Quote Originally Posted by Innocentius
I see your point there Kavhan Isbul and I know that European knights did commit some very foolish charges (like at Lake Peipus or Durbe to add more to the list). What I reacted in the first place was the statement that Byzantium was the only kingdom/empire in Europe that used tactics.

Nicopolis however is a very interesting battle. By this time most Europeans must have learnt that cavalry charges weren't very effective thanks to such battles as Bannockburn, Courtrai, Morgarten, Crécy and Poitiers, yet the "Franks" still managed to inflict relatively high casualties on the Ottomans.
Nicopolis is interesting in showing that heavy cavalry can indeed decide battles, only if used properly. The French Knights, despite inflicting serious casualties on the Ottomans, eventually were one of the main reasons for the battle's outcome, and at the same time the Serbian Heavy Cavalry's charge was another main reason why the Christians lost that day, as ironic as this was.
There is no absolute rule, and most deffinitely each medieval army had a commander with some tactical skills and knowledge, but sound tactical decisions seem to have often been ignored by over-confident Western Knights. But Byzantine and other Eastern Armies had their share of foolish charges too, just perhaps not that many as the ones for the Westerners combined.