Funny Stuff is all around

Concerning War

The following is the comment of Jean de Eueil,whose father and uncles fell at Agincourt, and who was himself a distinguished captain in later years : ” The night before, they (the French) lay in a field where they were up to the knees in mud, and next morning they marched across a stretch of ploughed land to meet their enemy.

When it came to fighting they arrived few in numbers, one after another, and were out of breath, and were discomfited. And therefore, a corps on foot should never march, but should always await the enemy standing still. For when they march, as they are not all of the same strength, they cannot keep their order. A mere bush is enough to break them up. A power which marches against another power is undone, unless God help it. So let him who can, choose a good position and without loss of time.”

Elsewhere Bueil considers the question how a leader is to act if his enemy adopts these defensive tactics. He should select the best position he can find near them, and get command of the river, if there is one ; for it will not only serve as a protection, and to water the horses and cattle, but it makes provisioning easier. He should deprive the enemy of these facilities, and should make raids round them to intercept their supplies, so that they may be forced to move, and either to attack him on his chosen ground, or give him the opportunity of attacking them on the march.

If the enemy are weaker than he and are likely to escape, and the leader therefore decides to attack them in position, he should choose the weakest side, and make feigned attacks on other sides. Instead of closing with the enemy, he should force them to close with him, or be killed off man by man; and he should leave their rear open for flight, for the cowards will make off and will dismay the brave, and the fugitives can be overtaken afterwards. Men-at-arms should be formed in a solid mass (grosne toarhe) to enable them to break through the enemy’s corps ; for a corps broken through is lost, and if it is thin it is easy to break. Horsemen should never be put in front of foot, but always on the wings.

Such were some of the lessons learnt in the forty years of war which ended in the second expulsion of the English from France. The French had found it necessary to follow the English example, and the war was carried on, not by feudal armies, but by bands of paid soldiers under chiefs who had a contract with the king. In time of truce their pay ceased, and they went in search of employment and plunder. After the peace of Bretigny (1360) several thousand men who had been in English pay found their way to Italy, where they were known as the White Company, and played a part in the wars between Florence and her neighbours. Their leader, John Hawkwood, won great renown, and founded a school of condottieri. Similarly, after the truce of 1444, the Dauphin (afterwards Louis XI.), to relieve France of the burden of the Ecorcheurs, as some of these bands were significantly called, led an army of them against the Swiss. Bueil, who had learnt his trade under La Hire, and had become a leading captain, was in immediate command of the troops which won the battle of St. Jacob. Some 2000 Swiss rashly crossed the Birs, and assailed a force many times their own strength.’ They were cut to pieces, but at a cost which led Louis to hold them in great respect ever after.

It was on the return of the bands from this campaign that Charles VII. entered upon a reorganisation which laid the foundation of the French standing army. Fifteen companies of 100 ” lances ” each, making a total of 9000 men, were taken into permanent pay as regular troops {compagnies d’ordonnance), and the rest of the men were disbanded.

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