The Battle of Agincourt

The Battle of Agincourt wasn’t just another clash in the Hundred Years’ War. It was a victory that seemed impossible, a tale of courage that echoes across the centuries. On this muddy field in northern France, near the village of Agincourt (now known as Azincourt), King Henry V of England led his outnumbered forces against an overwhelming French army. By the end of that fateful day, the English had achieved one of the most astonishing upsets in medieval history.

The Battle of Agincourt was a direct consequence of Henry V’s ambition. Claiming his right to the French throne, Henry invaded France in 1415 with a well-trained, disciplined army. After capturing the strategic port of Harfleur, his forces were weakened, worn down by disease and hardship. Despite their reduced numbers, Henry’s men set out toward Calais to reach English-held territory and safety. But the French had other plans. They intercepted the English army, forcing a confrontation near Agincourt.

The stakes couldn’t have been higher. The English soldiers, just 6,000 of them—mostly longbowmen, lightly armoured and weary—faced an enormous French force of nearly 25,000 men. The odds were bleak, but Henry knew his men, his weapons, and the field. He would make every advantage count.

The Battle of Agincourt didn’t just happen; it was shaped by its surroundings. Heavy rains had turned the ground to thick mud—a crucial factor that would tilt the balance. Positioned in a narrow valley, hemmed in by dense woods, the French were at an immediate disadvantage. They couldn’t manoeuvre their forces effectively, and the mud turned every step into a struggle.

For the French knights and cavalry, heavily armoured and unable to spread out, the terrain would become a trap. Henry’s English archers, meanwhile, stood ready. Equipped with the powerful English longbow, they prepared to unleash volley after volley on the advancing French.

The English longbowmen were the heart of Henry V’s strategy. Positioned on either side of the battlefield, they had a clear line of sight and a narrow field that funnelled the French into a deadly zone. As the French knights advanced, the longbowmen let fly. Thousands of arrows, sharp and deadly, rained down on the French ranks. Armour cracked; horses fell. Those who survived the first wave found themselves mired in the mud, slowed and vulnerable.

And yet, the English didn’t stop with arrows. Once the French cavalry was routed, Henry’s men—armed with axes, swords, and billhooks—charged forward. This wasn’t a fair fight. It was brutal, relentless, and decisive. The English foot soldiers and longbowmen, unencumbered by heavy armour, pressed the advantage. They overpowered the exhausted French infantry in a melee that lasted only hours but felt like an eternity.

By the end, Henry V’s forces had achieved the impossible. Outnumbered nearly four-to-one, the English lost fewer than 200 men. Among those lost were the Duke of York and the Earl of Suffolk. The French, on the other hand, suffered devastating losses. Nearly 5,000 French soldiers lay dead, along with high-ranking nobles, including Charles d’Albret and several dukes and counts.

The Battle of Agincourt shattered the might of French cavalry and laid bare the limitations of heavy armour against a nimble, determined foe. For France, it was a catastrophic loss. For England, it was a victory that would echo throughout history, proving that courage, discipline, and ingenuity could overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

The Battle of Agincourt remains legendary, a testament to English resilience and the tactical brilliance of King Henry V. The victory is immortalized in literature, most notably in William Shakespeare’s Henry V. The “St. Crispin’s Day” speech, with its rallying cry of “we few, we happy few, we band of brothers,” captures the spirit of Agincourt—a spirit of defiance, unity, and valour that still resonates today.

Agincourt was more than a battle. It was a turning point, not just in the Hundred Years’ War but in medieval warfare. The triumph of the English longbow over traditional heavy cavalry would shape military tactics for years to come. Today, visitors can still walk the fields of Azincourt, where this epic clash unfolded. Reenactments, historical exhibits, and memorials honour the men who fought and the lives that were lost.