All language subtitles for Clash of Ancient Warriors s02e03 Agincourt.eng

(dramatic music)
- (soldiers shouting)

STANFIELD: "I remember the horses
galloping out of control.

I remember the arrows we fired,

I remember the arrows we fired,

one after the other, without pause.

I remember the bodies covered
in armour falling into the mud.

I remember the bodies covered
in armour falling into the mud.

I remember that wall
of metal and flesh.

My name is John Stanfield.

My name is John Stanfield.

I'm an archer, and I was
at the Battle of Agincourt."

(tense, dramatic
opening theme music)

(tense, dramatic
opening theme music)

- (armour clanking)

STANFIELD: It's the morning
of October 25th, 1415,

on the field of Agincourt.

on the field of Agincourt.

The sun finally breaks
through a curtain of rain.

Henry V takes his place
on the front line.

He is 29 years old and has been
King of England for two years.

He is 29 years old and has been
King of England for two years.

- He was not frightened.

He was participating in the battle.

He also gave prebattle speeches

He also gave prebattle speeches

where he said
he'd rather be killed than captured.

And his men were inspired
by his, uh... character.

And his men were inspired
by his, uh... character.

- (soldiers shouting)

- The descriptions we have of him
from texts written

in the 1430s
is he was very athletic.

in the 1430s
is he was very athletic.

It was alleged he could run
and catch a stag.

In his father's reign,

he was involved in quite
a lot of military activity in Wales,

so he got a tremendous
military apprenticeship.

- (horses whinnying)

- (horses whinnying)

NARRATOR: Since the age of 15,

he has worn the mark
of this military experience

under his right eye.

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

STANFIELD: "He's a true warrior,
our King Henry.

STANFIELD: "He's a true warrior,
our King Henry.

We are proud to serve him,
and, by Saint George,

we will follow him to the end.

And death to the traitors
in London plotting against him."

And death to the traitors
in London plotting against him."

NARRATOR: In England,
Henry V sits on a contested throne.

There are many who believe
the kingdom should not be his.

There are many who believe
the kingdom should not be his.

In 1399, his father, Henry IV,

seized power in a coup d'�tat.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- So when Henry becomes
King in 1413,

I think we're going
to expect great things of him.

And therefore,
Henry had something to prove.

And therefore,
Henry had something to prove.

(tense music)

NARRATOR:
On that October morning in 1415,

at Agincourt as he sets out

at Agincourt as he sets out

to conquer France
and consolidate his power,

Henry V knows that defeat would
spell the end of his young dynasty.

- (soldiers shouting)

- (soldiers shouting)

NARRATOR:
Staring across the battlefield,

he spies the immense army
of the King of France.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: The Dukes of Orleans,
Bourbon, Alencon and Bar;

NARRATOR: The Dukes of Orleans,
Bourbon, Alencon and Bar;

the Counts of Vendome and Nevers,

Princes, blood relatives
of King Charles VI.

Princes, blood relatives
of King Charles VI.

But on the battlefield,

they won't be taking orders
from the King himself.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: Instead, he -
along with his eldest son -

are held back in the city of Rouen.

In their absence,

the Crown has delegated
its authority over the army.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR: The army of France
carries on without its king.

NARRATOR: The army of France
carries on without its king.

And its command is divided,
like the country itself.

For more than 20 years,

Charles VI has drifted between
periods of madness and lucidity.

Charles VI has drifted between
periods of madness and lucidity.

And his instability has fuelled the
ambitions of the kingdom's nobility.

Two factions covet
his power the most.

Two factions covet
his power the most.

On one side, the Armagnacs,
on the other, the Burgundians.

The struggle evolved
into a civil war.

And for Henry V, that conflict
has given him an opening.

And for Henry V, that conflict
has given him an opening.

- Henry V knew all too well

how weak the French were
at that point in time.

how weak the French were
at that point in time.

And therefore, he was
all the more determined

to enter France
with an army of 12,000 men,

the largest since 1346.

the largest since 1346.

NARRATOR:
Well before Agincourt,

this was the first decisive English
victory of the 100 Years' War.

this was the first decisive English
victory of the 100 Years' War.

The 1346 conflict had
its origins 18 years earlier,

with the death of France's King
Charles IV.

with the death of France's King
Charles IV.

Through his mother,
King Edward III of England was

Charles IV's closest heir.

He believed, therefore, that HE
should be crowned King of France.

The two kingdoms would
then be united.

But instead,
the royal court installed

But instead,
the royal court installed

the Count of Valois
on the throne in 1328.

This action marked the beginning
of the 100 Years' War.

This action marked the beginning
of the 100 Years' War.

- (soldiers shouting)
- (weapons clanking)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: At the time of Henry V's
ascension to the throne of England,

the conflict had been quiet
for some 30 years.

the conflict had been quiet
for some 30 years.

That peace would be broken
by the new king

and his quest
to consolidate his power.

In August 1415,
he crosses the English Channel

In August 1415,
he crosses the English Channel

with 700 ships and 12,000 men.

They're heading
for the mouth of the Seine

and its strategic port of Harfleur.

Only a small garrison protects
the fortified town.

Still, Harfleur is able
to endure six weeks of siege

before finally surrendering.

before finally surrendering.

- I think his original plan was

to go on to take other places
in Normandy -

Rouen, and then, perhaps, up the
Seine, you know, towards Paris -

to threaten
the heart of the French monarchy.

I think he realised that what had
happened at that siege in Harfleur

I think he realised that what had
happened at that siege in Harfleur

made it very difficult to conduct
another siege of that sort.

And therefore,
he decides to change his tactics.

And therefore,
he decides to change his tactics.

NARRATOR: Henry V has no choice.

With dysentery tearing
through his ranks,

his army has grown weak.

his army has grown weak.

The invasion of France
will have to wait.

- (soldiers chattering)

NARRATOR: With his remaining 9,000
men, he changes course for Calais.

NARRATOR: With his remaining 9,000
men, he changes course for Calais.

The town has been
an English stronghold

on French soil since 1346.

And it would only be
a few days' march away.

And it would only be
a few days' march away.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (soldier shouts)

(battle music)

(battle music)

- Besides, en route,

Henry could persuade towns
to give him food stuffs,

and we know that that happened
at Eux, for instance.

and we know that that happened
at Eux, for instance.

I think also he wanted
to show the French

that he was capable
of marching through territory.

that he was capable
of marching through territory.

NARRATOR: The humiliation was too
much for the King of France to bear.

Illness and internal strife
had forced Charles VI

Illness and internal strife
had forced Charles VI

to abandon Harfleur to Henry V.

He could not let him return
to England unchecked.

To block the English army's path,

To block the English army's path,

the French take advantage
of a natural obstacle:

the River Somme.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (soldiers chattering)
- (rainfall)

NARRATOR: To find a crossing point,

Henry V and his 9,000 soldiers
have to follow the river eastward.

Henry V and his 9,000 soldiers
have to follow the river eastward.

Forced to march in constant rain,

they advance 23 kilometres a day.

STANFIELD: "In my company,
there were 24 of us;

now, there are only 16.

The others fell ill and died.

The others fell ill and died.

But we continue to march on...

fourteen, maybe fifteen days.

I can't remember.

I can't remember.

That unyielding river
at all times to our left.

And on the opposite bank,

those relentless Frenchmen
that you can see in the distance.

those relentless Frenchmen
that you can see in the distance.

They seem to be everywhere...

as if their evil spirit
is chasing us."

NARRATOR:
On the 17th day of this trek,

NARRATOR:
On the 17th day of this trek,

Henry V and his army finally
manage to cross the Somme.

They are now just
40 kilometres from Calais.

They are now just
40 kilometres from Calais.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (soldiers shouting)

NARRATOR: Thousands of suits
of armour, spears, and swords.

The French army is
in battle position,

blocking Henry's path at the other
end of a freshly ploughed field.

blocking Henry's path at the other
end of a freshly ploughed field.

600 years later,

this piece of land is
still being farmed.

this piece of land is
still being farmed.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

NARRATOR: On October 24th, 1415,

after two weeks of pursuit,

the two armies stand
opposite each other.

Henry V has been trying
to avoid this situation.

But a confrontation now
appears inevitable.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

(tense music)

- He had no choice.

- He had no choice.

And also,
he's so determined not to fail.

And therefore,
instead of withdrawing,

he faces up to this...
this challenge.

he faces up to this...
this challenge.

I think also
Henry is a bit of a risk-taker.

NARRATOR: It's five o'clock
in the afternoon.

NARRATOR: It's five o'clock
in the afternoon.

Daylight is beginning to fade.

The two armies remain on alert.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

NARRATOR: The armies set up camps on
opposite sides of the battlefield,

knowing that, in the morning,
they would fight.

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

STANFIELD:
"These French have no honour.

They could attack us in the dark.

So, we keep watch,

and woe be to anyone
who makes a noise.

His ear will be sliced off.

In the silence of the night,
you can hear everything:

In the silence of the night,
you can hear everything:

the fear of your friends,
the rain falling,

and, in the distance,
the songs of the devilish French."

and, in the distance,
the songs of the devilish French."

- (French soldiers laughing)
- (Toureille speaks French)

(tense battle music)

(tense battle music)

NARRATOR: In the early morning
hours, from seven o'clock onward,

NARRATOR: In the early morning
hours, from seven o'clock onward,

the English ready
themselves for war.

(tense music)

They kneel down and pray...

They kneel down and pray...

and then place a bit of earth into
their mouths as a sign of communion.

The date is October the 25th,1415.

The English have taken
their positions.

But on the other side,
the French are nowhere to be found.

But on the other side,
the French are nowhere to be found.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: The Duke of Brabant
and the Duke of Brittany,

for example, are still several
kilometres from Agincourt.

Their troops would further bolster
the French army...

Their troops would further bolster
the French army...

but only if they reached
the battlefield on time.

- (soldiers shouting)
(dramatic battle music)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

(dramatic battle music continues)
- (horses whinnying)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (clock chimes)
NARRATOR: Ten o'clock.

The two armies are
in battle formation.

Their strategies are
radically different.

Their strategies are
radically different.

- (Toureille speaks French)

(music intensifies)

- (soldiers shout in French)
- (soldiers repeat)

- (Savary speaks French)

- Imagine these men as like tanks,

you know,
sort of this whole tank division

against a smaller group
of men at arms

against a smaller group
of men at arms

that they hope to sort of push over.

- (speaks French)

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR:
Under the grey skies of Agincourt,

NARRATOR:
Under the grey skies of Agincourt,

the most illustrious knights stand
out in the front ranks.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

NARRATOR: Each is vying
for the honour of driving

NARRATOR: Each is vying
for the honour of driving

the English out of France.

The high nobility crowd
the frontlines

of a vanguard numbering
some 4,500 men.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

NARRATOR: This vanguard is
surrounded by two cavalry wings.

150 metres behind them,
the main fighting force is made up

150 metres behind them,
the main fighting force is made up

of 3,000 troops
from the middle nobility,

and in the rear,
4,000 more from the lesser nobility.

And finally, the dragoons,
archers, and crossbowmen,

And finally, the dragoons,
archers, and crossbowmen,

who are given little attention
by their superiors.

- (speaks French)

- (soldiers shouting)

- (soldiers shouting)

NARRATOR: In total, the French army
fields more than 12,000 soldiers.

Henry V enters the fight
with just 9,000 soldiers.

Henry V enters the fight
with just 9,000 soldiers.

But his approach to the battle
couldn't be any more different.

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR: Henry V arms
only 2,000 knights.

He divides them
into three groups.

One on the left flank,

another on the right flank
commanded by the Duke of York.

The last group fills the centre,
led by the king himself.

The last group fills the centre,
led by the king himself.

Between the knights,
he places 7,000 archers.

They represent three quarters
of his army,

while France's archers,
relegated to the rear guard,

while France's archers,
relegated to the rear guard,

make up only one quarter.

- (Toureille speaks French)

STANFIELD: "The great lords wear
25 kilos of heavy armour.

I couldn't fire my arrows
with THAT on my back!

I couldn't fire my arrows
with THAT on my back!

And this armour comes
from Nuremberg or Milan.

I could never afford that.
I'm not complaining, though.

I could never afford that.
I'm not complaining, though.

In Henry's army,
I earn more in a month

than my father does in a year.

And my father is
the village blacksmith!"

- An archer is
from the English lower classes.

So they were farmers,
they were tradesmen,

they were carpenters,
maybe butchers, blacksmiths,

they were carpenters,
maybe butchers, blacksmiths,

those kinds of jobs.

They wouldn't have been able
to afford a full suit of armour.

So this was probably the most armour
they'd have been able to afford.

The clothing is made up
of your underwear first,

The clothing is made up
of your underwear first,

your braies and a linen shirt,

and then,
you wear a padded coat like this.

And these are made up
from 14 to 20 layers of linen

And these are made up
from 14 to 20 layers of linen

stitched together to create
overlapping layers

to deaden blows, to stop cuts.

And they perform pretty well,
but they're obviously not...

And they perform pretty well,
but they're obviously not...

not going to stop a really
determined sword thrust.

NARRATOR: Lightly protected,

these archers are vulnerable
to cavalry assaults.

these archers are vulnerable
to cavalry assaults.

Henry V understands this weakness
and improvises a solution.

- He orders his archers
to provide themselves

- He orders his archers
to provide themselves

with a stake about six feet long,

sharpened at both ends
that they can use

in front to protect themselves.

Horses will not attack
if they are faced

Horses will not attack
if they are faced

with stakes pointing towards them.

I sometimes wonder, though,
how they managed to find...

(chuckles) ...so many stakes
in that area so quickly.

(chuckles) ...so many stakes
in that area so quickly.

(tense, ticking music)

NARRATOR:
Entrenched behind its stakes,

the English army is ready
to face its adversaries.

the English army is ready
to face its adversaries.

SOLDIER: Again!
ALL: Hey, hey! Hey, hey!

NARRATOR: But even at midday,

despite being provoked
by Henry's soldiers...

despite being provoked
by Henry's soldiers...

the French remain motionless.
SOLDIERS: Hey, hey!

Hey, hey!

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR: He decides
to move his army forward

by a few hundred metres.

The enemy lines are now
within range of his archers.

(dramatic battle music)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: The French do not seize
their momentary advantage.

Henry's gamble has so far paid off.

His army is now positioned precisely
in between two bordering forests,

His army is now positioned precisely
in between two bordering forests,

creating a funnel effect.

It has also taken away the threat
of the French outflanking him.

It has also taken away the threat
of the French outflanking him.

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR:
Henry's army lets out another cry

NARRATOR:
Henry's army lets out another cry

and fires their first
volley of arrows.

- (soldiers shouting)
- (arrows whooshing)

NARRATOR: The French have
had enough... and attack!

The cavalry charges forward...

The cavalry charges forward...

followed by the vanguard.

- (horses whinnying)
(dramatic battle music)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (soldiers shouting)

- The plan was
to knock the archers out, really,

- The plan was
to knock the archers out, really,

by having a cavalry charge
against them

because the archers are
not fully armed.

They do not have plate armour.

They... If a cavalry charge had
come against them,

They... If a cavalry charge had
come against them,

they would have been really
quite damaged by that.

But their main idea was
to have a very large first battle

But their main idea was
to have a very large first battle

which would move towards
the English men-at-arms

in a decent pace.

It's just by weight of numbers

that they hope to sort of push
over the English.

And that's in itself
not such a bad idea.

And that's in itself
not such a bad idea.

NARRATOR: Before they can topple
their enemy, however,

they need to cross
the plateau of Agincourt.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR:
Slowed by the field of mud,

NARRATOR:
Slowed by the field of mud,

the French cavalry and vanguard are
hit with a hail of arrows again.

- (arrows whooshing)

- I don't think they realised
how many English archers there were.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

STANFIELD:
"Same breath, same rhythm.

My comrades-in-arms
and I repeat the same gestures.

The flaxen string tightens...

the arrows whistle
as they shoot skywards.

But there is no time - or need -
to watch where they fall.

The screams of the French tell us
all that we need to know."

- (arrows whooshing)
- (soldiers screaming)

- (arrows whooshing)
- (soldiers screaming)

- From 1363,

ironically during
a period of peace with France,

ironically during
a period of peace with France,

there was a statute
requiring people

to practise on Sundays
with the Longbow.

And that obviously was intended

And that obviously was intended

to create a pool of archers there.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- Next, serve...

NARRATOR: In England, archery had
become a national obsession,

NARRATOR: In England, archery had
become a national obsession,

fuelled by stories from the first
battles of the 100 Years' War...

and legendary heroes
like Robin Hood.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: Without proper strength
and training,

it would be impossible to control
this medieval superweapon.

The English longbow measures
two metres in length,

The English longbow measures
two metres in length,

generating unrivalled power.

- So this is about
the kind of middle of...

of what bows would
have been back then.

Roughly 120 pounds
to 160 pounds is

a good sort of spread
of the kind of bows

that would have been used in battle.

that would have been used in battle.

Competition archery these days, the
men are drawing roughly 65 pounds.

So this is more
than double the power of...

So this is more
than double the power of...

an Olympic archer is using.

NARRATOR:
To make a bow this powerful,

you need sinewy wood that is
both strong and highly elastic.

you need sinewy wood that is
both strong and highly elastic.

The tree that best combines
these traits is the yew.

- Oh, this is a piece of yew
from the yew tree.

Two distinct colours to it.
You've got the sap wood,

which is just underneath
the bark on the surface.

which is just underneath
the bark on the surface.

And you've got
the orange-coloured heartwood.

The sap wood is very good
at resisting tension.

The sap wood is very good
at resisting tension.

So that forms the outside curve
of the bow when it's bent.

The heartwood is very good
at resisting compression,

The heartwood is very good
at resisting compression,

and that forms the inside curve.

So, you've got those two ideal
properties in one piece of wood.

NARRATOR: Equipping the royal army
required mass production.

The yew became a precious commodity.

There were even laws put in place

There were even laws put in place

to regulate the import of yew
from Spain and Italy.

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

NARRATOR: The nation's best
bow makers established workshops

with apprentices
and respected craftsmen.

with apprentices
and respected craftsmen.

- You can make something
that looks like a bow,

but it isn't a bow
until it bends evenly.

but it isn't a bow
until it bends evenly.

And you've trained the wood
to get used to bending.

The bow is a spring.

The bow is a spring.

It has to bend,

but then go back
to its original position.

We bend the bow,
and then push and pull...

We bend the bow,
and then push and pull...

..until the string goes
into the top knock.

And the bow is now ready to use.

And the bow is now ready to use.

- These bows are
all about artillery.

They're not used to take
a man's eye out at 50 paces.

They're not used to take
a man's eye out at 50 paces.

It's more like cannon and mortars

and raining as many arrows
as you can

on one area of the battlefield
to disrupt formations,

on one area of the battlefield
to disrupt formations,

cause injuries,
and create panic and disorder.

- Some archers are much
more skilled than others.

- Some archers are much
more skilled than others.

Not all of them are Robin Hoods.

The beauty of the archer is
using him in mass formation,

and some of them were
probably not that good,

and some of them were
probably not that good,

but with a mass volley of arrows,
it doesn't really matter.

STANFIELD:
"Surrounded by my companions,

STANFIELD:
"Surrounded by my companions,

it's no longer just arrows
that we're shooting;

it's a swarm of bees
escaping from our bows.

And it's so compact
that it blocks the sun

And it's so compact
that it blocks the sun

before falling on the steel armour
of the French knights."

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (horses whinnying)
- (soldiers shouting)

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (speaks French)

- (speaks French)

- (speaks French)

- (horses whinnying)

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR: The cavalry is decimated.

The knights in their heavy armour
exhaust themselves,

stumbling around the boggy field

or getting dug in
by their panicked horses.

or getting dug in
by their panicked horses.

Then, the French
second line charges in.

Its advance is met
by a merciless hail of arrows.

Its advance is met
by a merciless hail of arrows.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: In the 15th century,
whether English or French,

NARRATOR: In the 15th century,
whether English or French,

knights wear similar armour.

Hand-to-hand combat is
a clash of heavy metal.

- (soldier groans)

- (Savary speaks French)

NARRATOR: Close combat
like this will mark

NARRATOR: Close combat
like this will mark

the second phase
of the Battle of Agincourt.

After grinding through
50 metres of mud and blood,

Charles's army finally manages
to reach the English lines.

Charles's army finally manages
to reach the English lines.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

(dramatic battle music)

(dramatic battle music)

- (soldiers shouting)
- (weapons clanking)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (slow-motion, dramatic music)

- (slow-motion, dramatic music)

- (soldier groans in slow-motion)

- There is hand-to-hand
fighting there.

The Duke of York is killed;
the Earl of Suffolk is killed.

And a number of people
in that retinue,

And a number of people
in that retinue,

also in that part
of the battle are killed.

So, the French have some successes.

NARRATOR: In the centre as well,

the French break through the English
lines led by the Duke of Alencon.

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR: The Duke of Alencon hacks
his way to the King of England.

- (soldiers shouting)
- (weapons clanking)

- (soldiers shouting)
- (weapons clanking)

- (Hiltenbrand speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- Henry was wearing
a helmet with a fleuron,

- Henry was wearing
a helmet with a fleuron,

a sort of a... a circlet of, uh...

a Fleur de Lys around here.

And we hear that one
of these fleurons is knocked off.

And we hear that one
of these fleurons is knocked off.

So it shows how close
Henry came to danger.

So it shows how close
Henry came to danger.

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR: The history of Europe,
for a moment, hangs in the balance.

The Duke of Alencon raises
his axe again

The Duke of Alencon raises
his axe again

over the head
of the King of England.

But before he can strike
a fatal blow,

But before he can strike
a fatal blow,

Henry V's bodyguard steps in...

..and kills the young duke.

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

- (soldiers shouting)
- (weapons clanking)

- (soldiers shouting)
- (weapons clanking)

- And the French have
to withdraw, essentially.

- And the French have
to withdraw, essentially.

I mean, the French pull out.
They don't continue fighting.

And Henry thinks the battle is over.

NARRATOR: Still stationed
at the other end of the field,

NARRATOR: Still stationed
at the other end of the field,

the French rearguard never
joined the fight.

By 1:00pm, the British soldiers
are scouring the battlefield,

By 1:00pm, the British soldiers
are scouring the battlefield,

digging under bodies hoping
to find survivors

that they can take prisoner.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: The battlefield
of Agincourt is littered

with French noblemen.

Beneath the heaps of corpses
lie Marshal Boucicaut

Beneath the heaps of corpses
lie Marshal Boucicaut

and the Counts of Vendome
and Richemont, among others.

For the English,
it's an unparalleled treasure.

STANFIELD: "This is
how it is after every battle.

STANFIELD: "This is
how it is after every battle.

We rummage around.
We pick up armour, swords, helmets:

things that are normally
too expensive

but will come in handy
in the next battle.

but will come in handy
in the next battle.

Above all else, though,
we are looking for prisoners.

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR:
Since the reign of Edward III

and the start of the 100 Years' War,

English victories in France have
ended with a harvest of prisoners,

English victories in France have
ended with a harvest of prisoners,

enriching the English soldiers.

Each demand for ransom generates
a genuine financial transaction,

Each demand for ransom generates
a genuine financial transaction,

guaranteed by contract
and recorded on parchment.

- So what we have here
is a Frenchman,

whose name was
Robertos Mersenne, yeah?

whose name was
Robertos Mersenne, yeah?

And he was captured
at the Battle of Agincourt

by two men from different retinues

in the, uh... English Army.

in the, uh... English Army.

And it tells us
what the total ransom is,

"Redemptionae", here.

NARRATOR: The law even dictates
how the sum will be distributed:

NARRATOR: The law even dictates
how the sum will be distributed:

the soldier who captures
the prisoner

pays a third of the ransom
to his captain,

who in turn pays a third
of his share to the King of England.

who in turn pays a third
of his share to the King of England.

- And then, it calculates
what the third of the third is,

the value to the crown of that,

which is 33 shillings
and four pence.

NARRATOR: The ransom is set
by the captor

and depends on the value
of the prisoner.

and depends on the value
of the prisoner.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR: At Agincourt, the defeat
of France's best fighting force...

NARRATOR: At Agincourt, the defeat
of France's best fighting force...

has the English army
dreaming of huge profits.

But just as the soldiers are
rounding up their prisoners,

But just as the soldiers are
rounding up their prisoners,

two surprise events threaten to
rewrite the outcome of the battle.

First, Henry V,
surrounded by his soldiers,

First, Henry V,
surrounded by his soldiers,

spots a small group of French
cavalrymen in the distance.

They've travelled nearly
200 kilometres at breakneck speed

and reach Agincourt

and reach Agincourt

while the English are still
on the battlefield.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (speaks French)

- (horses whinnying)
- (soldiers shouting)

NARRATOR:
At the same time, behind him,

NARRATOR:
At the same time, behind him,

Henry V hears a disturbance
coming from his own camp.

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR: With their keen knowledge
of the surrounding area,

the local fighters
bypass the English

through the forest of Agincourt

through the forest of Agincourt

and take aim
at Henry V's personal belongings.

They steal a sword, a crown,

and even a few coins
from the royal treasury.

and even a few coins
from the royal treasury.

- (speaks French)

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR: The King of England
orders the soldiers

NARRATOR: The King of England
orders the soldiers

who are holding prisoners
to kill them on the spot.

- (speaks French)

- Remember,
Henry is determined to win.

How is he going to allow
another French army to come

and cause damage against his men
for the sake of French prisoners?

and cause damage against his men
for the sake of French prisoners?

I mean, you know,
you've got to sort of look

at the logic of this situation

and the immediate decision
he has to make.

and the immediate decision
he has to make.

NARRATOR: His order seals
the outcome of the battle:

the Duke of Brabant is dead.

The locals who attacked
the King's supplies escape

The locals who attacked
the King's supplies escape

with relatively little
to show for it.

The French rearguard
flees in terror.

And, meanwhile,
the French King's archers

And, meanwhile,
the French King's archers

and crossbowmen still hadn't even
had a chance to enter the fight.

For Henry V,
Agincourt is a spectacular success.

For Henry V,
Agincourt is a spectacular success.

- He wins the battle,

and that makes him
tremendously powerful.

STANFIELD: "We were staring
at DEFEAT, DISHONOUR, and DEATH.

We were told, 'There are
more of THEM; THEY are stronger'.

And look - God has given us victory
because our cause is just.

And look - God has given us victory
because our cause is just.

Because OUR KING is the
TRUE KING of England AND France."

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (speaks French)

NARRATOR: Henry V has
brought France to its knees.

4,000 dead, 1,500 prisoners.

The Kingdom of France
is demoralised,

The Kingdom of France
is demoralised,

and its army paralysed.

- It's a psychological effect
of Agincourt, I think,

that is important for the French.

that is important for the French.

They never face him in battle again.

And he invades again in 1417.

NARRATOR: By 1419, Henry has
conquered the whole of Normandy.

NARRATOR: By 1419, Henry has
conquered the whole of Normandy.

The following year,

he imposes a humiliating treaty
on the King of France...

requiring Charles VI to make Henry V
his heir instead of his own son.

requiring Charles VI to make Henry V
his heir instead of his own son.

- All we've got to wait for
is Charles VI to die,

and Henry V will become
king of the double monarchy

and Henry V will become
king of the double monarchy

of France and England.

And that treaty said
those kingdoms will remain

with the same king for ever more.

The Hundred Years' War is won by
the English at that point in time.

The Hundred Years' War is won by
the English at that point in time.

NARRATOR: The story of the Battle
of Agincourt becomes legend,

passed on by English chroniclers
across the country.

- I think what
we have here is a national myth.

It's something that is central
to English identity

It's something that is central
to English identity

that, on this occasion, uh...

we beat the hell
out of the, uh... the French.

we beat the hell
out of the, uh... the French.

NARRATOR: Nearly two centuries
later, in 1599,

William Shakespeare devotes
an entire act of his play -

Henry V - to the battle.

Henry V - to the battle.

The playwright transforms the legend
into a myth:

one where just a handful
of Englishmen takes on

an overwhelmingly large French army.

an overwhelmingly large French army.

- (Schnerb speaks French)

- (Schnerb speaks French)

NARRATOR:
This exaggerated figure has remained

NARRATOR:
This exaggerated figure has remained

in the collective imagination,

but historian Anne Curry
is determined

to set the record straight.

(soft piano music)

(soft piano music)

- All of these documents taken
together give us

the names of people on the campaign.

But, sometimes, we haven't got
muster rolls or retinue rolls,

But, sometimes, we haven't got
muster rolls or retinue rolls,

but we do have
other financial records

that give the size of the companies.

So, adding all this data together,

So, adding all this data together,

we can come up with
how many men were on the campaign.

NARRATOR: The final tally reveals
that on October the 25th 1415,

NARRATOR: The final tally reveals
that on October the 25th 1415,

9,000 Englishmen took
the field against 12,000 Frenchmen.

But numbers aside,

Agincourt remains a seminal event
on both sides of the Channel.

Agincourt remains a seminal event
on both sides of the Channel.

- (Toureille speaks French)

NARRATOR:
This would be the generation

of a little girl from Lorraine.

Just three years old when the bloody
battle of Agincourt came to an end,

Just three years old when the bloody
battle of Agincourt came to an end,

she would later rise to become
one of France's greatest heroes.

Her name was Joan of Arc.

(energetic, dramatic
closing theme music)

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