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CRECY (Cressy)

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Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 390 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CRECY (See also:Cressy) , a See also:town of See also:northern See also:France, in the See also:department of See also:Somme, on the Maye, 12 M. N. by E. of See also:Abbeville by road. It is famous in See also:history for the See also:great victory gained here on the 26th of See also:August 1346 by the See also:English under See also:Edward III. over the See also:French of See also:King See also:Philip of See also:Valois. After its See also:campaign in northern France, the English See also:army retired into Ponthieu, and encamped on the 25th of August at Crecy, the French king in the meantime marching from Abbeville on Braye. See also:Early on the 26th Edward's army took up its position for See also:battle, and Philip's, See also:hearing of this, moved to attack him, though the French army marched in much disorder, and on arrival formed only an imperfect See also:line of battle. The English See also:lay on the forward slope of a hillside, with their right in front of the See also:village of Crecy, their See also:left resting on Wadicourt. Two of the three divisions or " battles " were in first line, that of the See also:young See also:prince of See also:Wales (the See also:Black Prince) on the right, that of the earls of See also:Northampton and See also:Arundel on the left; En,ay Wa{ka(K the third, under the king's own command, in reserve, and the baggage was packed to the See also:rear. Each battle consisted of a centre of dismounted knights and men-at-arms, and two wings of archers. The See also:total force was 3900 men-at-arms, 1 r,000 English archers, and 5000 Welsh See also:light troops (See also:Froissart, first edition, the second gives a different estimate). The French were far stronger, having at least 12,000 men-at-arms, 6000 See also:mercenary crossbowmen (Genoese), perhaps 20,000 of the milice See also:des communes, besides a certain number of See also:foot of the feudal See also:levy. Along with these served a See also:Luxemburg contingent of See also:horse under See also:John, king of Bohemia, and other feudatories of the See also:Holy See also:Roman See also:Empire, and the whole force was probably about 6o,000 strong. The See also:day was far advanced when the French came upon the English position.

Philip, near See also:

Estrees, decided to See also:halt and See also:bivouac, deferring the battle until the army was better closed up, but the indiscipline of his army committed him to an immediate See also:action, and he ordered forward the Genoese crossbowmen, while a line of men-at-arms deployed for battle behind them; the See also:rest of the army was still marching in an irregular See also:column of route along the road from Abbeville. A sudden thunderstorm caused a See also:short delay, then the archers and the crossbowmen opened the battle. Here, for the first See also:time in See also:continental warfare, the English See also:long-See also:bow proved its See also:worth. After a brief contest the crossbow-men, completely outmatched, were driven back with enormous loss. Thereupon the first line of French knights behind them charged down upon the " faint-hearted See also:rabble " of their own fugitives, and soon the first two lines of the French were a See also:mere See also:mob of horse and foot struggling with each other. The archers did not neglect the opportunity, and shot coolly and rapidly into the helpless See also:target in front of them. The second attack was made by another large See also:body of knights which had arrived, and served but to increase the number of the casualties, though here and there a few charged up to the English line and See also:fell near it, among them the See also:blind king of Bohemia, who with a party of devoted knights penetrated, and was killed amongst, the ranks of the prince of Wales's men-at-arms. The battle was now one long See also:series of desperate but See also:ill-conducted charges, a fresh onslaught being made as each new See also:corps of troops appeared on the See also:scene. The English archers on the flanks of the two first line battles had been wheeled up, the centres of dismounted men-at-arms held back, so that the whole line resembled a herse " or See also:harrow with three points formed by the archers (see See also:sketch). Each successive body of the French sought to come to See also:close quarters with the men-at-arms, and exposed themselves therefore at short range to the arrows on either flank. Under these circumstances there could be but one issue of the battle. Though sixteen distinct attacks were made, and the fighting lasted until long after dark, no impression was made on the English line.

At one moment the prince was so far in danger that his barons sent to the king for aid. Even then Edward was not disquieted and he sent a mere handful of knights to the prince's battle, saying, " Let the boy win his spurs." The left battle of the English, hitherto somewhat to the rear, moved up into line with the prince, and the French attack slackened. By midnight the army of France was practically annihilated; 1542 men of See also:

gentle See also:blood were left dead on the See also:field and counted by Edward's heralds, the losses of the See also:remainder are unknown. Some fifty of the victors fell in the battle. The See also:story that the Black Prince adopted from the fallen king of Bohemia the See also:crest and See also:motto now See also:borne by the princes of Wales lacks See also:foundation (see JOHN, King of Bohemia). A memorial to the French and their See also:allies was erected, by public subscription in France, Luxemburg and Bohemia, in 1905. See H. B. See also:George, Battles of English History (See also:London, 1895), and C. W. C. See also:Oman, A History of the See also:Art of See also:War; The See also:Middle Ages (London, 1898).

End of Article: CRECY (Cressy)

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