142:
attackers with arrows, while having too few ladders meant that the number of troops would be insufficient to capture the battlements. A third important factor was the estimation of the height of the wall. If the ladders were made too long, they could be pushed over by the defenders, and if they were too short, the attackers would not be able to reach the top of the wall. Tactics employed included getting as many men as possible on the ladder at the same time (the more men that were on the ladder at the same time, the heavier it became, making pushing it over difficult), attacking by night, or scaling a remote section of the wall.
35:
159:
127:
141:
Because of the difficulties involved, escalade was typically very costly for the attackers. Two critical factors in determining the success or failure of escalade were the number of ladders and the speed with which they could be arranged. A slow attack gave the defenders too much time to pick off the
197:
units to raid a structure through its upper levels, either to avoid a barricaded entrance or line of sight, or to breach the structure from multiple points. Mechanical assault ladders, typically installed on the roof of vehicles and featuring ramps that can extend or angle themselves to reach an
108:-coated missiles were sometimes poured on attacking soldiers. This made it difficult for attackers to reach the top of the wall, and those that did would often quickly be overwhelmed by the defenders on the walls, only being able to push into the defenses after suffering heavy attrition.
91:
Escalade consists of attacking soldiers advancing to the base of a wall, setting ladders, and climbing to engage the defending forces. Though very simple and direct, it was also one of the most dangerous options available; escalade would generally be conducted in the face of
149:
rather than sit through a protracted siege. Attackers would generally attempt escalade if they had reasons for wanting a swift conclusion, or if they had an overwhelming superiority in numbers. Otherwise, less costly siege tactics were often preferred.
173:
Escalade is no longer common in modern warfare, as new technologies and tactics have essentially made escalade obsolete; for example, most fortified walls that would have required attackers to use escalade may now simply be destroyed by
111:
Fortifications were often constructed in such a way as to impede escalade, or at least to make it a less attractive option. Countermeasures to escalade included
327:
185:
However, escalade still exists as a viable (albeit niche) combat tactic, and is occasionally used by
317:
307:
131:
60:
322:
302:
120:
101:
28:
186:
8:
252:
83:, escalade technologies are still developed and used in certain tactical applications.
256:
244:
179:
123:
walls (which could weaken ladders or were too tall for ladders to reach the top of).
20:
312:
240:
236:
190:
175:
76:
34:
224:
146:
72:
100:, and the defenders would naturally attempt to push ladders away from the wall.
194:
135:
80:
56:
296:
278:
248:
116:
105:
24:
115:(which prevented ladder-bearing soldiers from reaching the base of a wall),
166:
53:
273:
199:
158:
97:
119:(which facilitated attacks on enemy soldiers while they climbed), and
126:
165:
operators using a modern assault ladder installed on the roof of a
39:
203:
145:
Escalade was, in essence, an attempt to overwhelm defenders in a
282:
64:
23:. For the attack of Geneva in 1602 and Swiss celebration, see
286:
93:
68:
43:
38:
A replica of an ancient scaling ladder used for escalade, in
162:
112:
225:"Techniques of seigneurial war in the fourteenth century"
19:
This article is about the siege tactic. For the SUV, see
294:
222:
27:. For the proposed entertainment complex, see
281:, the commemoration of the failed attack on
157:
125:
104:such as boiling water, heated sand, and
33:
79:, and though it is no longer common in
295:
67:. Escalade was a prominent feature of
16:Using ladders to scale defensive walls
206:, are often used in this capacity.
13:
14:
339:
223:Firnhaber-Baker, Justine (2010).
153:
102:Heated or incendiary substances
289:in 1602, conducted by escalade
241:10.1016/j.jmedhist.2009.10.001
216:
1:
209:
7:
267:
229:Journal of Medieval History
86:
10:
344:
18:
130:The escalade during the
328:Medieval siege engines
198:entry point such as a
170:
138:
46:
161:
134:in 1812, part of the
129:
37:
29:Grand Canyon Escalade
171:
139:
47:
180:military aircraft
21:Cadillac Escalade
335:
261:
260:
220:
191:counterterrorist
178:or nullified by
132:Siege of Badajoz
77:medieval warfare
63:with the aid of
343:
342:
338:
337:
336:
334:
333:
332:
318:Siege equipment
308:Assault tactics
293:
292:
270:
265:
264:
221:
217:
212:
187:police tactical
169:armored vehicle
156:
89:
57:defensive walls
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
341:
331:
330:
325:
320:
315:
310:
305:
291:
290:
276:
269:
266:
263:
262:
214:
213:
211:
208:
195:special forces
155:
154:Modern warfare
152:
147:direct assault
136:Peninsular War
117:machicolations
96:fire from the
88:
85:
81:modern warfare
52:is the act of
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
340:
329:
326:
324:
323:Siege engines
321:
319:
316:
314:
311:
309:
306:
304:
303:Siege tactics
301:
300:
298:
288:
284:
280:
277:
275:
272:
271:
258:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
235:(1): 90–103.
234:
230:
226:
219:
215:
207:
205:
201:
196:
192:
188:
183:
181:
177:
168:
164:
160:
151:
148:
143:
137:
133:
128:
124:
122:
118:
114:
109:
107:
103:
99:
95:
84:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
51:
45:
41:
36:
30:
26:
22:
232:
228:
218:
184:
172:
167:Sherpa Light
144:
140:
110:
90:
49:
48:
274:Siege tower
200:window sill
98:battlements
297:Categories
279:L'Escalade
210:References
176:explosives
25:L'Escalade
257:159915063
249:0304-4181
268:See also
87:Overview
61:ramparts
50:Escalade
313:Ladders
204:balcony
73:ancient
65:ladders
54:scaling
283:Geneva
255:
247:
193:, and
69:sieges
287:Savoy
253:S2CID
121:talus
113:moats
106:pitch
94:arrow
44:China
40:Xi'an
245:ISSN
163:GIGN
75:and
285:by
237:doi
202:or
71:in
59:or
299::
251:.
243:.
233:36
231:.
227:.
189:,
182:.
42:,
259:.
239::
31:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
