Battle Of Agincourt (1415)

Question 1

How was Henry V’s army raised?

Answer 1

Paying indentures (contracts) with noblemen willing to act as captains for 12 months

Question 2

What did Henry V agree for troops on campaign?

Answer 2

Booty captured on campaign would be given a third to troops

Question 3

How were ships hired for Henry’s force?

Answer 3

Hired from Holland or impressed (taken by royal order) from private owners

Question 4

What was Henry’s aim and how was his strategy different?

Answer 4

Wnated to capture and control land in Northern France but had too few men-at-arms to fight offensively. Planned to seize French castles and raid French settlements, then negotiating with French King for territory

Question 5

What did Henry V do for 5 weeks after landing in France?

Answer 5

Seized ports of Harfleur

Question 6

How did Henry choose to travel and how did this backfire?

Answer 6

Chose to march to scare French but ‘bloody flux’ disease broke out which meant Henry’s men became weak on the march

Question 7

How was Henry forced to fight?

Answer 7

French kept close and trapped English

Question 8

How was Henry’s army composed?

Answer 8

2000 men-at-arms and 6000 archers

Question 9

How was French army composed?

Answer 9

10,000 hevaily armoured cavalry and 5000 infantry

Question 10

How did Henry place his army?

Answer 10

In a 750m wide gap between two woods with ploughed land between him and the French which was wet so French would struggle

Question 11

How did Henry attack and how was it viewed by French?

Answer 11

Started gallin (sending archers into the trees to fire at French) which French saw as unchivalrous and made French start a hectic charge

Question 12

How long did battle last?

Answer 12

3 hours

Question 13

How many English died?

Answer 13

450 and avoided capture of king

Question 14

How many Frenchmen died?

Answer 14

4000

Question 15

What two things did the battle show?

Answer 15

Dominance of longbow
Importance of sieges as they gave Henry military and political control of countryside

Question 16

What were reasons for Henry V’s victory?

Answer 16

Henry chose an ideal position
French relied too much on cavalry
Cavalry badly coordinated with infantry
English longbows could fire 100k arrows a minute

Question 17

How were infantry and cavalry of French badly coordinated?

Answer 17

Cavalry charged galling arrows and infantry came behind. As galling hit cavalry, they retreated right back into the infantry so were exhausted when they arrived against English

Question 18

How was Henry lucky?

Answer 18

His march across France was risky and he was forced into an unwanted battle and outmanouevred

Question 19

What did Henry do well?

Answer 19

Showed key skills of a good commander: good positioning and placement of troops, good choice of weapons, brave, fought with his troops as an example