Battle of Agincourt

Battle of Agincourt, military engagement during the Hundred Years' War, fought near the village of Agincourt (now Azincourt, in Pas-de-Calais Department), France, on October 25, 1415, between an English army under King Henry V of England and a French force under Charles d'Albret, constable of France. Prior to the action, which took place in a narrow valley near Agincourt, Henry, a claimant to the French throne, had invaded France and seized the port of Harfleur. At the time of the action, Henry's army, weakened by disease and hunger, was marching towards Calais, from where Henry planned to embark for England. The English force of about 6,000 men, for the most part lightly equipped archers, was intercepted by d'Albret, whose army of about 25,000 men consisted chiefly of armoured cavalry and infantry contingents. The English king, fearful of annihilation, sought a truce with the French, but his terms were rejected. In the battle, which was preceded by heavy rains, the French troops were at a disadvantage because of their weighty armour, the narrowness of the battleground, the muddy terrain, and the faulty tactics of their superiors, notably in using massed formations against a mobile enemy. The French cavalry, which occupied frontal positions, quickly became mired in the mud, making easy targets for the English archers. After routing the enemy cavalry, the English troops, wielding hatchets, billhooks (a type of knife), and swords, launched successive assaults on the French infantry. Demoralized by the fate of their cavalry and severely hampered by the mud, the French foot soldiers were completely overwhelmed. D'Albret, several dukes and counts, and about 500 other members of the French nobility were killed; about 5,000 French soldiers died. English losses numbered fewer than 200 men but included the Duke of York and the Earl of Suffolk. French feudal military strategy, traditionally based on the employment of heavily armoured troops and cavalry, was completely discredited by Henry's victory. Although Henry returned to England after Agincourt, his triumph paved the way for English domination of most of France until the middle of the 15th century. The battle, which was fought on St Crispin's day, is commemorated in the “Crispin Crispian” speech in the play Henry V.