This is the History Unhinged podcast and on today, October 25, in 1415, the Battle of Agincourt took place. While the event itself is a significant historical marker, the details surrounding the battle are what make it "insane."
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in the Hundred Years' War. The English, led by King Henry V, were heavily outnumbered by the French. Some estimates suggest that the French had somewhere between 12,000 to 36,000 troops, while the English had about 6,000 to 9,000. Despite their numerical disadvantage and the fact that they were exhausted, malnourished, and suffering from disease after a long march, the English managed to win decisively.
The English victory can be attributed to several factors:
Longbowmen: The English army had a large number of longbowmen, whose arrows wreaked havoc on the French knights and infantry. The French, clad in armor, struggled in the muddy battlefield, making them easy targets.
Tactical Choices: King Henry V made strategic use of the terrain, positioning his troops between two dense forests, which narrowed the battlefield and prevented the French from fully utilizing their numerical advantage.
French Mistakes: The French made several tactical errors. Their initial cavalry charge was repulsed, and their heavily armored knights became bogged down in the muddy terrain. As they pushed forward, the narrow battlefield caused them to compress together, making movement difficult and rendering them even more susceptible to English arrows.
The outcome was catastrophic for the French, with thousands killed, including many nobles and knights. The English, on the other hand, suffered relatively few casualties.
The Battle of Agincourt is immortalized in William Shakespeare's play "Henry V," which contains the famous St. Crispin's Day speech delivered by the king to rally his troops before the battle.
Given the odds and the conditions, the English victory at Agincourt can certainly be considered "insane" in the context of military history!
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Oct 26 20232 mins