Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Belligerents
Kingdom of England
Kingdom of France
Kingdom of Bohemia
Commanders and leaders
King Edward III
Edward the Black Prince
Earl of Northampton
King Philip VI (WIA)
Count of Alençon †
King John the Blind †
Duke of Lorraine †
Count of Blois †
Count of Flanders †
Strength
7,000–15,000 20,000–30,000
• 8,000 men-at-arms
• 2,000–6,000 crossbowmen
• Unknown infantry
Casualties and losses
40–300 killed At least 4,000 killed, including 1,542 nobles
Crécy is located in FranceCrécyCrécy
Location of the battle within France
vte
Hundred Years' War
Edwardian phase
(1337–1360)
vte
Hundred Years' War
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a
French army commanded by King Philip VI and an English army led by King Edward III.
The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France during
the Hundred Years' War, resulting in an English victory and heavy loss of life
among the French.
The English army had landed in the Cotentin Peninsula on 12 July. It had burnt a
path of destruction through some of the richest lands in France to within 2 miles
(3 km) of Paris, sacking many towns on the way. The English then marched north,
hoping to link up with an allied Flemish army which had invaded from Flanders.
Hearing that the Flemish had turned back, and having temporarily outdistanced the
pursuing French, Edward had his army prepare a defensive position on a hillside
near Crécy-en-Ponthieu. Late on 26 August the French army, which greatly
outnumbered the English, attacked.
During a brief archery duel a large force of French mercenary crossbowmen was
routed by Welsh and English longbowmen. The French then launched a series of
cavalry charges by their mounted knights. These were disordered by their impromptu
nature, by having to force their way through the fleeing crossbowmen, by the muddy
ground, by having to charge uphill, and by the pits dug by the English. The attacks
were further broken up by the effective fire from the English archers, which caused
heavy casualties. By the time the French charges reached the English men-at-arms,
who had dismounted for the battle, they had lost much of their impetus. The ensuing
hand-to-hand combat was described as "murderous, without pity, cruel, and very
horrible." The French charges continued late into the night, all with the same
result: fierce fighting followed by a French repulse.
The English then laid siege to the port of Calais. The battle crippled the French
army's ability to relieve the siege; the town fell to the English the following
year and remained under English rule for more than two centuries, until 1558. Crécy
established the effectiveness of the longbow as a dominant weapon on the Western
European battlefield.
Contents
1 Background
2 Prelude
3 Opposing forces
3.1 English army
3.2 French army
3.3 Initial deployments
4 Battle
4.1 Archery duel
4.2 Cavalry charges
5 Casualties
6 Aftermath
7 Notes, citations and sources
7.1 Notes
7.2 Citations
7.3 Sources
8 Further reading
8.1 Modern sources
8.2 Primary sources
Background
Since the Norman Conquest of 1066, English monarchs had held titles and lands
within France, the possession of which made them vassals of the kings of France.[1]
Following a series of disagreements between Philip VI of France (r. 1328–1350) and
Edward III of England (r. 1327–1377), on 24 May 1337 Philip's Great Council in
Paris agreed that the lands held by Edward in France should be taken back into
Philip's hands on the grounds that Edward was in breach of his obligations as a
vassal. This marked the start of the Hundred Years' War, which was to last 116
years.[2]
In March 1346 a French army numbering between 15,000 and 20,000,[9] "enormously
superior" to any force the Anglo-Gascons could field, including all the military
officers of the royal household,[10] and commanded by John, Duke of Normandy, the
son and heir of Philip VI, marched on Gascony. They besieged the strategically and
logistically important town of Aiguillon.[11] On 2 April the arrière-ban, the
formal call to arms for all able-bodied males, was announced for the south of
France.[9][12] French financial, logistical and manpower efforts were focused on
this offensive.[13] Derby, now Lancaster,[note 1] sent an urgent appeal for help to
Edward.[14] Edward was not only morally obliged to succour his vassal but
contractually required to; his indenture with Lancaster stated that if Lancaster
were attacked by overwhelming numbers, then Edward "shall rescue him in one way or
another".[15]
Meanwhile, Edward was raising a fresh army, and assembled more than 700 vessels to
transport it – the largest English fleet ever to that date.[16][17] The French were
aware of Edward's efforts, and to guard against the possibility of an English
landing in northern France, relied on their powerful navy.[18] This reliance was
misplaced, and the French were unable to prevent Edward successfully crossing the
Channel.[18]
Prelude
Further information: Crécy campaign
A map of south east England and north east France showing the route of the English
army
Map of the route of Edward III's chevauchée of 1346
The English landed at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, Normandy, on 12 July 1346. They
achieved complete strategic surprise and marched south.[19] Edward's soldiers razed
every town in their path and looted whatever they could from the populace. Caen,
the cultural, political, religious and financial centre of north west Normandy, was
stormed on 26 July and subsequently looted for five days. More than 5,000 French
soldiers and civilians were killed; among the few prisoners was Raoul, Count of Eu,
the Constable of France. On 29 July Edward sent his fleet back to England, laden
with loot, with a letter ordering that reinforcements, supplies and money be
collected, embarked and loaded respectively, and sent to rendezvous with his army
at Crotoy, on the north bank of the mouth of the River Somme.[20][21] The English
marched out towards the River Seine on 1 August.[22]
The French military position was difficult. Their main army, commanded by John,
Duke of Normandy, the son and heir of Philip VI, was committed to the intractable
siege of Aiguillon in the south west. After his surprise landing in Normandy Edward
was devastating some of the richest land in France and flaunting his ability to
march at will through France. On 2 August, a small English force supported by many
Flemings invaded France from Flanders; French defences there were completely
inadequate. The treasury was all but empty. On 29 July, Philip proclaimed the
arrière-ban for northern France, ordering every able-bodied male to assemble at
Rouen, where Philip himself arrived on the 31st.[23][24] On 7 August, the English
reached the Seine, 12 miles (19 km) south of Rouen, and turned south-east. By 12
August, Edward's army was encamped at Poissy, 20 miles (30 km) from Paris, having
left a 20-mile-wide swathe of destruction down the left bank of the Seine,[25]
burning villages to within 2 miles (3 km) of Paris.[26][27] Philip's army marched
parallel to the English on the other bank, and in turn encamped north of Paris,
where it was steadily reinforced. Paris was in uproar, swollen with refugees, and
preparations were made to defend the capital street by street.[28]
A Medieval image of Philip IV seated, wearing a blue robe decorated with fleurs de
lys
Philip VI of France
Philip sent orders to Duke John of Normandy insisting that he abandon the siege of
Aiguillon and march his army north, which after delay and vacillation he did on 20
August – though he would ultimately not arrive in time to change the course of
events in the north.[29] The French army outside Paris consisted of some 8,000 men-
at-arms, 6,000 crossbowmen, and many infantry levies. Philip sent a challenge on 14
August suggesting that the two armies do battle at a mutually agreed time and place
in the area. Edward indicated that he would meet Philip to the south of the Seine,
without actually committing himself. On 16 August the French moved into position;
Edward promptly burnt down Poissy, destroyed the bridge there, and marched north.
[30][31]
The French had carried out a scorched earth policy, carrying away all stores of
food and so forcing the English to spread out over a wide area to forage, which
greatly slowed them. Bands of French peasants attacked some of the smaller groups
of foragers. Philip reached the River Somme a day's march ahead of Edward. He based
himself at Amiens and sent large detachments to hold every bridge and ford across
the Somme between Amiens and the sea. The English were now trapped in an area which
had been stripped of food. The French moved out of Amiens and advanced westwards,
towards the English. They were now willing to give battle, knowing they would have
the advantage of being able to stand on the defensive while the English were forced
to try to fight their way past them.[32]
Edward was determined to break the French blockade of the Somme[33] and probed at
several points, vainly attacking Hangest and Pont-Remy before moving west along the
river. English supplies were running out and the army was ragged, starving and
beginning to suffer from a drop in morale.[34] On the evening of 24 August the
English were encamped north of Acheux while the French were 6 miles (10 km) away at
Abbeville. During the night the English marched on a tidal ford named Blanchetaque.
The far bank was defended by a force of 3,500 French. English longbowmen and
mounted men-at-arms waded into the tidal river and after a short, sharp fight
routed the French. The main French army had followed the English, and their scouts
captured some stragglers and several wagons, but Edward had broken free of
immediate pursuit. Such was the French confidence that Edward would not ford the
Somme that the area beyond had not been denuded, allowing Edward's army to plunder
it and resupply.[35][36]
Meanwhile, the Flemings, having been rebuffed by the French at Estaires, besieged
Béthune on 14 August. After several setbacks they fell out among themselves, burnt
their siege equipment and gave up their expedition on 24 August.[37] Edward
received the news that he would not be reinforced by the Flemings shortly after
crossing the Somme. The ships which were expected to be waiting off Crotoy were
nowhere to be seen. Edward decided to engage Philip's army with the force he had.
Having temporarily shaken off the French pursuit, he used the respite to prepare a
defensive position at Crécy-en-Ponthieu.[36] The French returned to Abbeville,
crossed the Somme at the bridge there, and doggedly set off after the English
again.[38]
Opposing forces
English army
The English army comprised almost exclusively English and Welsh soldiers, along
with a handful of Normans disaffected with Philip VI and a few German mercenaries,
the foreigners constituting probably no more than 150 in number.[39] The exact size
and composition of the English force is not known. Contemporary estimates vary
widely; for example Froissart's third version of his Chronicles more than doubles
his estimate in the first.[40] Modern historians have estimated its size as from
7,000 to 15,000.[41] Andrew Ayton suggests a figure of around 14,000: 2,500 men-at-
arms, 5,000 longbowmen, 3,000 hobelars (light cavalry and mounted archers) and
3,500 spearmen.[42] Clifford Rogers suggests 15,000: 2,500 men-at-arms, 7,000
longbowmen, 3,250 hobelars and 2,300 spearmen.[43] Jonathan Sumption, going by the
carrying capacity of its original transport fleet, believes the force was around
7,000 to 10,000.[44] Up to a thousand men were convicted felons serving on the
promise of a pardon at the end of the campaign.[45][46] Many of the English,
including many of the felons, were veterans; perhaps as many as half.[47][48]
The men-at-arms of both armies wore a quilted gambeson under mail (armour) which
covered the body and limbs. This was supplemented by varying amounts of plate
armour on the body and limbs, more so for wealthier and more experienced men. Heads
were protected by bascinets: open-faced military iron or steel helmets, with mail
attached to the lower edge of the helmet to protect the throat, neck and shoulders.
A moveable visor (face guard) protected the face. Heater shields, typically made
from thin wood overlaid with leather, were carried. The English men-at-arms were
all dismounted. The weapons they used are not recorded, but in similar battles they
used their lances as pikes, cut them down to use as short spears, or fought with
swords and battle axes.[49][50][51][52]
French army
The exact size of the French army is even less certain, as the financial records
from the Crécy campaign are lost, although there is consensus that it was
substantially larger than the English. Contemporary chroniclers all note it as
being extremely large for the period. The two who provide totals estimate its size
as 72,000 or 120,000. The numbers of mounted men-at-arms are given as either 12,000
or 20,000.[61] An Italian chronicler claimed 100,000 knights (men-at-arms), 12,000
infantry and 5,000 crossbowmen.[62] Contemporary chroniclers estimated the
crossbowmen present as between 2,000 and 20,000.[63]
The French men-at-arms were equipped similarly to the English.[50] They were
mounted on entirely unarmoured horses and carried wooden lances, usually ash,
tipped with iron and approximately 4 metres (13 ft) long.[70] Many of the men-at-
arms in the French army were foreigners: many joined individually out of a spirit
of adventure and the attractive rates of pay offered.[71] Others were in
contingents contributed by Philip's allies: three kings, a prince-bishop, a duke
and three counts led entourages from non-French territories.[72]
Since Philip came to the throne, French armies had included an increasing
proportion of crossbowmen.[73] As there were few archers in France, they were
usually recruited from abroad, typically Genoa; their foreign origin led to them
frequently being labelled mercenaries.[71] They were professional soldiers and in
battle were protected from missiles by pavises – very large shields with their own
bearers, behind each of which three crossbowmen could shelter.[73] A trained
crossbowman could shoot his weapon approximately twice a minute[74] to a shorter
effective range than a longbowman[75] of about 200 metres (220 yd).[76]
Initial deployments
A map showing the positions of both sides during the battle
Map of the Battle of Crécy
Around noon on 26 August French scouts, advancing north from Abbeville, came in
sight of the English. The crossbowmen, under Antonio Doria and Carlo Grimaldi,
formed the French vanguard. Following was a large battle of men-at-arms led by
Count Charles of Alençon, Philip's brother, accompanied by the blind King John of
Bohemia. The next battle was led by Duke Rudolph of Lorraine and Count Louis of
Blois, while Philip commanded the rearguard.[99] As news filtered back that the
English had turned to fight, the French contingents sped up, jostling with each
other to reach the front of the column. The Italians stayed in the van, while the
mounted men-at-arms left their accompanying infantry and wagons behind.[100][101]
Discipline was lost; the French were hampered by the absence of their Constable,
who was normally responsible for marshalling and leading their army, but who had
been captured at Caen.[102][103] Once it halted, men, especially infantry, were
continually joining Philip's battle as they marched north west from Abbeville.[95]
[100]
After reconnoitring the English position, a council of war was held where the
senior French officials, who were completely confident of victory, advised an
attack, but not until the next day.[104] The army was tired from a 12-mile march,
and needed to reorganise so as to be able to attack in strength.[105] It was also
known that the Count of Savoy, with more than 500 men-at-arms, was marching to join
the French and was nearby.[106] (He intercepted some of the French survivors the
day after the battle).[64] Despite this advice, the French attacked later the same
afternoon; it is unclear from the contemporary sources whether this was a
deliberate choice by Philip, or because too many of the French knights kept
pressing forward and the battle commenced against his wishes.[107] Philip's plan
was to use the long-range missiles of his crossbowmen to soften up the English
infantry and disorder, and possibly dishearten, their formations, so as to allow
the accompanying mounted men-at-arms to break into their ranks and rout them.[108]
[109] Modern historians have generally considered this to have been a practical
approach, and one with proven success against other armies.[110]
Battle
Archery duel
A black and white engraving of a mounted knight charging
Battle of Crécy (19th-century engraving)
The French army moved forward late in the afternoon, unfurling their sacred battle
banner, the oriflamme, indicating that no prisoners would be taken.[111][112] As
they advanced, a sudden rainstorm broke over the field. The English archers de-
strung their bows to avoid the strings becoming slackened; the Genoese with their
crossbows did not need to take precautions, as their bowstrings were made of
leather.[113]
The Genoese engaged the English longbowmen in an archery duel.[114] The longbowmen
outranged their opponents[75] and had a rate of fire more than three times greater.
[115][116] The crossbowmen were also without their protective pavises, which were
still with the French baggage, as were their reserve supplies of ammunition.[109]
[117][118] The mud also impeded their ability to reload, which required them to
press the stirrups of their weapons into the ground, and thus slowed their rate of
fire.[113]
The Italians were rapidly defeated and fled;[119] aware of their vulnerability
without their pavises, they may have made only a token effort.[120] Modern
historians disagree as to how many casualties they suffered; some contemporary
sources suggest they may have failed to get off any shots at all, while a recent
specialist study of this duel concludes that they hastily shot perhaps two volleys,
then withdrew before any real exchange with the English could develop. Italian
casualties in this phase of the battle were probably light.[120]
The knights and nobles following in Alençon's division, hampered by the routed
mercenaries, hacked at them as they retreated. By most contemporary accounts the
crossbowmen were considered cowards at best and more likely traitors,[121] and many
of them were killed by the French.[122] The clash of the retreating Genoese and the
advancing French cavalry threw the leading battle into disarray. The longbowmen
continued to shoot into the massed troops. The discharge of the English bombards
added to the confusion, though contemporary accounts differ as to whether they
inflicted significant casualties.[116][123]
Cavalry charges
Alençon's battle then launched a cavalry charge. This was disordered by its
impromptu nature, by having to force its way through the fleeing Italians, by the
muddy ground, by having to charge uphill, and by the pits dug by the English.[124]
The attack was further broken up by the heavy and effective shooting from the
English archers, which caused many casualties.[125] It is likely the archers
preserved their ammunition until they had a reasonable chance of penetrating the
French armour, which would be a range of about 80 metres (260 ft).[126] The
armoured French riders had some protection, but their horses were completely
unarmoured and were killed or wounded in large numbers.[127] Disabled horses fell,
spilling or trapping their riders and causing following ranks to swerve to avoid
them and fall into even further disorder.[128] Wounded horses fled across the
hillside in panic.[129] By the time the tight formation of English men-at-arms and
spearmen received the French charge it had lost much of its impetus.[130]
Fresh forces of French cavalry moved into position at the foot of the hill and
repeated Alençon's charge. They had the same problems as Alençon's force, with the
added disadvantage that the ground they were advancing over was littered with dead
and wounded horses and men.[125][134] Ayton and Preston write of "long mounds of
fallen warhorses and men ... add[ing] significantly to the difficulties facing
fresh formations ... as they sought to approach the English position."[128]
Nevertheless, they charged home, albeit in such a disordered state that they were
again unable to break into the English formation. A prolonged mêlée resulted, with
a report that at one point the Prince of Wales was beaten to his knees. One account
has the Prince's standard-bearer standing on his banner to prevent its capture. A
modern historian has described the fighting as "horrific carnage".[139] Edward sent
forward a detachment from his reserve battle to rescue the situation.[140] The
French were again repulsed. They came again. The English ranks were thinned, but
those in the rear stepped forward to fill the gaps.[131][141]
How many times the French charged is disputed, but they continued late into the
night,[95] with the dusk and then dark disorganising the French yet further.[139]
All had the same result: fierce fighting followed by a French retreat. In one
attack the Count of Blois dismounted his men and had them advance on foot; the
Count's body was found on the field.[142] The French nobility stubbornly refused to
yield. There was no lack of courage on either side.[139] Famously, blind King John
of Bohemia tied his horse's bridle to those of his attendants and galloped into the
twilight; all were dragged from their horses and killed.[141][143] There are
accounts of entire English battles advancing on occasion to clear away broken
French charges milling in front of them, then withdrawing in good order to their
original positions.[144]
Philip himself was caught up in the fighting, had two horses killed underneath him,
and received an arrow in the jaw.[75] The bearer of the oriflamme was a particular
target for the English archers; he was seen to fall but survived, albeit abandoning
the sacred banner to be captured.[145] Finally, Philip abandoned the field of
battle, although it is unclear why. It was nearly midnight and the battle petered
out, with the majority of the French army melting away from the battlefield.[146]
[147] The English slept where they had fought. The next morning substantial French
forces were still arriving on the battlefield, to be charged by the English men-at-
arms, now mounted, routed and pursued for miles.[148][149] Their losses alone were
reported as several thousand,[150] including the Duke of Lorraine.[151] Meanwhile,
a few wounded or stunned Frenchmen were pulled from the heaps of dead men and dying
horses and taken prisoner.[152][153]
Casualties
A colourful late-Medieval depiction of Edward III counting the dead after the
battle
Edward III counting the dead on the battlefield of Crécy
The losses in the battle were highly asymmetrical. All contemporary sources agree
that English casualties were very low.[85][154] It was reported that English deaths
comprised three or four men-at-arms and a small number of the rank and file, for a
total of forty according to a roll-call after the battle.[155][156] It has been
suggested by some modern historians that this is too few and that English deaths
might have numbered around three hundred.[157][156] To date, only two Englishmen
killed at the battle have been identified;[158] two English knights were also taken
prisoner, although it is unclear at what stage in the battle this happened.[157]
The French casualties are considered to have been very high.[154][159] According to
a count made by the English heralds after the battle, the bodies of 1,542 French
noble men-at-arms were found (perhaps not including the hundreds who died in the
clash of the following day).[160][153][154] More than 2,200 heraldic coats were
reportedly taken from the field of battle as war booty by the English.[160] No such
count was made of the lower-born foot soldiers, as their equipment was not worth
looting.[154] No reliable figures exist for losses among them, although their
casualties were also considered to have been heavy, and a large number were said to
have been wounded with arrows.[156] The dead on the second day of battle alone were
said to have been exceptionally numerous, with estimates varying from 2,000 to,
according to Edward III himself, 4,000.[161]
A disproportionate number of magnates featured among the slain on the French side,
including one king (John of Bohemia), nine princes, ten counts, a duke, an
archbishop and a bishop.[39][162] According to Ayton, these heavy losses can also
be attributed to the chivalric ideals held by knights of the time, since nobles
would have preferred to die in battle, rather than dishonourably flee the field,
especially in view of their fellow knights.[163]
No reliable figures exist for losses among the common French soldiery, although
they were also considered to have been heavy. Jean Le Bel estimated 15,000–16,000.
[85] Froissart writes that the French army suffered a total of 30,000 killed or
captured.[164] The modern historian Alfred Burne estimates 10,000 infantry, as "a
pure guess",[165] for a total of 12,000 French dead.[166]
Aftermath
Edward ended the campaign by laying siege to Calais, which fell after eleven
months, the Battle of Crécy having crippled the French army's ability to relieve
the town.[172] This secured an English entrepôt into northern France which was held
for two hundred years.[173] The battle established the effectiveness of the longbow
as a dominant weapon on the Western European battlefield.[95] English and Welsh
archers served as mercenaries in Italy in significant numbers, and some as far
afield as Hungary.[174] Modern historian Joseph Dahmus includes the Battle of Crécy
in his Seven Decisive Battles of the Middle Ages.[175]