble symbol, with military functions passing to professional infantry and artillery.