Greatest battles
NORTHERN FRANCE, 26 AUGUST 1346
A step-by-step look at Crécy, the first land battle of the Hundred Years’ War
One of the first major land battles of the Hundred Years’ War, the Battle of Crécy helped set the tone for the medieval conflict between England and France. However, it is also remembered as a revolution in the way war was fought, with the concept of chivalry clashing with new developments in military tech.
As so many wars do, the conflict began with a succession crisis. After the heirless French king Charles IV died in 1328, Edward III of England had a strong claim to the throne. This was because he was also the Duke of Aquitaine, in south-western France, while his mother Isabella of France was Charles IV’S sister. Meanwhile, Philip of Valois was the grandson of an earlier French king, Philip III.
Ultimately, the French nobility favoured one of their own and Edward seemed to accept the decision. But when the newly-crowned Philip VI confiscated Aquitaine in 1337, afraid of another king having influence in his realm, Edward raised an army.
While he claimed to be fighting for the French throne, Edward did not seize territory when he invaded. Rather the Englishman led brutal raids known as chevauchée (‘horse charges’), in which he burned crops and pillaged towns. By undermining French morale and resources, Edward was trying to bully Philip into returning Aquitaine.
These raids continued throughout the early 1340s, but in 1344, while Edward’s marauders rampaged northwards, Philip rode out with his own army. Double the size of the English horde, Philip’s fighting force boasted around 35,000 men, the king having called on support from his allies from surrounding states, as well as hiring the formidable mercenary corps, the Genoese crossbowmen.
However, when the two sides met near the village of Crécy-en-ponthieu, England shocked Europe by not just defeating the French, but slaughtering them. Though Edward was technically outmanned, caught offguard and not on his home turf, he had a crucial advantage: he was armed with cuttingedge weapons. While Philip relied too heavily on traditional mounted cavalry, Edward put his faith in 10,000 archers.
Armed with longbows, this force could rain down thousands of arrows in minutes. While this couldn’t pierce the knights’ armour in the same way crossbows could, it quickly felled their horses, putting them in a vulnerable position. Philip’s mercenaries might have evened the odds, except a brief rain shower slackened the fixed lines of their crossbows, limiting their range and effectiveness. In contrast, the English archers could remove their bowstrings and keep them dry under their coats.
Edward also had five cannons, which were at the time unheard of in European warfare. While they were too primitive to be effective, the sound and fury of them must have been terrifying.
Nearly a third of the French army were slain, including Philip’s own brother, Charles II of Alençon; his allies King John of Bohemia and Louis II, Count of Flanders; and 1,500 other knights and esquires. Philip himself escaped with a wound. In contrast, estimates of English losses range from around 150 to 200. England’s winning streak continued for the next few years, with victories at Calais and Poitiers, before finally being repulsed at Rheims in 1359.
A fragile peace was struck, but it didn’t last. The series of conflicts we call the Hundred Years’ War preoccupied both England and France for decades.