How the Medieval Church Tried To Regulate Warfare

I Can’t Kill You, It’s Thursday

Two knights in combat (public domain)

The phrase the rules of war sounds like an oxymoron — how could an event full of murder and destruction follow an orderly set of guidelines? Nevertheless, many societies have attempted to regulate warfare for the good of combatants and civilians. One early system of rules for warfare was devised in medieval Europe. It exempted large parts of society from warfare and it severely limited when fighting could occur. In its most extreme versions, the so-called Truce of God only allowed fighting on certain Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

Medieval chaos

These strict rules emerged because medieval Europe had become an ugly, chaotic place. After the Viking invasions of the 800s, the authority of Charlemagne’s empire had fallen apart. In the absence of any powerful governments in Christian western Europe, people sought the protection of the rich people in their area. They pledged military service, rent and taxes to the wealthy in exchange for a little piece of land to call their own and a military force to protect them from raids. The nobility built impregnable castles, making it impossible for even kings to exert authority over them. The feudal system was born.