72
1000–1500
In 1415, Henry V of England invaded France in
pursuit of a claim to the French throne that he had
inherited from his great-grandfather, Edward III
(see p.66). Landing near Hareur on August 13,
1415, with a 12,000-strong army, he spent six weeks
capturing the town, and lost half of his force to
injury or disease in the process. He then decided
to march to Calais, but the French under Constable d’Albret blocked the
English from crossing the Somme, and Henry was forced 40 miles (64 km)
south to nd a ford. At Agincourt, on a stretch of road fringed by muddy
elds, a French army of around 20,000 men again blocked his way.
Henry tempted d’Albret to attack by advancing slightly; the English
longbowmen then sent volley after volley into the advancing French cavalry.
The horses became stuck in mud, many wounded by arrows, and their
dismounted riders in heavy armor could barely move in the churned-up
ground. The French charge descended into chaos, and the few knights who
made it to the English line were cut down at close quarters by a mass of archers
armed with axes and knives. Thousands of knights and men-at-arms were
killed, and the remnants of the French army retreated in disorder. Although
Henry returned to England soon after his victory, he used the ensuing political
instability in France to secure a treaty at Troyes in 1420. This made him heir
to the French throne by marrying Charles VI’s daughter, Catherine, and
legitimized his occupation of much of northern France.
Agincourt
1415
◼
NORTHERN FRANCE
◼
ENGLAND VS. FRANCE
HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR
1
THE BATTLEFIELD AT AGINCOURT
This French
illuminated manuscript from the 15th century shows
the English and French archers at Agincourt with
cavalry massed behind them. Toward the end of the
battle, the French attacked the English baggage train
where French prisoners were being held. To prevent
them from rejoining the battle, Henry executed
hundreds of captives—sparing only those who
were worth the highest ransoms.
Longbowmen played a key role in
several critical English victories during
the Hundred Years’ War. The English
longbow, which was 6 ft (2 m) long
and made of yew, required enormous
strength to pull, and in 1363 Edward III
decreed that all able-bodied males
should be trained in its use. A
competent bowman could re 10
shots per minute, reaching targets
up to 820 ft (250 m) away. Thousands
accompanied the English army—
many of them Welsh—presenting
a terrifyingly eective force. By the
time Agincourt took place, their
30-arrow quivers often included
armor-piercing arrowheads that
could penetrate metal plate.
LONGBOWMEN AT WAR
1 This 18th-century illustration depicts
longbowmen in the 14th century, around the
time of the Hundred Years’ War.
US_072-073_Agincourt.indd 72 27/04/2018 10:55
73
AGINCOURT
◼
1415
Iron sounded on iron, while volleys of arrows
struck helmets, plates and cuirasses.
THOMAS WALSINGHAM, ST. ALBANS CHRONICLE, C.1420–22
US_072-073_Agincourt.indd 73 06/04/2018 16:04
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