OCTOBER 25, 1415 The Battle of Agincourt

Key Words Edward III – King of England ( ) whose reign was marked by the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, epidemics of the Black Death, and the emergence of the Commons as a powerful arm of Parliament. Dominion – Under the control of or to have complete sovereignty over a territory (i.e. a realm). Dowry – Money or property given by a bride to her husband at marriage (i.e. Aquitaine to Henry II). Harfleur – Key port city that Henry V captured on his crossing over from England in Henry V - King of England ( ) who succeeded his father, Henry IV, and suppressed the Lollards, executing their leader, Sir John Oldcastle (1417). He also reopened the Hundred Years' War, defeating the French at Agincourt (1415) and capturing all of Normandy by Joan of Arc - Saint known as the Maid of Orléans; French name Jeanne d'Arc. 1412–31, French national heroine, who led the army that relieved Orléans in the Hundred Years' War, enabling Charles VII to be crowned at Reims (1429). After being captured (1430), she was burnt at the stake as a heretic. She was canonized in Feast day: May 30

Before Agincourt In 1414, King Henry V of England began discussions with his nobles regarding renewing the war with France to assert his claim on the French throne. He held this claim through his grandfather, Edward III who begun the Hundred Years' War in Initially reluctant, they encouraged the king to negotiate with the French. In doing so, Henry was willing to renounce his claim to the French throne in exchange for 1.6 million crowns (the outstanding ransom on French King John II - captured at Poitiers in 1356), as well as French recognition of English dominion over occupied lands in France. These included Touraine, Normandy, Anjou, Flanders, Brittany, and Aquitaine. To seal the deal, Henry was willing to marry the young daughter of the chronically insane King Charles VI, Princess Catherine, if he received a dowry of 2 million crowns. Negotiations quickly stalled on the latter issue as the French refused to offer such a large dowry. With talks deadlocked and feeling personally insulted by French actions, Henry successfully asked for war on April 19, Assembling an army, Henry crossed the Channel with around 10,500 men and landed near Harfleur on August 13/14.

Armies and Commanders English & Welsh - Commander- - King Henry V - Total Army- - approx. 6,000-8,500 men French - Commanders- - Constable of France Charles d'Albret - Marshal Boucicaut - Total Army- - approx. 24,000-36,000 men

Equipment Uniforms, arms and equipment: Knights wore steel plate armour of greater thickness and sophistication than at Creçy with visored helmets. Two-handed swords were coming into vogue as the battle weapon of the gentry. Otherwise weapons remained the lance, shield, sword, various forms of mace or club and dagger. Each knight wore his coat of arms on his surcoat and shield. The English and Welsh archers carried a more powerful bow than their fathers and grandfathers under Edward III and the Black Prince. Armour piercing arrow heads made this weapon more deadly than its predecessor, stocks of thousands of arrows being built up in the Tower of London in preparation for war. For hand-to-hand combat the archers carried swords, daggers, hatchets and war hammers. They wore jackets and loose hose; although many were rendered bare foot by the time of the battle from the long harrowing march from Harfleur. Archers’ headgear was a skull cap either of boiled leather or wickerwork ribbed with a steel frame.

The Battle Agincourt Henry led his troops forward into bowshot range, where their long- range archery provoked the French into an assault. Several small French cavalry charges broke upon a line of pointed stakes in front of the English archers. Then the main French assault, consisting of heavily armored, dismounted knights, advanced over the sodden ground. At the first clash the English line yielded, only to recover quickly. As more French knights entered the battle, they became so tightly bunched that some of them could barely raise their arms to strike a blow. At this decisive point, Henry ordered his lightly equipped and more mobile English archers to attack with swords and axes. The unencumbered English hacked down thousands of the French, and thousands more were taken prisoner, many of whom were killed on Henry’s orders when another French attack seemed imminent.

St. Crispin’s Day

At Battle’s End The battle was a disaster for the French. The constable himself, 12 other members of the highest nobility, some 1,500 knights, and about 4,500 men-at-arms were killed on the French side, while the English lost less than 450 men. The English had been led brilliantly by Henry, but the incoherent tactics of the French had also contributed greatly to their defeat.

Sources Dictionary.com Britishbattles.com History.com Brittanica.com