The Battle of Crécy was one of the most decisive victories in the Middle Ages. King Philip VI of France declared the English land in France forfeit. Henry, Earl of Derby made significant gains in Gascony for King Edward III but then was besieged by the French and demanded support. King Edward gathered an army and landed in Normandy, and burnt his way to Paris. Within 2 miles of Paris Edward was confronted by superior forces and trapped on the wrong side of the Somme, his army starved by the French scorched earth policy.
The starving English, only 6 miles away from the French Army forced their way across a defended tidal ford and broke into an area which had not been scorched and were able to resupply. The victory also restored English moral as the French defenders could not stand against the longbow men.
King Edward set up a defensive position at Crecy-en-Ponthieu, on land he owned. It offered protection from flanking attacks and an uphill struggle for the French attackers. The English dug pits to make french attacks more difficult. The English were badly outnumbered.
The first attack came from Genoese crossbowmen but the English and Welsh longbow men had the advantage of range and the Italians soon retreated. French men-at-arms attacked in some confusion, killing Genoese as they attacked but were repulsed after terrible fighting. Wave after wave of French attacks followed. None succeeding. At the end of the two day battle very few English men were killed and many thousands of French, including the flower of the nobility.
English losses were 300 or less and the French lost are estimated as 30,000.
The battle changed opinions about British fighting ability, and showed that heavily armoured wealthy knights could not stand against trained yeoman archers armed with long bows.
But it can also be argued that the victory lulled the English into the belief that they could hold France and led to the fruitless slaughter of the 100 years war which England ultimately lost.
On the other hand Edward III captured Calais which remained an important and strategic asset until the 16th Century.
Source of image: Jean Froissart – From Chapter CXXIX of Jean Froissart’s Chronicles, example source at http://www.maisonstclaire.org/resources/chronicles/froissart/book_1/ch_126-150/fc_b1_chap129.html
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Yes, it took one more century for Calais, after the end of the Hundred Years war, to be French again, on January, 8th 1558…
I remember it because of my birthday!
I heard not long ago someone saying it should still be English.😄
There’s a famous statue by Rodin in Calais: ‘Les bourgeois de Calais’ commemorating their sacrifice, in 1347, when they ‘restituted’ the key of the city after the siege to avoid the destruction of Calais.
They were to be killed, of different deaths, according to their rank.
I think most English people would be surprised it was ever English! There is a copy of the Burghers of Calais’ on the Millbank in the Park near the Houses of Parliament, in Westminster.