During the Hundred Years’ War, France faced a formidable opponent: the invading armies of England. The English relied on a distinctive tactical system that combined the devastating firepower of their longbowmen with the steadfastness of heavily armed men-at-arms. Time and again, even numerically superior French armies struggled against this deadly combination. Their commanders desperately searched for a way to counter the English tactics—and paid dearly for every attempt. In this video, we’ll explore eight of the most significant battles from the early stages of the Hundred Years’ War. We’ll see how the English system worked in practice, how the French tried to counter it, and how they eventually discovered a way to hold their own against the invaders from across the Channel. Get Any FREE audible book here: Get the audio book of Bernard Cornwell Grail Quest Series for FREE on Audible here: Buy Cornwell's books here: Patreon (thank you): Paypal (thank you: Twitter: Bibliography DeVries, K./ Capponi, N., The Genoese Crossbowmen at Crécy, in: Livingston, M./ DeVries, K. (eds), The Battle of Crécy. A Casebook, Liverpool 2015. Harbinson, Michael, The Lance in the Fifteenth Century: How French Cavalry Overcame the English Defensive System in the Latter Part of the Hundred Years War, in: Journal of Medieval Military History XVII (2019), pp. 141-199. Hardy, Robert/Strickland, Matthew, The Great Warbow. From Hastings to the Mary Rose, Somerset 2011. Livingstone, Marilyn & Witzel, Morgen, The Road to Crécy: The English Invasion of France 1346, London 2004. Rogers, C., War Cruel and Sharp: English Strategy under Edward III, 1327-1360, Woodbridge, Suffolk 2000. Sumption, Jonathan, The Hundred Years War, vol. 1, Trial by Battle, London 1990. Sumption, Jonathan, The Hundred Years War, vol. 2, Trial by Fire, London 1999. Teutsch, Ch., s. v. "Crécy, Battle of" in: Clifford J. Rogers (ed), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology, 2010. 00:00 Intro 00:55 Bannockburn 1314, Halidon Hill 1332, La Flamengerie 1339 04:18 Battle of Morlaix 1342 07:31 The Battle of Saint-Pol-de-Léon 1346 10:57 Battle of Crécy 1346 15:01 Lunalonge 1349, Taillebourg 1351, Ardres 1351, Mauron 1352 19:57 Battle of Poitiers 1356 25:51 1369 Fabian strategy & Charles V