Battle of Formigny facts for kids

The Battle of Formigny happened on April 15, 1450. It was a very important fight in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. France won a big victory. This battle destroyed the last main English army in Normandy. It helped France take back other English-held places.

Some people think Formigny was the first big battle where cannons were used directly on the battlefield. Before this, cannons were mostly used to attack castles or walled cities.

Quick facts for kids Battle of Formigny
Part of the Hundred Years' War
Illumination adorning La Cronicque du temps de Tres Chrestien Roy Charles, septisme de ce nom, roy de France by Jean Chartier, c. 1470–1479
Date 15 April 1450 Location Formigny, Normandy, France Result French and Breton victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France Duchy of Brittany	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Charles de Clermont Arthur de Richemont Pierre de Brézé	Thomas Kyriell  Robert Vere Matthew Gough Henry Norbury
Strength
c. 4,200	c. 4,000 to 4,300
Casualties and losses
500 to 1,000 killed or wounded	Vast majority killed or captured

Why the Battle Happened

France Gets Stronger

King Charles VII of France used a peace treaty in 1444 to make his army much stronger. He reorganized his soldiers and gave them new energy.

England's Problems

At the same time, the English army was not well led. Their forces were spread out and weak. This meant France was in a much better position when the peace ended in June 1449.

France Takes Back Land

By August 1449, the French had taken several towns like Pont-Audemer and Lisieux. By October, they controlled most of Normandy. French commanders, the Bureau brothers, captured important cities like Rouen and Honfleur. They then started to attack Caen.

English Send Help

During the winter of 1449, England put together a special army in Portsmouth. This army was meant to help Caen. Sir Thomas Kyriell led this force. He was not a very famous commander.

Money and supplies were low for the English. This made it hard to find enough soldiers. It also made the soldiers unhappy. In January 1450, some soldiers even had serious problems with officials over their pay.

On March 15, 1450, Kyriell and about 2,500 men landed in Cherbourg. They got more soldiers there. About 1,800 men joined them from English forts in Bayeux, Caen, and Vire. These soldiers came from the groups led by Sir Matthew Gough, Sir Robert Vere, and Sir Henry Norbury.

The Battle of Formigny

English Plan Changes

Instead of going straight to Caen, Kyriell first attacked Valognes. Taking Valognes helped the French cut off Cherbourg from the rest of the Cotentin peninsula. Valognes fell on March 27. Kyriell then marched to Carentan, which was held by the French. He arrived there on April 12.

French Commanders Prepare

Clermont, the French commander in the area, did not attack Kyriell right away. So, Kyriell marched towards Bayeux. He stopped near Formigny on April 14. Clermont followed him closely with 3,000 men from Carentan.

On the same day, Arthur de Richemont, a very important French leader, arrived in Saint-Lô. He had a Breton army of 2,000 men. This force included 1,200 cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and 800 infantry (soldiers on foot). Clermont contacted Richemont and asked him to move to Formigny as fast as possible.

The Fight Begins

On April 15, the English saw Clermont's army. Both armies took positions facing each other on the road to Carentan. This was near a small river called the Aure. The English had just under 4,000 men, with 2,900 of them being archers. They set up in two main groups across the road, with their backs to the stream.

The English did not have time to build their usual defenses, like sharpened stakes. But Kyriell felt confident because he had more men than Clermont. He did not know that Richemont's army was close by.

Cannons and Cavalry

In the early afternoon, Clermont ordered his foot soldiers to attack the English. These attacks were pushed back. Two French cavalry attacks on the sides of the English army also failed.

Then, Clermont ordered his two culverins (cannons) to fire. The cannons were too far away for the English archers to shoot back. So, the English archers left their positions to try and capture the cannons.

It was around 7:00 pm. At this moment, Richemont and his 1,200 cavalry arrived from the south. They crossed the Aure river and threatened the English from the side. Pierre de Brézé, an important advisor to the king, was with Clermont. His presence encouraged Clermont's soldiers to hold their ground.

English Trapped

Many English soldiers were busy dragging the captured cannons back to their lines. Kyriell moved some of his forces to the left to face the new threat from Richemont. Clermont saw this and attacked again.

The Breton cavalry caught the English soldiers out in the open. Then, French troops led by Clermont and Brézé surrounded them. The English were attacked from both sides. They were split into small groups and many were killed. Most of them were either killed or captured, including Kyriell. However, Sir Matthew Gough and a small group managed to escape to Bayeux.

Some old stories say that after the battle, French foot soldiers killed about 500 captured English archers. Their bodies were buried in a nearby field, which was later called "The English Tomb."

What Happened Next

Kyriell's army was almost completely gone. Most of his soldiers were either killed or taken prisoner. French records from that time say 3,744 bodies were buried. This number might include soldiers from both sides. The same records suggest that 1,200 to 1,400 English soldiers were captured. Other historians say 2,500 were killed and 900 captured.

Estimates for French and Breton losses are much lower. Some say "less than a thousand," others "about 500," or even "a handful."

Since other important English armies in Normandy had been defeated before this battle, the whole region quickly fell to the French. Caen was captured on June 12. Cherbourg, the last English fort in Normandy, fell on August 12.

The battle of Formigny from Les Vigiles de Charles VII by Martial d'Auvergne, 1484

Before 1450, cannons were mostly used in sieges (attacking castles). Formigny is probably the first battle where cannons played a role on the open battlefield. It is hard to know exactly how much they affected the battle, because old stories are not always clear.

Many people believe that the arrival of the Breton cavalry on the English side was the most important factor. It forced the English to leave their strong defensive positions. However, the French cannons also helped make that happen.

Most importantly, the sound of the cannons firing told Richemont that a battle was happening and where it was. This made him arrive on the field. It was lucky for Clermont that Richemont showed up. One of Clermont's captains wrote later that if Richemont had not arrived, Clermont's army would have been badly defeated because the English had more soldiers.

Images for kids

• 

  Bataille de Formigny, 18 avril 1450, oil on canvas by Prosper Lafaye, 1837, Palace of Versailles

• 

  Bataille de Formigny, oil on canvas by Rémy-Eugène Julien

• 

  Monument to the Battle of Formigny

• 

  A Memorial marks the Battlefield

• 

  The chapel that Clermont had constructed in 1486 to commemorate the victory

Sources