The Battle of Agincourt - Term Paper Example

The Battle of Agincourt This battle was also known as the hundred year’s war. The battle took place on 25 October2015 in the northern part of France. The combatants were English and Welsh army against a French army. The generals were King Henry V of England against the constables of France, Charles d’Albret and Comte de Dreux. In the end, King Henry V of England won the battle. This war has been documented for a long time because of the artillery used and sophistication. This paper will focus on events of the battle of Agincourt.

The war began with the arrangement of the armies. It began with the arrival of English army in France who surrounded the port town of Harfleur. The army comprised of 30,000 strong men. However, this siege had its consequences as many in the army died of diseases. This occurred despite the fact that a strong garrison had to be left to defend the captured port. On the other hand, Henry’s army comprised of about 5,000 knights, men at arms and archers. However, this is not clear as estimates of the army vary from 30,000 to about 100,000 (Anonymous 1).

In the battle, there were sophisticated uniforms, arms and equipments. The knights wore steel plate shield of great thickness and superiority. They also had helmet and two-handed swords. The weapons used included lance, shield, sword, and dagger (Sutherland 245-250). Additionally, they wore a coat of arms on their coat and shield. On the other hand, English and welsh archers used more sophisticated weapons as compared to their predecessors. These weapons were built in the tower of London in preparation for war.

In case of hand-to-hand combat, the archers carried swords, daggers, hatchets and war hammers. They also wore jackets and loose hose. The archers’ headgear comprised of a skullcap. In the war, it is believed that the archers stripped off their upper garments for the battle to make it easy to use their bow. King Henry, on the other hand, wore a polished and plumed bassinet helmet for the battle. This was covered with a gold crown. Likewise, his surcoat portrayed the arms of England and France.

Several events led to the emergence of the war. Upon accession to power, Henry V resolved to renew the war against France and press his claim to the French throne (Anonymous 1). Subsequently, negotiations took place in which Henry put forth demands that were unacceptable to French envoys. This prompted England to prepare for war. As a result, the army assembled at Southampton over the winter of 1414 to 1415. The siege of the town began on Henry arrival in august 1415. This was followed by surrender of Harfleur on 22 September 1415 with no confrontation (Anonymous 1).

Henry was left in dilemma due to the late arrival of the army from England and the unexpected resistance of the Harfleur garrison. On the other hand, large forces of French were surrounding them. He immediately assembled the council and informed them of intended attack in spite of foreseeable difficulties. He also ordered Governor Sir William Bardolph to clear Somme for army entry. This was followed by a march to Calais on 8 October 2015 (Sutherland 245-250). However, they faced resistance as French army barred the crossing.

However, the English army outwitted the French army by cutting straight across a bow in the river. In addition, Henry ordered his archers to cut sharpened staves to form resistance against the mounted attack. Moreover, once they managed to cross to Calais, Henry ordered his army to rest. This ensured that they prepared for the battle in the next day. There was raging fear over English due to the heavy rain and the enormous French camp two miles ahead. The French had little doubts that they would win the war.

However, Henry managed to encourage his army using Shakespeare’ dramatic episode. On the next day, 25 October 2015, English army marched out of Maisoncelles ready for the war (Anonymous 1). They crossed the road to Calais in three divisions of knights and men at arms. The commanders were Lord Camoys on the right, Duke of York in the centre, and Sir Thomas Erpingham on the left (Anonymous 1). The archers formed a shield in the front side. On the other side, the French were ready for war led by constables.

The Dukes of Bar and d’Alencon led the second and third line. Henry army waited promptly for the French army to begin the attack. However, there was no movement from both sides. In the end, English army began the attack by marching forward. The archers occupied the first line. On the French side, they were faced by challenges of mud and men shot by archers and hence made it difficult for them to move forward (Barker 430-432). Consequently, English army won the war after two hours of continuous battle.

The surviving French armies were taken as prisoners. In addition, the duke of York was killed, and Henry brother was injured. The main battle was over by midday. In conclusion, it is clear that the English army led by Henry were weak. However, with their courage and determination managed to defeat a large army of French. It is also clear that obsession of power most of the times leads to war. Works Cited Anonymous. “The Battle of Agincourt – 25th October 1415.” Inthefootsteps.org.uk. Web.

26 October 2013. < http://inthefootsteps.org.uk/Articles/EarlyBattles/Agincourt/Agincourt.htm> Barker, Juliet. “Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle.” New York: Little, Brown Book Group, 2010. Print Sutherland, Tim. “The Battle of Agincourt.” Journal of Conflict Archeology 1(2006): 245-265. Print.