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Agincourt And Crécy: Battle Analysis

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The Battles of Agincourt and Crécy from the Hundred Years’ War are two major battles that greatly showcase the use of terrain in the effectiveness of combat. Agincourt and Crécy were just two of many engagements of the Hundred Years’ War, however, they are remembered in the annals of English history with national pride and have been immortalized in verse by Shakespeare himself. This is due largely by the fact that the French should have annihilated the English campaigning forces. The three deciding factors of these conflicts were the innovation of the English longbow, the use of the terrain, and the formation of the English infantry. When used in combination with each other, the English demonstrated the perfect use of terrain against a larger force. …show more content…

Edward III was crowned King of England in 1327. The king was only 15 years old and had inherited a country beset by conflict in Aquitaine, the area known as Northern France, and Scotland. With conflict set on two sides of his kingdom, Edward quickly discovered that it was impossible to muster enough nobles to fight in both Scotland and France. In 1332 Edward fashioned a new military tactic that called for using large battalions of longbows to kill the heavily armored knights before they reached his own lines. In doing so, Edward would require fewer knights to fight battles. In 1333 Edward first tested this military theory against the Scots at Halidon Hill. Even while having a smaller force, the English prevailed and slaughtered the Scottish army because of the massed use of the longbow. From this victory, Edward would draw the strategy that would ultimately culminate during his campaign against France in the 1340s. This would etch the power of ranged units into the art of war forever, and still influences the way wars are fought to this

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