What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark’d to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.

In the Battle of Agincourt, there is an intense combination of the best circumstances: a defiant last stand, an army outnumbered at great odds, a charismatic leader, outstanding success, and a chronicle of the events that has not been bettered in centuries. Fiction writers could not dream of a more glorious scenario. Masculinity could not ask for a better example. Historians could not select a grander subject to indulge.

Today, on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, let us examine the legacy and legend of one of the greatest moments in our heritage.

The Battle

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

By the time Henry v came to the throne in 1413, England and France were nearing the end of the Hundred Years’ War. The two nations were battling over feudal and hereditary rights within France with no clear advantage passing to either side. The war became a struggle of attrition and disjointed invasions by the English.

Henry v quickly established himself as a capable and dashing leader by pardoning past enemies, streamlining the legal system, and giving Parliament the authority it desired. These measures boosted his popularity and created a very loyal kingdom, one that was willing to march to France and embark on yet another expedition of conquest.

In August of 1415, Henry embarked from England with 12,000 soldiers. Landing just north of Normandy, France, Henry marched to the city of Harfleur and laid siege on the fortress. The attack floundered, but Henry rallied the troops to one more charge:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.

Henry took the city.

Despite the triumph, Henry’s army was severely depleted from fatigue, disease and battle. With only 5,000 men left, he sought to traverse back to England. However, the now concentrated armies of France were bearing down upon him. Despite a hard march across the Somme, the French blocked the road to Calais. He would have to fight his way back home.

The stage was now set for the greatest battle of the Hundred Years’ War. Being outnumbered at least 2 to 1, Henry knew that his men faced a tremendous enemy. The French knights were some of the most renowned in Europe. However, the English had mastered the longbow. That is when the spark of genius engulfed Henry:

This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Henry arrayed his archers in six wedge-formations behind wooden pikes, with light infantry behind them. The battlefield was a narrow field between two pockets of woods, protecting his flanks. The French arrived with around 10,000 knights. Unwisely, King Charles vi had his knights dismount and fight on foot. The already slow, encumbered soldiers were even less mobile, forming up three densely packed lines, making easy targets for the English archers.

As the French began their advance, the English withheld their fire until the unfortunate first line of French knights were within 300 yards of the line. The muddy ground soon became filled with the wounded and dead French. Wave after wave was repelled, not only by the shower of arrows, but also from the bravery of the English infantry, led by the king himself, who at one point entered the melee to save his injured brother. In three hours, the English had broken the will of the French monarchy.

Winston Churchill wrote this in The History of the English-Speaking Peoples: The Birth of Britain:

Within five months of leaving England he returned to London, having, before all of Europe, shattered the French power by a feat of arms which, however it may be tested, must be held unsurpassed. He rode in triumph through the streets of London with spoils and captives displayed to the delighted people. He himself wore a plain dress, and he refused to allow his “bruised helmet and bended sword” to be shown to the admiring crowd, “lest they should forget that the glory was due to God alone.” The victory made him the supreme figure in Europe.

During Henry’s reign, England would almost completely overwhelm France, later claiming the rights of the French crown. However, it was all for naught. Despite the impressive empire Henry built, his children would preside over its dismemberment. For as brilliant a victory as Agincourt was, its importance geopolitically fades from history. England would lose all of its possessions in France, and any claim to the Continent would vanish with them.

The Legacy

Why then does Agincourt remain a cherished historical event? The legacy of the Battle of Agincourt is manifested through two different ways: 1) how it has shaped the psyche of the British people, and 2) through William Shakespeare’s play.

Churchill also wrote: “Agincourt ranks as the most heroic of all the land battles England has ever fought.” Churchill penned those words after the experience of World War ii. England is a small nation that always fielded a much smaller army than those of its European rivals. Thus, the English armies often found themselves outnumbered, but usually superior leadership, technology and miracles made up for that disadvantage. Agincourt is the first event that built a military culture within Britain where the people believed they could defeat greater enemies and accept challenges others would decline.

This culture can be seen throughout history. The British (with allies) are not only known for fighting wars against greater foes and winning (Louis xiv, Napoleon, World War i, and World War ii being prime examples); there is also the tradition of fighting to the last man. Rorke’s Drift, the Battle of Britain and Imjin River are just a few such examples. This is not unique to Britain, but often times these battles had ramifications for the rest of civilization. Agincourt was a memory, a tradition, and a standard that the British people measured themselves against. It was a heroic event that inspired heroic deeds.

The Legend

The greatest effect Agincourt has had on history, however, is the narrative from Henry V. This play is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and well written. When Agincourt or Henry v is mentioned, Shakespeare’s play is immediately associated with it, despite the fact that the most stirring sections are fiction. The play is based on the best historical references available at that time, but the words we quote and remember the most are from the genius of Shakespeare. It is a peculiar dichotomy that Agincourt’s greatest legacy is a work of inspired imagination.

But the fictitious nature of the exchanges created by Shakespeare don’t lessen the impact on history. On the contrary, there are many instances of the words of Henry V inspiring men whose hands laid hold on the destiny of the world. During World War ii, in Gen. Bernard Montgomery’s desert headquarters, a quote from the play was hung above the entrance: “O God of battles! steel my soldiers’ hearts.” Churchill’s speech “The Few,” given during the Battle of Britain, has echoes of Henry V. During Operation Desert Storm, a British officer recited the entire speech in front of General Schwarzkopf and the American staff to emphasize the brotherhood that had emerged between the two armies.

Wharton University published a study on Henry v and leadership, stating this in the introduction:

“In addition, before the battle started, he delivered one of the most famous motivational speeches in history—at least as it is written in Shakespeare’s Henry V. The speech has been played on Allied ships crossing the English Channel to Normandy during World War ii, in locker rooms by football coaches losing at half time, and on the Internet for U.S. soldiers about to leave for duty in Iraq.”

How many times have these words moved an ordinary individual to do the extraordinary? From soldiers to sports players, world leaders to lonely teenagers, these passages have had an impact on world history from which we have benefited.

It is an amazing moment to be able to gaze 600 years into the past and trace the impact of 5,000 men over the expanse of time. The men who fought were concerned about the next day, surviving to see their families and England. Shakespeare probably had a far broader scope, but even he likely didn’t realize that the English language would become so widespread and that his words would move us to this day.

Much has happened since Oct. 25, 1415, and we have since witnessed greater moments of heroism and danger. But Agincourt is a reminder of the courage, leadership and masculinity needed in the world today. Greater challenges face us at present, and perhaps we can find some measure of courage and inspiration from Henry v and his band of brothers to face those issues with united resolve. After all, we are still making history, and hopefully 600 years ahead our descendants will look back on us with the same pride and admiration.

It only seems fitting to conclude with the same words Shakespeare did on Agincourt:

Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen,
Our bending author hath pursued the story,
In little room confining mighty men,
Mangling by starts the full course of their glory.
Small time, but in that small most greatly lived
This star of England: Fortune made his sword;
By which the world’s best garden be achieved,
And of it left his son imperial lord.
Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crown’d King
Of France and England, did this king succeed;
Whose state so many had the managing,
That they lost France and made his England bleed:
Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake,
In your fair minds let this acceptance take.

Agincourt is an amazing event, stretching back 600 years into our heritage. However, did you know our history goes back not hundreds, but thousands of years? Those origins are of far greater significance and can help you better understand the world today. To understand this essential knowledge, request our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy by Herbert W. Armstrong.