The Battle of Poitiers - September 18, 1356 - Page 2
© Phyllis Agronsky
Edward attempted to negotiate a truce, offering all the plunder gained from his chevachee, and promising not to fight in France for seven years. John was unwilling to accept anything but unconditional surrender. Faced with such terms, the prince decided to fight. Determined not to repeat his father's mistakes at Crecy a decade earlier, John ordered his knights to fight unhorsed. The memory of the mounted knights of France massacred by the dreaded longbow was still quite fresh.
Edward took a defensive position to allow his smaller forces their best chance. His primary advantage was the presence of his archers, skilled with the deadly English longbow. The longbow had a much higher rate of fire than the more cumbersome French crossbow. Edward also had very capable leadership, provided by the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick.
The English chose terrain that allowed them good cover in the face of a French advance. The French were forced to approach through a narrow gap in the hedges, creating a funnel into which they could concentrate their longbow fire. The French were aligned in three division, lead by a smaller fourth party under the Marshall of France. Still, the English were trying to withdraw when the attack began: instead, they stood and fought.
The lead French contingent, accompanied by German mercenaries, took to the field and suffered heavy losses. The first main French battle group, led by the Dauphin, attacked and seriously pressed the English before withdrawing under withering fire. The second battle group, led by the Duke d'Orleans (the king's brother) withdrew from the field without a fight, leaving the last contingent to finish the attack, led by the king. Throughout the ordeal, Prince Edward never backed down, and decided to take John by surprise by attacking the French at full force. He outwitted the French by using mounted knights while their opponents were on foot. Warwick and Salisbury charged the French army with men-at-arms and archers. The French broke; survivors fled the field, but King John was captured.
The Black Prince had humiliated the nation of France by defeating them, when no one thought he had a chance for victory. The capture of their king added further humiliation and shame. The entire country went into mourning for their captive monarch: all dancing and music were forbidden. Further disaster befell France. Soldiers who had once fought for France, found themselves leaderless and formed outlaw band known as the Free Companies, ravaging the countryside. The once fertile and unbelievably rich province of Aquitaine was a no man's land for years afterward.
