Calm before the storm? : Modelling military supply and movement

Abstract

Food production and transport infrastructure play a large role in the outcome of a military campaign and the results of failure can have a profound effect on the whole state. Yet these are areas often poorly covered by contemporary sources. The Medieval Warfare on the Grid project is using agent-based modelling to produce quantitative data to examine the mechanisms required to move armies across a pre-industrial landscape. Though focused on the march of the Byzantine army to the Battle of Manzikert in AD1071, the results can improve our understanding of the logistical challenges faced by armies in other periods and places. The use of quantitative data from later sources provides valuable assistance to both design and validation of the models

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