During the medieval period German regionalism was even stronger than today, with the northern lowlands having their own distinct languages of Saxon and Frisian. Efforts by Imperial central government to unify provincial and legal frameworks, while attempting to impose a single tongue (Middle High German) as the official language, failed.
Although never as rich nor as influential as the largely French Order of Templars or the more mixed Hospitallers, the Teutonic Knights acquired lands within the Crusader States (in the Middle East, but mostly in the Kingdom of Jerusalem), and established a military presence within the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, their ally.
Charlemagne undoubtedly enjoyed a superiority in men and material over most of his foes. the earlt Carolingian state also used widespread massacre to terrorise its foes, especially against the non-Christian Saxons and Avars. The latter were virtually exterminated in what can only be described as wars of genocide.
La Hire swore a lot and prayed a lot, though his prayers sometimes sounded like swearing. On at least one occasion he was reported as praying: "Lord God, I pray you to do for La Hire what La Hire would do for you if God was a captain and La Hire was God".
La Hire saw his ennemy in disorder and, with an audacity which went beyond his order, attacked at once, dispersing the English "rear guard" or what should perhaps now be termed their front line.
In Rhodes the fighting arm of the Order created a remarkable and rather romantic haven of chivalry at a time when the ideals of chivalry were under threat elsewhere in Europe.
Nevertheless, the idea that the heavily armoured knights dominated the battlefield is a myth, even within Europe.