| Battle of Formigny | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Hundred Years' War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of England | Kingdom of France Duchy of Brittany |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| Thomas Kyriell | Comte de Clermont, Arthur III, Duke of Brittany | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 4,000 | 5,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,500 | 100-200 | ||||||
The Battle of Formigny (April 15, 1450) was a battle of the Hundred Years' War fought between England and France. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Formigny is a commune in the département of Calvados in the Basse-Normandie region of France. Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The Battle of Formigny ( April 15, 1450) was a battle of the Hundred Years' War fought between England and France. Counts of Clermont-en-Beauvasis first appear in the early 11th century Arthur III (in breton Arzhur III) ( August 24 1393 &ndash December 26 1458) known as the Justicier and as Arthur Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It was a decisive victory for the French.
Contents |
Background
The French, under Charles VII, had taken the time offered by the Truce of Tours in 1444 to reorganize and reinvigorate their armies. Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 The English, without clear leadership from the weak Henry VI, were scattered and dangerously weak. Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom When the French broke the truce in June 1449 they were in a much improved position. Pont-Audemer, Pont-L'Evêque and Lisieux fell in August and much of Normandy was retaken by October. Pont-Audemer is a commune and the seat of a canton of the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern Lisieux is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region of France. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. Cutting north and east the Bureau brothers oversaw the capture of Rouen (October 1449), Harfleur (December 1449), Honfleur and Fresnoy (January 1450), before moving on to invade Caen. Jean Bureau (died July 5, 1463) was Charles VII 's master of artillery during the final years of the Hundred Year's War. Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital Harfleur is a commune in the Seine-Maritime département of the Haute-Normandie region of northern France. Honfleur is a commune in the Norman département of Calvados in France, located on the southern bank of the estuary Fresnoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Caen (kɑ̃ is a commune in northwestern France. It is the Prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the
The English had gathered a small army during the winter of 1449. Numbering around 3,000 men, it was dispatched from Portsmouth to Cherbourg under the command of Sir Thomas Kyriell. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which The Battle of Formigny ( April 15, 1450) was a battle of the Hundred Years' War fought between England and France. Landing on March 15, 1450, the army was reinforced with a further 2,000 men under Sir Matthew Gough in late March. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus,
Battle
Kyreill advanced south and captured Valognes in a bloody clash, as further south two French armies joined (around 5,000 men under Comte de Clermont) and marched north for Carentan. Valognes is a town and commune in Normandy, northwestern France, in the Manche département. Counts of Clermont-en-Beauvasis first appear in the early 11th century Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France.
The English army circled Carentan on April 12, the French declined to sally although there were a number of smaller skirmishes. Kyriell turned east towards Bayeux, reaching the village of Formigny on April 14. Bayeux (bajø is a commune in the Calvados département, in Normandy in northwestern France. Formigny is a commune in the département of Calvados in the Basse-Normandie region of France. At the same time a third French force, under the Condéstable de Richmont, had reached St. Lô from the south. Saint-Lô is a town and commune of France, the Préfecture (capital of the Manche département, in
On April 15, Clermont's forces were sighted by the English. The armies faced each other on the Carentan-Bayeux road, near a small tributary of the Aure, the English with their backs to the stream. Bayeux (bajø is a commune in the Calvados département, in Normandy in northwestern France. Aure is Aure, a Municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway. The English formation numbered around 4,000 — with a three-to-one preponderance in archers — and gathered in a long line behind a thicket of stakes and low earthworks.
Clermont opened the engagement with attacks against the flanks and small charges; these had little chance of success and were easily turned away. He then advanced two cannons. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural After a period of fire that caused a few casualties, the English charged and captured the guns.
These initial skirmishes took some three hours. At this time the Breton army under Arthur de Richemont arrived from the south, having crossed the Aure and now approaching the English force from the flank. Arthur III (in breton Arzhur III) ( August 24 1393 &ndash December 26 1458) known as the Justicier and as Arthur They numbered almost 1,200 Bretons - almost all mounted judging from the pace of their march.
Kyriell drew back from Clermont and shifted his force into an "L", straddling the steam. With the prepared position abandoned and split by the enemy's firepower the English force was soon overwhelmed in a series of charges. Kyriell was captured and his army shattered.
Aftermath
The English had been dealt a major blow, 2,500 killed or seriously wounded and 900 taken prisoner while French and Breton casualties were no more than 1000 dead and wounded. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Bretons are a distinct Ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. With no other significant English forces in Normandy, the whole region quickly fell to the victorious French. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. The advance continued elsewhere, quickly sweeping up all English possessions except Calais. Calais (kaˈlɛ in English often kæˈleɪ traditional English pronunciation /ˈkælɨs/ Kales is a town in northern France.
The battle is often cited as the first in which cannons played a pivotal role (the first decisive use of cannon is generally considered to have been the following battle, at Castillon). The Battle of Castillon of 1453 was the last battle fought between the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War. This is rather difficult to judge, contemporary accounts are dubious and it can be seen that the arrival of the Breton army of Arthur de Richemont, future duke of Brittany, Arthur III, with his powerful force of cavalry on the flank of the English, forcing them to leave their prepared defensive position, was more significant, although it should be noted that the early artillery fire from the two French guns played a role in that as well. Arthur III (in breton Arzhur III) ( August 24 1393 &ndash December 26 1458) known as the Justicier and as Arthur Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into Arthur III (in breton Arzhur III) ( August 24 1393 &ndash December 26 1458) known as the Justicier and as Arthur
The cannon may have been decisive, not so much for the effect they had themselves, but in that they alerted Richemont to the fact that there was a battle going on, and so caused his appearance on the field. It was fortunate for Clermont that this was so because one of his captains wrote shortly afterwards that if the Constable (Richemont) had not come when he did, Clermont's army would have suffered "irreparable damage".
Images
 Monument for Clermont to remember the Battle at Formigny |
 This little Memorial marks the Battlefield |
 The chapel that Clermont had constructed in 1486 to commemorate the victory |
References
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