On October 25, 1415, the Battle of Agincourt takes place in northern France during the Hundred Years' War. The battle saw an English army commanded by King Henry V, weary and vastly outnumbered, facing a larger French force. Estimates for the strength of either army vary with the English force estimated at between 6,000 and 9,000 strong while the French are estimated to have a strength of 12,000 to 36,000 men. Furthermore, over 80% of the English force were longbowmen whereas the French force featured a much greater number of men-at-arms. The local terrain of the battlefield aided the English as forests surrounding the battlefield on both sides hindered the French army's ability to take advantage of its numbers. Instead, the French were forced to attack along a much narrower corridor.
An initial French cavalry charge was thwarted as English and Welsh archers engaged at range while the cavalrymen were unable to to flank the English due to the woodlands nor were they able to push through into the archers' ranks due to the longbowmen deploying sharpened spikes to deter and stop the horses. With the cavalry thrown into disarray by the archers, French men-at-arms began their charge across the battlefield on foot; however, the barrage of English arrows combined with the muddy, torn-up ground to slow the advance and exhaust the French before the could engage the English line. Once again, the terrain negated the French numerical advantage, funneling the French soldiers into the heart of the English line.
Casualty estimates for the Battle of Agincourt vary as much as the estimates for either factions strength; however, the ratio of casualties heavily favored the English. Estimates for English casualties range from 112 to 600 kill. French losses are estimated at ~6,000 killed and a further 700 to 2,200 captured. French losses also devastated the leadership of France with multiple powerful nobles, including the Constable of France (the second most powerful man in France and then-commander of the French army) killed. The battle also allowed Henry V to return to England as a hero and rebuild his forces for future conquests in Europe. Agincourt also renewed a feud between the Armagnac and Burgundian factions in France, causing division in France and allowing Henry V more time to regroup as well as making his following campaign easier.
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26 Oct 2019 05:00 CEST
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