BATTLE // September 19, 1356
Battle of Poitiers
LOADING MAP TELEMETRY…
Source · Wikipedia
Significance
The Battle of Poitiers, fought near Poitiers in western France on 19 September 1356, was a significant English victory during the Hundred Years' War. A French force of 14,000 to 16,000 men under King John II attacked an Anglo-Gascon army of roughly 6,000 under Edward, the Black Prince, and suffered approximately 4,500 casualties. The engagement stands alongside other major Anglo-French battles of the period as an instance in which a substantially larger French force was defeated by a smaller English-led army holding a prepared defensive position. The capture or death of French commanders and the scale of French losses imposed both military and political costs on the French crown at a critical phase of the war.
Tactics
The Anglo-Gascon force under the Black Prince held a strong defensive position approximately five miles south of Poitiers. The French army, numbering between 14,000 and 16,000, attacked this position. Beyond the offensive French approach against a prepared Anglo-Gascon defense, the overview does not detail the specific maneuvers, formations, or terrain features that shaped the fighting.
Forces & casualties
Troop strength
- England6,000medium
- France14,000–16,000medium
France fielded a 2.5 : 1 numerical advantage
Casualties
- France4,500medium30% loss rate
Commanders (2)
England
France
Compare with sibling battle
6 options
Pick a battle to compare side-by-side
Related
6 sibling battles · 0 factions