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<blockquote data-quote="Bluenose" data-source="post: 4831052" data-attributes="member: 49017"><p>For cultural, political, and economic devastation you might want to look at what happened to Germany during the 30 Years War. Medieval/P&amp;S armies aren't huge, but they're hard to support and tend to devastate the landscape even in friendly areas because the governments aren't organised well enough to pay and supply them properly. Add in the widespread use of mercenaries with no particular ties to an area which is also a common medieval feature, and you get armies that need to supply themselves and towns that have no choice but to supply them. Add a few sacked major cities on all sides to give everyone a reason to take revenge, bands of peasant irregulars in opposition to everyone (peasant revolts were a problem in 100YW France), the use of scorched earth as a deliberate policy, raiding and destruction for the sake of it, deserters who are interested in taking what they can, and you can thoroughly devastate an area without much problem. It's going to be worst along sensible invasion routes, but since those are usually the more fertile areas for logistical reasons it will affect some of the wealthiest parts of a country.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="Bluenose, post: 4831052, member: 49017"] For cultural, political, and economic devastation you might want to look at what happened to Germany during the 30 Years War. Medieval/P&S armies aren't huge, but they're hard to support and tend to devastate the landscape even in friendly areas because the governments aren't organised well enough to pay and supply them properly. Add in the widespread use of mercenaries with no particular ties to an area which is also a common medieval feature, and you get armies that need to supply themselves and towns that have no choice but to supply them. Add a few sacked major cities on all sides to give everyone a reason to take revenge, bands of peasant irregulars in opposition to everyone (peasant revolts were a problem in 100YW France), the use of scorched earth as a deliberate policy, raiding and destruction for the sake of it, deserters who are interested in taking what they can, and you can thoroughly devastate an area without much problem. It's going to be worst along sensible invasion routes, but since those are usually the more fertile areas for logistical reasons it will affect some of the wealthiest parts of a country. [/QUOTE]

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