DBA Armies

This list covers the land forces of the Knights Hospitaller from the fall of Acre (their last possession in Palestine) to the Mamluks, through their tenure of Cyprus until 1310, then of Rhodes until it was surrendered to the Ottomans after an epic siege in 1522; following which they removed to Malta, where they were to successfully withstand an even more famous siege. They were usually known as the “Knights of St John” or the “Knights of Rhodes” or later the “Knights of Malta”. They also maintained a presence in mainland Greece until 1381. While in Cyprus and Rhodes, they kept up a constant campaign of maritime and coastal piracy against the Muslim states and their low aggressionfactor reflects only their limited ability to wage war on land and their dependence at home on the Greek populations of Cyprus and Rhodes. References: Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1. Heath, Armies of the Middle Ages Vol 2 1. Heath, Rhodes Besieged: A New History R. Smith & K. Devries.