English Longbows Triumph at Battle of Crécy
During the early phase of the Hundred Years' War, King Edward III of England launched a chevauchée through Normandy. After landing in France and advancing inland, his army of roughly 14,000 faced a much larger French force under King Philip VI near the village of Crécy. On August 26, 1346, the English positioned themselves defensively on a slope. English longbowmen repeatedly repelled charges by French cavalry and Genoese crossbowmen, while dismounted men-at-arms held the line. The French suffered heavy casualties, including many nobles, and retreated in disorder. Edward's victory allowed him to proceed with the siege of Calais.
Why it matters: Crécy demonstrated the superiority of disciplined infantry and longbow tactics over traditional heavy cavalry, influencing European military doctrine for generations. It secured English footholds in France that endured for over two centuries and boosted English morale in the ongoing war.