The Battle of Crécy

The French knights charged at the English army. Their presence was awe-inspiring. It was the courageous and valorous display befitting of the knights widely considered the strongest of their time. Many believed the English forces would soon be shattered. Although the English were positioned on a hill and the ground had turned to mud due to the rain the previous day, the honorable French knights saw these challenges as obstacles they could easily overcome. That is, until they saw the rain of arrows filling the sky.

 

 

1. Background
In 1328, King Charles IV of France died without leaving an heir, causing the end of the Capetian dynasty. In response, King Edward III of England claimed the French throne through his maternal lineage, as his mother, Isabella, was the sister of Charles IV. The French Estates-General, however, opposed Edward's claim based on the Salic Law, which stipulated that only male descendants could inherit the throne.

 

2. The Salic Law
According to the Salic Law, only paternal bloodlines could inherit the throne. Therefore, Philip of Valois, a distant relative of the Capetians, was chosen as king under the name Philip VI, starting the Valois dynasty. Edward III of England, though, initially accepted Philip VI’s claim and pledged allegiance to him as a vassal, as the Kings of England had long been vassals of the French king ever since William the Conqueror's rule over Normandy. However, this was not the end of the conflict.

 

3. The Problem of Land
The conflict between France and England was not limited to the succession dispute. England controlled the rich wine-producing region of Gascony in France and economically dominated Flanders (modern-day Belgium), which was an important center for wool production, as the region imported much of its raw material from England. Therefore, successive French kings sought to control both territories. The newly crowned French king, Philip VI, confiscated Gascony from Edward III. In response, Edward rejected this action and raised an army to reclaim the French throne. This marked the beginning of the Hundred Years' War.

 

4. The French Pursuit
Edward III of England landed in Normandy and marched toward Paris. In response, Philip VI of France gathered an army of around 40,000 soldiers. The English forces retreated to Flanders, and the French pursued them. The French army attempted to surround the English, but failed to catch up at the confluence of the Seine and Somme rivers. The English army reached an area near the village of Crécy, approximately 50 km northwest of Amiens, where they took up defensive positions on a hill and awaited the French. The pursuing French army eventually arrived, and Philip VI, intending to rest and fight the next day, decided to engage in battle immediately due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

5. The Size and Formation of the Armies
The English army numbered about 12,000 men, including 7,000 archers equipped with Welsh longbows. The French army consisted of around 40,000 men, including 15,000 Genoese crossbowmen and 12,500 heavily armored knights. Given the reputation of French knights as the strongest military force of the time, the French army had a clear numerical advantage. Edward III arranged his forces in a reverse-V formation, placing three infantry divisions at the center.

 

6. The Cavalry Charge, and Yet
On August 26, 1346, the two armies met for battle at Crécy. The battle began with 15,000 Genoese crossbowmen firing volleys of arrows. The English longbowmen responded with their own volleys. The crossbowmen, who could only shoot 3 to 5 arrows per minute, were outpaced by the English archers, who could shoot 10 to 20 arrows per minute. Additionally, the English archers had the advantage of higher ground. As the Genoese crossbowmen began to retreat, Philip VI sent in his heavily armored knights to charge. The French knights, displaying their grandeur, charged forward rapidly. However, the slope of the hill and the muddy ground slowed their charge. The English archers concentrated their fire on the charging knights, and many French knights fell without even reaching the English defensive line. The power of the arrows was so great that they pierced both knights and their horses. From 4 p.m. to midnight, 15 consecutive attacks by the French failed. Ultimately, Philip VI ordered a retreat. What was expected to be a French victory ended in an unexpected English triumph.

 

7. The Battle's Outcome
The outcome of the Battle of Crécy was devastating. In terms of casualties, the English lost about 250 men, while the French lost around 10,000, including many lords and a third of the French nobility. King Philip VI himself was seriously wounded. This was a crushing defeat for France. The English had perfected the use of the longbow, which had been trained by farmers since the reign of Edward I. The longbow, which was difficult to use compared to the crossbow, was now employed with near perfection. Furthermore, the collective firepower of the English archers created an effect similar to concentrated artillery fire. This was the reason the heavily armored French knights were defeated and why England emerged victorious.

 

8. The End of the Age of Knights
With the English victory at Crécy, the early phase of the Hundred Years' War swung in favor of England. More importantly, the battle shattered the medieval belief that "archers could never defeat knights." Knights had been almost invincible on the medieval battlefield, but their humiliating defeat at Crécy marked the end of the era of cavalry dominance. Beginning with the Battle of Crécy, the age of knights came to an end, and infantry forces, particularly archers, took their place on the battlefield.