Battle Of Agincourt (1415) Flashcards
How was Henry V’s army raised?
Paying indentures (contracts) with noblemen willing to act as captains for 12 months
What did Henry V agree for troops on campaign?
Booty captured on campaign would be given a third to troops
How were ships hired for Henry’s force?
Hired from Holland or impressed (taken by royal order) from private owners
What was Henry’s aim and how was his strategy different?
Wnated to capture and control land in Northern France but had too few men-at-arms to fight offensively. Planned to seize French castles and raid French settlements, then negotiating with French King for territory
What did Henry V do for 5 weeks after landing in France?
Seized ports of Harfleur
How did Henry choose to travel and how did this backfire?
Chose to march to scare French but ‘bloody flux’ disease broke out which meant Henry’s men became weak on the march
How was Henry forced to fight?
French kept close and trapped English
How was Henry’s army composed?
2000 men-at-arms and 6000 archers
How was French army composed?
10,000 hevaily armoured cavalry and 5000 infantry
How did Henry place his army?
In a 750m wide gap between two woods with ploughed land between him and the French which was wet so French would struggle
How did Henry attack and how was it viewed by French?
Started gallin (sending archers into the trees to fire at French) which French saw as unchivalrous and made French start a hectic charge
How long did battle last?
3 hours
How many English died?
450 and avoided capture of king
How many Frenchmen died?
4000
What two things did the battle show?
Dominance of longbow
Importance of sieges as they gave Henry military and political control of countryside
What were reasons for Henry V’s victory?
Henry chose an ideal position
French relied too much on cavalry
Cavalry badly coordinated with infantry
English longbows could fire 100k arrows a minute
How were infantry and cavalry of French badly coordinated?
Cavalry charged galling arrows and infantry came behind. As galling hit cavalry, they retreated right back into the infantry so were exhausted when they arrived against English
How was Henry lucky?
His march across France was risky and he was forced into an unwanted battle and outmanouevred
What did Henry do well?
Showed key skills of a good commander: good positioning and placement of troops, good choice of weapons, brave, fought with his troops as an example
