Battle of Crécy

Overview

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.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Crécy was fought on 26 August 1346 in northern France as part of the Hundred Years' War, pitting a French army under King Philip VI against an English force under King Edward III. The French attacked the English while the latter were traversing northern France, and the engagement ended in a decisive English victory. French casualties were severe, recorded between 1,542 and 4,000 killed, against an English force that was substantially outnumbered, with French strength estimated at 20,000–30,000 against an English force of 7,000–15,000. The loss fell across much of the French high command, with commanders including Charles II of Alençon, Rudolph of Lorraine, Louis II of Blois, and King John of Bohemia fighting on the French side. The battle represented a significant check on French military power during the opening phase of the Hundred Years' War and demonstrated the vulnerability of larger French forces to English tactical methods during offensive operations in northern France.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (12)