The Battle of Crecy, 1346. The Beginning of the End of the European Knight, Longbowmen Ascend.

The English victory at Crécy announced their rise as a formidable military power on the European stage, while signaling the beginning of the long, inevitable decline of heavy cavalry as the dominant force in warfare. This shift marked a new era, where disciplined infantry and devastating long-range weapons began to overshadow the once-mighty armored knights.

Crecy. August 26, 1346.
English Forces: ~ 11,000 Soldiers of which ~ 3,900 are Men-at-Arms.
French Forces: ~ 60,000 of which ~ 12,000 to 16,00 are Knights.

Additional Reading and Research:

• Fuller J.F.C. A Military History of the Western World.
• Sumption, John. The Hundred Years War: Trial by Battle.
• Wailly, Henry. Crecy, 1346: Anatomy of a Battle.
• Allmand, C.T. The Hundred Years War: England and France at War.

Some Historical Notes:

1. "Began the long decline of the cavalry as the dominant force in the military": It’s important to clarify that Crecy marked the beginning of the decline specifically for the heavy, feudal-style, cavalry dominated by mounted knights in full armor. Cavalry itself didn't disappear but was gradually transformed over time. The introduction of longbows, and later firearms, made heavily armored knights increasingly vulnerable, but cavalry would remain important in new forms -- such as light cavalry and dragoons -- well into the Napoleonic era and beyond. We see cavalry start to significantly wane during WWI.

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