Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Was it the mud? Was it the longbow? Or were French battlefield decisions the real reason they lost?
Join medieval historian Matt Lewis as he breaks down the battlefield tactics that shaped the legendary Battle of Agincourt. From Henry V’s calculated use of terrain to the deadly efficiency of the English longbow men, Matt reveals how strategy, not just luck, secured one of the most astonishing victories in medieval history.
00:00 Intro
00:48 The Kings
01:22 Henry V
01:48 The Motive
02:10 Charles VI, AKA "the Mad" (Charles le Fou)
02:51 The English Set Sail
03:21 The English Army
04:00 Siege of Harfleur
05:51 Harfleur Falls
07:04 Henry's Gamble 1
07:46 The First Skirmish
08:16 French Battle Plans
09:14 Offer of Battle
10:50 Agincourt
11:51 Eve of Battle
12:55 The Day of Battle
13:12 English Tactics
14:26 French Tactics
15:00 French Cavalry
15:52 Total Numbers
16:41 Battle Odds
18:30 Henry's Gamble 2
20:00 The Battle Begins
20:20 The Long Bow
22:21 The French Make Their Move
23:10 The Mud
23:40 Men at Arms Enter the Fray
25:06 The Climax
27:30 The Retreat
28:00 Henry The War Criminal?
30:31 The Casualties
31:41 Matt's Most Valuable Commander
33:17 Book Recommendations
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join
Was it the mud? Was it the longbow? Or were French battlefield decisions the real reason they lost?
Join medieval historian Matt Lewis as he breaks down the battlefield tactics that shaped the legendary Battle of Agincourt. From Henry V’s calculated use of terrain to the deadly efficiency of the English longbow men, Matt reveals how strategy, not just luck, secured one of the most astonishing victories in medieval history.
00:00 Intro
00:48 The Kings
01:22 Henry V
01:48 The Motive
02:10 Charles VI, AKA "the Mad" (Charles le Fou)
02:51 The English Set Sail
03:21 The English Army
04:00 Siege of Harfleur
05:51 Harfleur Falls
07:04 Henry's Gamble 1
07:46 The First Skirmish
08:16 French Battle Plans
09:14 Offer of Battle
10:50 Agincourt
11:51 Eve of Battle
12:55 The Day of Battle
13:12 English Tactics
14:26 French Tactics
15:00 French Cavalry
15:52 Total Numbers
16:41 Battle Odds
18:30 Henry's Gamble 2
20:00 The Battle Begins
20:20 The Long Bow
22:21 The French Make Their Move
23:10 The Mud
23:40 Men at Arms Enter the Fray
25:06 The Climax
27:30 The Retreat
28:00 Henry The War Criminal?
30:31 The Casualties
31:41 Matt's Most Valuable Commander
33:17 Book Recommendations
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join
