Battle of Patay

The Battle of Patay was fought on 18 June 1429 during the Hundred Years' War. It was an important fight between the French and the English in north-central France. The French horsemen, called the vanguard, won the battle by attacking the English army. Many English soldiers, especially those using longbows, were hurt or captured during the fight.

This battle was a big loss for the English and helped the French gain more control in France. The victory was part of a successful series of battles that began at Orléans. After Patay, the French army marched to Reims, where the Dauphin Charles was crowned King of France. Even though this was a major win for the French, the Hundred Years' War continued for many more years.

Background

After the English left the Siege of Orléans in May 1429, they went to strong points along the Loire River. The French army, led by the Duke of Alençon, moved to take these places and the bridges they held. On June 12, they took Jargeau and the bridge at Meung-sur-Loire. They then went to surround Beaugency on June 15 without attacking a nearby castle.

An English army led by Sir John Fastolf left from Paris after losing at Orléans. They joined with other English soldiers under Lord Talbot and Lord Scales at Meung-sur-Loire. Talbot wanted to attack right away to help Beaugency, but Fastolf was careful and did not want a big fight against the larger French force. The people in Beaugency gave up on June 18 because they did not know Fastolf was coming and because the French had gotten help from a group from Bretagne led by Arthur de Richemont. Talbot agreed to move back toward Paris. The French followed them and met the English army near the town of Patay.

Battle

In this battle, the English tried to use the same tactics that worked for them in past fights at Crécy and Agincourt. They placed many soldiers with longbows behind sharp stakes to stop cavalry from charging.

The French knights, led by La Hire and Xaintrailles, attacked the English soldiers before they could finish setting up their defenses. This surprised the English, who were spread out along the road. Some French knights went back to tell the rest of the French army about the English situation.

The French knights charged at the English from the sides, while more French soldiers appeared behind the English lines. Seeing the French charge, the English soldiers tried to join their mounted knights, but the knights ran away. The English had to follow, and the battle became a chase as the French cavalry caught up to the fleeing English soldiers.

Consequences

The English army in central France was almost completely destroyed, and many of their important leaders were captured or had already been lost in earlier battles. This made it very hard for the English to continue their fight in France. In the weeks that followed, the French quickly took back large areas around Paris and moved on to Reims, where the Dauphin was crowned as King Charles VII of France on July 17.