A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else).

Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English), is protective clothing intended to defend its wearer from intentional harm in combat and military engagements, typically associated with soldiers. Armour has been used throughout recorded history, beginning with hides, leather, and bone, before progressing to bronze, then steel during the middle ages, to modern kevlar and ceramics. The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Warfare in Hellenic Greece centered mainly around heavy infantrymen called hoplites. ... Pith helmet of Harry S. Truman For information about the band Helmet, see Helmet (band) Helmet of Swedish Royal Guard soldier A helmet is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or some other hard substance, typically for protection of the head from... Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather, from corium, the original breastplate being of leather), the plate armour, whether formed of a single piece of metal or other rigid material or composed of two or more pieces, which covers the front of the wearers person. ... A greave (from 12th century French greve shin, of uncertain origin) is a piece of armour that protects the leg. ... Commonwealth English is intended as a collective term for the perceived standard English language used in the Commonwealth of Nations1, applying in theory to Australian English, British English, Caribbean English, Canadian English, Hiberno-English (Irish English)2, Hong Kong English, Indian English (includes Pakistani English), New Zealand English, and South... American English is the form of the English language used mostly in the United States of America. ... Combat, or fighting, is purposeful conflict between one or more persons, often involving violence and intended to establish dominance over the opposition. ... Ancient history is from the period of time when writing and historical records first appear, roughly 5,500 years before the Common Era. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Modern leather-making tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... Grays illustration of a human femur, a typically recognized bone. ... Bronze figurine, found at Öland Bronze is the traditional name for a broad range of alloys of copper. ... // Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Kevlar, also known as Twaron and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide, is a synthetic fibre that is five times stronger than steel, weight for weight. ... The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word Κεραμεικος (the name of a suburb of Athens), and in its strictest sense refers to clay in all its forms. ...

Armour was also commonly used to protect war animals, such as war horses and elephants. Armour for war horses was called "barding". Armour has also been produced for hunting dogs that hunt dangerous game, such as boars. Since World War I, armoured fighting vehicles are protected by vehicle armour. War horses are horses specially trained for use in battle or individual combat (see also: Jousting). ... Indian war elephant, relief at Mathura, 2nd century BC War elephants were important, although not widespread, weapons in ancient military history. ... A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting, or whose breed was originally developed to do so. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... World War I was a basically European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... A picture of a destroyed M113 armoured personnel carrier showing a section of the armour. ...

Armour is also a heavily armoured military force or organization, such as heavy infantry or heavy cavalry (as opposed to light infantry or cavalry). In modern armoured warfare, armoured units equipped with tanks serve the historic role of heavy cavalry, and belong to the armoured branch in a national army's organization (sometimes, the armoured corps). Heavy infantry have been replaced by mechanized infantry. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... Armoured warfare in modern warfare is understood to be the use of armoured fighting vehicles as a central component of the methods of war. ... A nations army is its military, or more specifically, all of its land forces. ... Mechanized infantry are infantry troops that use armoured fighting vehicles for transport and as heavy weapons support in combat. ...

History

Japanese Samurai Odoshi Armor.

Throughout human history, the development of armor has always been parallel to the development of increasingly more efficient weaponry on the battlefield. An arms race across multiple civilisations to create better protection without sacrificing mobility. Download high resolution version (960x1280, 171 KB) Samurai Armor as seen at the British Museum in London. ... Download high resolution version (960x1280, 171 KB) Samurai Armor as seen at the British Museum in London. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860 photograph. ... An arms race is a competition between two or more countries for military supremacy. ... For other uses, see Civilization (disambiguation). ...

In European history, well known armor types include the lorica segmentata of the Roman legions, the chainmail hauberk of the early medieval age, and the full steel plate armor worn by later medieval knights. In East Asian history, lamellar armour and brigandine was popular. Chinese influence in Japan would result in the Japanese adopting Chinese styles, and developing them into the 'samurai armor' we know today . This article discusses the history of the continent of Europe. ... The lorica segmentata was a type of armour primarily used in the Roman Empire, exploiting Hellenistic Greek technology, but the Latin name was first used in the 16th century (the ancient form is unknown). ... See also Legion software and Legion forummer. ... David rejects the unaccustomed armour (detail of fol. ... The hauberk is essentially a long shirt of mail or leather (weighing about 14 kg for the mail). ... This article needs cleanup. ... A silver statue of an armoured knight, created as a trophy in 1850 For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... Japanese Samurai Odoshi Armor Lamellar armour is a kind of personal armour consisting of small rectangular plates (lames) which are laced together in parallel rows. ... A brigandine is a cloth garment, generally canvas, lined with small oblong steel plates riveted to the fabric. ...

Plate armour

Composite Armour from Schloss Homburg in Germany (late 16th. c. to 17th c.)

Main article: plate armour

Probably the most recognised style of armour in the world, associated with the knights of Middle to Late Medieval Europe, all parts of the human body have been fitted with specialised steel pieces, typically worn over linen or woollen underclothes and attached to the body via leather straps and buckles, with mail (maille) protecting those areas that could not be fitted with plate (the backs of the knee for instance). Well known constituent parts of plate-armour include the helm, gauntlets, gorget or 'neckguard', breastplate, and greaves worn on the lower legs. Download high resolution version (1105x1700, 316 KB)Old medieval armor, from Schloss Homburg in Nümbrecht, Germany. ... Download high resolution version (1105x1700, 316 KB)Old medieval armor, from Schloss Homburg in Nümbrecht, Germany. ... Plate armour is personal armour made from large metal plates, worn on the chest and sometimes the entire body. ... A silver statue of an armoured knight, created as a trophy in 1850 For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... Human anatomy or anthropotomy is a special field within anatomy. ... Pith helmet of Harry S. Truman For information about the band Helmet, see Helmet (band) Helmet of Swedish Royal Guard soldier A helmet is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or some other hard substance, typically for protection of the head from... Look up gauntlet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up gantlet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Gauntlet (occasionally spelled gantlet) may mean: Gauntlet (gloves), protective gloves used as a form of armour. ... Sir Philip Sidney wears a gorget for a portrait A gorget is a type of armor designed to protect the neck. ... Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather, from corium, the original breastplate being of leather), the plate armour, whether formed of a single piece of metal or other rigid material or composed of two or more pieces, which covers the front of the wearers person. ... A greave (from 12th century French greve shin, of uncertain origin) is a piece of armour that protects the leg. ...

Typically, full-body plate armour was custom made for the individual. This was understandably a very time-consuming and expensive undertaking, costing as much as a family house or high-powered car in today’s money. As such, it was almost exclusively the luxury of the noble and landed classes, with soldiers of lower standing generally wearing cheaper armour (if at all) typically limited to a helm and a breastplate. Full plate armour made the wearer virtually impervious to sword blows as well as providing some protection against arrows, bludgeons and even early musket shot. Although sword edges could not penetrate the relatively thin (as little as 2 mm) plate, they could cause serious concussive damage via the impact. Also, although arrows shot from bows could often pierce early plate at close range, later improvements in the steel forging techniques and armour design made even this line of attack increasingly difficult. By its apex, toughened steel plate was almost impregnable on the battlefield. Knights were instead increasingly felled by blunt weapons like maces or warhammers that could send concussive force through the plate armour resulting in injuries such as broken bones, organ haemorrhage and/or head trauma. Another tactic was to attempt to strike though the gaps between the armour pieces, using daggers to attack the Knight's eyes or joints. Assorted maces This article is about the personal weapon and its ceremonial derivative, for other meanings of mace please see mace (disambiguation) An advance on the club, a mace is a wooden, metal-reinforced, or metal shaft, with a head made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. ... For the tabletop games, see Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. ... Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ...

Armour of King Stefan Batory of Poland, painted by Jan Matejko.

Contrary to common misconceptions, a well-made suit of medieval 'battle' armour (as opposed to the primarily ceremonial 'parade' and 'tournament' armours popular with kings and nobility of later years) hindered its wearer no more than the equipment carried by soldiers today. An armoured Knight (trained since his teens in its wearing) could comfortably run, crawl, climb ladders, as well as mount and dismount his horse without recourse to a crane (a myth originating from Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). A full suit of medieval plate is thought to have weighed little more than 60 lb (27 kg) on average, considerably lighter than the equipment often carried by the elite of today’s armies, SAS patrols have been known to tab miles carrying equipment weighing well over 200 lb (91 kg).
Download high resolution version (630x800, 105 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (630x800, 105 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... István) see: István Báthory Reign From December 9, 1575 until December 12, 1586 Elected On December 9, 1575 in Wola, today suburb of Warsaw, Poland Coronation On May 1, 1576 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Noble Family Bathory Parents Stephen Bathory Catherine Telegdi Consorts Anna Jagiellonka Children none Date... Categories: Stub | Polish painters | 1838 births | 1893 deaths ... Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a famous and popular American humorist, writer and lecturer. ... Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court book cover A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court is a novel by United States humorist and writer Mark Twain, first published in 1889. ...

Modern personal armour

Today, bullet proof vests made of ballistic cloth (e.g Kevlar or Dyneema) and ceramic or metal plates are common among police forces, security staff and in some branches of the military. For infantry applications, lighter protection (historically known as a flak jacket) is often used to protect soldiers from grenade fragments and indirect effects of bombardment, but usually not small arms fire. This is because assault rifles usually fire harder, higher-energy bullets than pistols, and the increased protection needed to stop these would be too cumbersome and heavy to use in combat. A bulletproof vest – also called body armour (U.S. body armor) – is an article of protective clothing that works as a form of armour to minimize injury from being hit by a fired bullet. ... Kevlar, also known as Twaron and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide, is a synthetic fibre that is five times stronger than steel, weight for weight. ... Dyneema or Spectra is a synthetic fiber based on UHMWPE, 15 times stronger than steel and three times stronger than Kevlar. ... For the band, see The Police. ... A security guard is a private person who is employed to protect property and people. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Categories: Stub | Tops ... A Norwegian soldier (a Corporal, armed with an MP-5) A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment to defend that country or its interests. ... The word grenade can mean:- The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire directed against fortifications, troops or towns and buildings. ... The term small arm describes any weapon that a person can easily transport and fire. ... M16A2 (American) Assault rifles (translated from the German Sturmgewehr) have been defined various ways, but they are generally understood to be selective fire rifles or carbines (depending on the particular firearms size), using intermediate-powered ammunition. ... Armor Piercing Ammuniton is used to penetrate hardened armored targets such as body armor, vehicle armor, concrete, and other defenses. ... A Browning 9 millimetre semi-automatic pistol Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century. ... Combat, or fighting, is purposeful conflict between one or more persons, often involving violence and intended to establish dominance over the opposition. ...

See also

• Military uniforms
• Battledress
• Shield
• Military history
• Vehicle armor
• List of AFVs, Panzer
• Rolled Homogeneous Armour

Portrait: Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in military dress uniform, with medals. ... Battledress is the military uniform worn into combat, as opposed to display dress uniforms worn at parades and functions. ... Indo-Persian Dhal Shield A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. ... Military history is the recording (in writing or otherwise) of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. ... A destroyed M113 armoured personnel carrier show a section of the armour. ... This is a List of armoured fighting vehicles worldwide. ... PzKpfw V-D, a Panther tank   Panzer? is German for armour. ... RHA stands for Rolled Homogeneous Armour. ...

External links

• Medieval Armor and its History
• Medieval Armor and Weapons
• Medieval Armour Reproduction and History