1415 AD – The Battle of Agincourt
Fought on October 25, 1415, between the French and the English and arguably the most famous battle of the Hundred Year War, the Battle of Agincourt would go down in English history as one of the most decisive victories against their long time enemy, the French. Henry V had landed in Normandy two months earlier but had lost approximately half of his 11,000 troops due to a previous battle at the siege of Harfleur, while others were lost to disease.
When his 5,500 men arrived at the battle, they faced a daunting task as the French army numbered around 20,000. However, despite having inferior numbers, the English did have the advantage of the battle taking place on a small field with woods at either side and an army with Welsh archers armed with longbows, bows with a larger range than that of the French archers.
This was proven as the French forces were utterly decimated by the archers long before the French cavalry could even reach them. The English lost only 400 men to 6,000 French casualties. Five years later, Henry V was eventually recognized as the heir to the French throne, but it would be short-lived as he would die just two years later, in 1422.
