Started By
Message

Why is there no standing Royal Army in GOT?

Posted on 7/15/16 at 3:53 pm
Posted by Boo Krewe
Member since Apr 2015
9810 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 3:53 pm
Tommen never keeps order, and how does the crown have power. In anceint china and rome there was a professional army.

Posted by blueboy
Member since Apr 2006
56234 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 3:56 pm to
There is. The Gold Cloaks.
Posted by Das Jackal
Da Bayou
Member since Sep 2011
2579 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:00 pm to
quote:

There is. The Gold Cloaks.

I wouldn't consider the King's Guard to be an army though. It seems like every king uses their house's and their allies armies to maintain control.
Posted by Boo Krewe
Member since Apr 2015
9810 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:02 pm to
gold cloaks are 2000.

not enough to take on tyrells,starks, lannister, dotharaki, unsullied, greyjoiy
Posted by Dire Wolf
bawcomville
Member since Sep 2008
36574 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:02 pm to
The crown doesn't have that kind of pull. The people are loyal to their region and the lords are only loyal as long as it benefits them.

Tommen reign failed because of his mother's incompetence.
Posted by Das Jackal
Da Bayou
Member since Sep 2011
2579 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:03 pm to
quote:

gold cloaks are 2000


Wow. I didn't realize they're were that many of them. As you said though, still not enough.
Posted by wildtigercat93
Member since Jul 2011
112196 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:05 pm to
Cercei and Joffery discuss this specifically in season 1 and how it would never work


Basically you'd have to get people from other houses to Fill the army and eventually would require them to take arms against their own brothers, and it would end terribly
This post was edited on 7/15/16 at 4:06 pm
Posted by Boo Krewe
Member since Apr 2015
9810 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:08 pm to
egypt, china, greece did it
Posted by wildtigercat93
Member since Jul 2011
112196 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:09 pm to
Very different dynamic than westeros.
Posted by Roaad
White Privilege Broker
Member since Aug 2006
76425 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:17 pm to
At the time represented, standing armies were not really a big thing.

You relied on your noble Lords to keep a certain percent of their able bodied men ready to fight.

Wars were more planned and orderly, then. Though more brutal in many ways
Posted by SetTheMood
The Red Stick
Member since Jul 2012
3182 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:18 pm to
quote:

There is. The Gold Cloaks.


quote:

I wouldn't consider the King's Guard to be an army though.


The Kingsguard are not the Gold Cloaks. If anything, the Kings Guard are known for the color white.

The Gold Cloaks are like the police, the city guard, of Kinglanding. The king did have a standing army, it was the army of the Stormlands, comprised of all the Baratheon bannermen. Plus, if the King called his banners, all those who bent the knee would be obligated to mobilize.

Joffrey lost the Stormland army when Stannis declared himself king. So the Lannisters backed Joffrey, and they and their bannermen became the king's army.
Posted by Dire Wolf
bawcomville
Member since Sep 2008
36574 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:22 pm to
quote:

egypt, china, greece did it


westeros doesn't really have the threat of an outside force. Until Dany

Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
98117 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:22 pm to
The Anglo Saxons never had a standing army. The king had his House Carls, which were a bodyguard, and then there was the Fyrd, which was basically all able-bodied men.

When the Normans invaded, the Fyrd had spent most of the summer fending off Norwegian mercenaries fighting for the King's exiled brother. When William the Conquerer landed in September, most of them had gone home to harvest their crops.
Posted by putt23
Pingree Grove, IL
Member since Oct 2010
4662 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:24 pm to
The King's Guard protect the King

The Gold Cloaks are the police of King's Landing not an army. They aren't knights, or soldiers. Janos Slynt used to be their Commander, so they aren't too big of a deal.

Whatever family is sitting on the thrown uses their own army.
Posted by Warfarer
Dothan, AL
Member since May 2010
12120 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:31 pm to
quote:

The King's Guard protect the King

The Gold Cloaks are the police of King's Landing not an army. They aren't knights, or soldiers. Janos Slynt used to be their Commander, so they aren't too big of a deal.



I see both of these as correct. Gold Cloaks are there to hold the peace among common folk.

quote:

Whatever family is sitting on the thrown uses their own army.


this is also correct. if a war is oncoming, they call banners to aid. You have to remember that no one sneaks up in Westeros also, they are seen coming months in advance. Tyrion saw Blackwater coming from a long time out and had the giant chains built and all the wildfire brought forth.
Posted by blueboy
Member since Apr 2006
56234 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:41 pm to
quote:

The Gold Cloaks are the police of King's Landing not an army. They aren't knights, or soldiers. Janos Slynt used to be their Commander, so they aren't too big of a deal.
They're trained soldiers. I wouldn't say they were an elite force like the Praetorian Guard, but they are more than just beat cops.
This post was edited on 7/15/16 at 4:42 pm
Posted by Peazey
Metry
Member since Apr 2012
25418 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:50 pm to
So this is how the history of it worked out as far as I can tell. Also understanding the medieval vassal system would help. First the Targaryans held the thrown and had their own army made of their vassals. They were overthrown by Robert Baratheon, and his army with his vassals would have become the royal army. When he died the Baratheon army would have been split between Stannis and Renly with Renly taking the vast majority. Joffrey's army would have essentially been the Lannister's army which comprised of the vassals of the Lannisters. This got passed down to Tommen.

There is this vassal system which works like a pyramid of lords. It's all very fluid based off how the politics shake out. The king's army and power base was immediately weakened when the split happened right after Robert died.
Posted by Peazey
Metry
Member since Apr 2012
25418 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:51 pm to
quote:

but they are more than just beat cops.



As an analogy, they essentially are cops. They're the security force that is tied to the city. No one is using them as an invading force or to project power.
Posted by Boo Krewe
Member since Apr 2015
9810 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:51 pm to
if cersei didnt kill robert. i wonder how things wouldve gone
Posted by putt23
Pingree Grove, IL
Member since Oct 2010
4662 posts
Posted on 7/15/16 at 4:55 pm to
quote:

They're trained soldiers. I wouldn't say they were an elite force like the Praetorian Guard, but they are more than just beat cops.


I bet they were a lot more badass when Blackfyre commanded them
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram