The Battle of Azincourt (Agincourt), France

[Master666555]

And now.. go to the battlefield of crécy :P

[VideoHistoryToday]

@Master666555 I have but I haven't put a vid up yet. Crecy is not quite so well known over here. Not so much to see (no museum or significant information plaques) apart from a central viewing platform. Stopped there on the way up from Normandy to Agincourt and on to WWI sites in northern France. Nice place to eat lunch though.

[Master666555]

@VideoHistoryToday Ah ok thanks.

You must have a lot of money, to travel through europe or america,to view the battlefields.. wow respect!greetings from germany!

[VideoHistoryToday]

@Master666555 I HAD a lot of money...let go by my old bank and used it to travel a bit. Plus aim was to build up video collection for my Video History Today venture.

[Crecybowman]

@VideoHistoryToday There is a small museum at Crecy - it is in the town of Crecy-en-ponthieu. It has one room dedicated to 'THE" battle, up kept and displayed by British archers. It also houses other rooms dedicated to WWII, and in particular the V1 and V2 rocket bases that where in the area. Great vid!

[igloo54]

Henry V acted on sketchy intel when he ordered the execution of French prisoners. It's not too different from how Bush acted on faulty intel concerning WMD. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[Crecybowman]

@igloo54 PLEASE don't compare Bush to Henry V!

[igloo54]

@Crecybowman LOL, fair enough.

[twinspark18]

war is war

If you have started something in enemy territory you can't mess around

you are there to kill people, they will try to kill you

that is war

its disgusting to my mind

but that is what war is

[vdven]

where is the castle, that Agincourt is named after? Does it still exist?

[Astronomy89]

i was also wondering that

[VideoHistoryToday]

The castle was demolished in the 17th Century and the mound it was on, while still there, is no longer visable.

[pervious1]

No.

[mostlybytrain]

Thank you for this.

I hope to go there myself one day.

[flynn2008]

LOL genocide? More like a mass suicide. The french were defeated by their own arrogance. The longbow helps in the process.

[joezzzify]

@flynn2008 no no, helps to PROGRESS!

[blaanka01]

Not even the French thought Henry V worse for executing the captured french knights as they could have attacked from behind the English lines regardless of the chivalric code.If you thought your small army could have faulted knowing that could have happened and you did nothing, you would be remembered as naïve. The English needed as many troops at the front as possible rather than guarding prisoners. I belive the reason for the cull was due to the french attacking the baggage at the rear.

[denboy666]

I think one must consider the times and try to look through the eyes of the people from the middle ages, instead of the 21st century. When Henry saw the potential re muster of the French army he did the right thing, to not only win, but survive! But I disagree that the French accepted the slaughter of the prisoners; even to this day! When one surrenders and thus lays down his arms, it is then the captors duty to safeguard said prisoner until ransomed; according to chivalric code.

[MasterClayVM]

the English may remember Azincourt as a famous military victory, but the French remember it as a genocidal massacre. Can anyone tell me how to remember it? I know it happened 600 something years ago, but human beings just like us were slaughtered.

[VideoHistoryToday]

I think calling it a 'genocidal massacre' might be a bit strong but I agree with the general concept that many French soldiers were massacred/executed for reasons which seem today a bit hard to support, even for an Englishman.

I believe the word 'genocide' should be reserved for the mass murder of people because of their race, nationality or religion, such as the genocide of the Jews and other groups during World War II or the more recent Rawandan massacres.

[MasterClayVM]

Yeah but I believe that the word "genocide" should be applied to any sort of vicious massacre regardless or what or who the victims and murderers are.

[MagicMitch1066]

Henry wasnt killing them because of their genetics or because they were French, but because they were Armagnacs. He was killing them due to them being of the opposing side's persuasion.

[camdengreen]

How about in future videos giving a short kind of historical summary of the significance of what you are showing. It could be just a few sentences.

[VideoHistoryToday]

I put it all in the notes. This battle is probably more well known in England then anywhere because is was one of the most decisive victories ever and against our historic enemy, the French (check it out on Wikipedia but the numbers involved were 8000 English V's 30,000 French or 5 to 1 depending on sources. The English only lost about 100 men to 10,000 French dead and 1500 captured). A walkover in fact. Admittedly the English murdered hundreds of captured prisoners in cold blood...