Against impossible odds at Agincourt 1415 AD.

The unexpected English decisive victory at the battle of Agincourt in 25th of October, Saint Crispins Day 1415 AD was a turning point in the late Medieval era. Where a French army of 30,000 were annihilated against the outnumbered English army of only 9,000. From a military perspective, it changed the concept of mounted knights dominating the battlefield in Medieval warfare. This destroyed the flower of French nobility and ending the age of chivalry. That entirely diminished the influential might in the kingdom of France.

The French defeat culminated a new period of English dominance in the Hundred Years War and King Henry V of England, whom had incredible leadership skills. Encouraged the social class of his army, who were commoners and nobles to fight as equals with immense discipline.

Feudalism in Medieval Europe was a combination of legal and military customs. A hierarchy with such a complex structure, relied upon the recruitment of knights or men-at-arms from the nobility to bolster an army’s superiority.

The French army had mustered about 10,000 mounted knights to encounter the English army at Agincourt. These warriors were sworn by a chivalric code to serve as vassals to the monarch or fight for fiefdoms. They wore heavy plate armour and also dressed suitable armour for their horses. Trained in the skills of horsemanship and armed with melee weapons such as swords, maces, lances. They were truly the battle tanks of the Medieval battlefield.

However the English took a different approach of recruitment, a third of King Henry’s army of 9,000 were English and Welsh longbowmen. They are characterized as one of the essential military components of warfare and the English longbow became the pinnacle weapon in the 14th and 15 century. Commoners armed with their powerful longbows are trained in the skills of accuracy and could shoot 12 arrows per minute with immense speed.

After crossing the river Somme, king Henry’s fleeing army is intercepted by the numerical superior French army of 30,000. Led by the co-commanders Constable Charles d’Albert and Marshall Boucicaut. Both armies are deployed near the town of Azincourt and the French army are certain of a quick victory. The significantly outnumbered English army, suffering from disease and hunger are demoralised at the sight of their superior opponent.

Although King Henry V knew the accurate capabilities of English archers and his army’s advantageous position . Which was 1,000 yards of open muddy ground, between two forests. That protected the flanks from any possible manouveirs by the French calvary. Therefore, King Henry V took a defensive approach and positioned the 6,000 longbowmen on both sides of the forest. King Henry V positioned himself alongside his men-at-arms with additional archers in the vanguard, where he is able to issue commands.

At 11am the main assault begins and the French heavy calvary deploy in three lines charge towards the English defence. But before they could ever reach the English lines, a hail of 6,000 arrows descend upon the French ranks. Which disrupted the French mounted knights momentous attack and are bogged down in their heavy armour in the muddy field. Waves of attacks fail to breach the English defence and the decimated French army order a retreat. The French army had sustained significant casualties of 6,000 and 2,200 knights are captured. The English only sustained 200 losses and their outcome of success was the terrain, mobility and the accuracy of English longbowmen. Which dominated the French knights in their ignorance and contempt towards peasant archers. This impact forever changed the idea of Medieval warfare and mounted knights no longer attain the invincibility in battle.

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