THE RISE AND ULTIMATE FALL OF ENGLISH FORTUNES AFTER AGINCOURT

In 1415, on the fields of Agincourt, Henry V won a great victory and decimated both the French army and nobility. In just a few years, the English king would be recognized as the heir to the French throne and large swathes of French territory would be under his control. But then the winds of fortune changed and the English control in France would be reduced to a single port, Calais. What happened?

By Guy Bowers

The story of the rise and fall of English influence in France starts with a murder. The French king Charles VI had suffered from mental illness, so the country was governed by his queen, Isabeau, as regent. Louis of Orleans, brother of Charles VI, used his influence with the queen to build his own powerbase, usually at the expense of the Burgundians under John the Fearless. One night in 1407, Louis was set upon by unknown assailants and killed. As Louis had a longstanding feud with Burgundy, the Burgundians were blamed by the Orleans (or Armagnac) faction and a bloody civil war erupted. King Henry IV of England played both sides against each other. Despite several peace treaties, the embers of this conflict remained smouldering. When Henry V became king, Burgundy…

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Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (Digital) - 1 Issue, WSS 125

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