Prince Edward.

Paul Tonantius Ferreolus Gober

In 1356 at the battle of Poitiers, the Army of Prince Edward routed the superior size French army. Many factors may have contributed to the lop sided victory. However, with the French having a four to one advantage over the English, the English inflicted such great losses on the French, and sustained very little themselves. Today, historians debate how this could have of occurred. With their backs against a river, the French had trapped the small English army, and were eager to destroy the “Black Prince’s” Army. The English “long bow” seems to be the historians favorite solution to every English victory. Let us not forget the tactical genius of the English, they choose the battle field requiring the French to march up hill, and forcing the French to fight at choke points between large hedge rows. The French lined up opposite of the English in three battle lines. The first line suffered great loses and retreated. When the second line was ordered to advance, the Duke of Orleans turned his army around and left the battle field. Now the French Army was reduced to one third of its original size. Let us face the facts, the English had already been using cannon for nearly a decade by then, and it is my opinion that the English deployed these early cannons at these choke points between large hedge rows, creating a defensive meat grinder for any size army. Yes, the long bow played it’s part in these battle too, but the advent and use gunpowder & cannon early on in the ‘Hundred Years War,’ was what really gave the English a great tactical advantage, not only as a breech weapon , but more as a psychological weapon. Hence the departure of two thirds of the French Army at the battle of Poitiers, 1356.
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