Case Study: Battle Of Agincourt 1415 Flashcards
Who fought at Agincourt
English: lead by Henry V
French: lead by the French marshal Boucicaut and the French Constable Charles D’Albert
Where did the Battle Of Agincourt take place and what where some curical points surrounding the battle
It was fought near Azincourt in northern France as the French army blocked the English on their way to Calais. This resulted in the subsequent battle of Agincourt to take place. It was apart of the hundred years war 1337-1453.
What where the compositions of the two armies
English: outnumber the English had 2,000 knights and 7,000 infantry men (this was more then the french) all of whom where longbow men. 9,000 overall
French: 8,000 knights of which the majority fought on foot and 4,000 infantry men which was a combination of longbow and crossbow men. Overall 12,000 strong they outnumber the English.
1st stage of the battle: think positions
- Henry V arranges his troops in a standard formation, blocks of knights in centre with large amounts of longbow men on the flanks.
- He chose to fight on a recently ploughed feild ( very soft underfoot and due to recent rain very hard to walk in).
- Woods protected the English flanks and made the battlefield narrow. -English archers are also ordered to put large wooden spikes in front of them to act as a barrier
- Henry V hoped the French would attack as he had arranged his troops in a defensive formation.
2 stage of the battle: English bowmen fire
- the French didn’t attack
- the English couldn’t attack the French due to them outnumbering them but couldn’t wait around due to dwindling supplies and risk of French being reinforced by more troops.
- Henry V advances his troops so the French where in longbow range.
- the English archers fire storms of arrows at the French.
- Effective and skilled the English archers are able to weaken the French who had no means of protection ( there archers to far back to be of any use).
Stage 3: the French decide to whip out a cavalry charge
- The French cavalry charge
- they aim at the archers ( still protected behind their large wooden stakes)
- the French cavalry fails to defeat the English longbow men and withdraw back.
- this churns up the fields making them even harder to traverse then before.
Stage 4: The French dismounted knights attack
- the French Di- knights attack the English Di- mounted
- they struggle in their advance and are slowed by the rain or arrows disorienting and wearing them. The ankle deep mud was very hard to cross in armour which tires and slows them.
- to make matters worse the battlefield narrowed just before the English knights causing the French Knights to become cramped and bunched together.
- this made it hard for the French to wield their double handed swords in hand to hand combat.
-many are trampled or even drowned in the mud by the weight on the crush. - a second group of French knights join them worsening the situation.
- the English bowmen no longer able to fire for risk of friendly deaths join the fight with knifes and stones.
- French casualties are large
Stage 5: the English slaughter the prisoners
- Henry V sends a message to remaining French knights’ withdraw from the battle of expect to be killed’
- most began to retreat but a small number sneak behind the English and attack their baggage camp
- fearing this would inspire the retreating to attack and knew the English didn’t have enough to fight them and guard the prisoners.
- he orders the French prisoners to be killed and the small number of French attacking the baggage camp are defeated.
Outcome of the battle
The French forces withdraw from the battle and the English army had won.
There where no records of casualties made but the French suffered serious losses perhaps 3,000 dead with English losses being a lot lower
This victory allowed Henry V to renew his campaigns against France which eventually lead to him being recognised as heir to the french throne. His death and subsequent English defeats lead to this never actually being realised
When did the battle of Agincourt take place ?
1415
