Battle of Agincourt

Agincourt, fought on a rainy day in France on 25 October 1415, didn’t hold much promise for the English and Welsh army of King Henry V. Many hadn’t eaten for four days, a good number of men were suffering from dysentery, and there were said to be around 24,000 Frenchmen pitched against just 5,800 English and Welsh. Worse still, the heavy rain had transformed the battlefield into a quagmire – but it was this that would be one of the main advantages as the battle began. The deep mud ruled out the use of French artillery, and once the heavily armoured French knights were knocked down, they couldn’t get up again. In contrast, the British force was lightly armoured and more mobile. By the end of the battle, English losses were put at 113, the French at around 5000. It was all part of the Hundred Years’ War, and one of the reasons Henry V was recognised by the French as heir to their throne in the Treaty of Troyes in 1420. Henry died before he inherited the throne, and the English were largely expelled from France during the ensuing years under Henry VI.