Battle / War
Battle of Agincourt (1415)
Henry V led a greatly outnumbered English army to a famous victory over the French at Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War.
The Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a prolonged conflict between England and France fought between 1337 and 1453. English kings claimed the French throne, leading to repeated campaigns in France. Henry V's campaign of 1415 was part of this long struggle.
The Battle
On 25 October 1415, Henry V's army — exhausted and heavily outnumbered — faced a large French force at Agincourt in northern France. The English longbowmen proved decisive: their rapid, accurate fire devastated the French knights before they could engage. Despite the odds, the English won a crushing victory.
The battle demonstrated the power of the English longbow as a military weapon and became one of the most celebrated victories in English history.
Shakespeare's Henry V
The Battle of Agincourt is the subject of William Shakespeare's play Henry V, written around 1599. The play immortalised the battle and Henry's rousing pre-battle speech, cementing the story in English cultural memory. Shakespeare's history plays drew heavily on events from British medieval history.
Key facts for the test
- The battle took place in 1415
- King Henry V led the English forces
- England defeated a much larger French army
- English longbowmen were crucial to the victory
- It was part of the Hundred Years' War
- The battle is the subject of Shakespeare's play Henry V
Test yourself
Questions about the Battle of Agincourt appear in the Life in the UK Test.
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