History of Halberd and Pikes

The Halberd or Poleaxe was a modification of the throwing axe to give the warrior a greater reach against a mounted fighter. A few warriors used axes, but this was not a particularly common weapon. It is often hard to tell whether an axe found in a grave represents a weapon, or just a wood-cutting axe. Of course it is possible that the same axe might be used for both purposes One special type of axe, not common, but found in sufficient numbers to show it was in use was the francisca, a type of short handled axe with an upward curving blade, probably originating amongst the Franks and designed primarily for throwing. 

The halberd was the only significant medieval shock weapon without classical antecedents. In its basic form, it consisted of a six-foot shaft of ash or another hardwood, mounted by an axe blade that had a forward point for thrusting and a thin projection on the back for piercing armour or pulling a horseman off balance. The halberd was a specialized weapon for fighting armoured men-at-arms and penetrating knightly armour. With the point of this weapon, a halberdier could fend off a mounted lancer's thrusts and, swinging the cutting edge with the full power of his arms and body, could cleave armour, flesh, and bone. The halberd's power was counterbalanced by the vulnerability of taking a full swing with both arms; once committed, the halberdier was totally dependent upon his comrades for protection. This gave halberd fighting a ferocious all-or-nothing quality and placed a premium on cohesion.

While the halberd could penetrate the best plate armour, allowing infantrymen to inflict heavy casualties on their mounted opponents, the lance's advantage in length meant that men-at-arms could inflict heavy casualties in return. The solution was the pike, a staff, usually of ash, that was twice the length of the halberd and had a small piercing head about 10 inches (25 centimeters) long. Sound infantry armed with the pike could fend off cavalry with ease, even when outnumbered. As with the halberd, effectiveness of shock action with the pike was heavily dependent upon the cohesion and solidity of the troops wielding it. The pike remained a major factor in European warfare until, late in the 17th century, the bayonet gave missile-armed infantry the ability to repel charging cavalry.

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