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SirCliveWolfe

Misthios
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Apr 11, 2005
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Dreams of Albion​

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Volume One - Foundations of Albion - from Troy to a True nation 7th Century BC - 1642
Prologue
Prologue Cont.
I Destiny?
I Destiny? Cont.
II Loyalties?
II Loyalties? Cont.
II Loyalties? Cont. End
III Consolidation
IV Cardinal Sin
V ‘Commonwealth men’
VI 'A House Divided'
VII 'Nationalism!'
VIII Notes & Map anthology
IX Dangerous Dreams?
X 'The Gathering Storm'

Volume Two - A New Jerusalem? - The Religious wars 1642 - 1688
Volume Three - Britannia Incorporated - Albion finds it's place 1688 - 1789
Volume Four - The rise of an Empire - The Napoleonic wars and Albion's place 1789 - 1835

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This is the story of my journey through history with the land of my birth. It will not always be successful or glorious, I will show the greatest defeats as well as victories and the wrongs committed in the name of England and later Britain as well the things that the nation has given the world. It is my wish in this AAR to lead Albion through the ages always adhering to the best things that Britannia has given the world using the motto of Tolerance, Political Liberty and The rule of law, unfortunately the real leaders of this nation have forgotten this more often than not, but I wish to create it.

Do not fear, however, this is not a vitriolic story, it does not look back on history through a haze of patriotic zeal but is the story of those men and women who made this country great, not great generals or Kings but the hungry money grabbing merchants and traders and the down right illegal pirates and con men like Drake and Clive. The nation does not fight on a basis of ideas for these only cause further embitterment and struggle, we fight for profit, which is much more vital as by allowing all to better themselves it leads to freedoms, and against the French of course.

The story will continue through EUII, Victoria and HOI2 and be lead by the pursuit of that which has always driven this island nation. The most holy of all sacraments to the British the true desire of them all;

The holy Gold sovereign
1925om3ad.jpg

So settle down and listen to my tale of all things British; corruption, greed, power and the knowledge that it can't be wrong if we are doing it. ;)

Oh and have a bear and some popcorn on me.

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On a side not I realist that both the St Geroge and his flag have been 'stolen' by certain groups that are not worthy of comment. Be asured that I wish to show the Saint as what he stands for, a symbol of strength but one which all can celebrate no matter what nationality.

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This AAR is dedicated to all those brave souls, be they men or women, from all over the globe who gave their lives for and against the British Empire


This links to the British Legion for those interested in remembering...

 
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I'm not sure whether to applaud your patriotism or be concerned by your cynicism - though I probably have to concede the point (re- money being the focus of England's desires.) :)

Regardless, an excellent opening and I'll be following this one! What version are you using? 1.08? 1.09?
 
CatKnight said:
I'm not sure whether to applaud your patriotism or be concerned by your cynicism - though I probably have to concede the point (re- money being the focus of England's desires.) :)

Regardless, an excellent opening and I'll be following this one! What version are you using? 1.08? 1.09?

Yes a true patriot sees the good and bad of his nation, I love the idealism that has driven the nation through the ages but know that it was actualy money and greed wraped up in Britishness :D

Yeah I have just returned from getting some Marlboro's and realised that I hadn't said... well it is 1.09 with AGCEEP 1.39 (i think, well its the latest one anyway).

Mettermrck said:
SirClive is on a mission. I look forward to seeing what your plans are! :)

I'm always on a mission Met ;) But this time I wish to turn the globe one third Red by the end of EUII, two thirds Imperial pink by the end of Viki and entieley pink by the end of HOI2... :rolleyes:

No the plan is actually to have historic expansion but in a different way.. untill WWI which will turn out to be very different. ;)
 
Is that the quote from "Jerusalem" by Bruce Dickinson? Great song BTW (not to mention it is in my CD player right now... :p ), and feels like a very appropriate theme for what you are trying to accomplish.
 
Yes, great song you're referring too. But no, Jersualem is not by Bruce Dickinson. It was a poem by William Blake that Dickinson used to base a song off of.

Regardless, good show Sir Clive! Cant wait to see what youve got for us.
 
Dreams of Albion
Volume One - Foundations of Albion





Midgardmetal: It is certainly from Jerusalem by William Blake that Dickinson used for his great song :cool: and yess I thourght it appropirate for my aims of building the new Jerusalem. Actualy the inspiration was from Simon Schama's "A History of Britain" where he explains Cromwell's ambitions to create the new Jerusalem.

Alhazen: Thank you sir.

mhusoy: First I would like to say thank you... secomdly the EUtoViki and VikitoHOI converter shall be used, although there will be some fine tuning neccessary, otherwise the Human country tends to be far too powerful by 1936.

...and now time for a lengthy prologue... hope you enjoy.
 
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Dreams of Albion – Prologue​


Mythos – The foundation of Albion

Brutus of Troy

Aeneas progenitor of the Romans, escaped from the sacking of Troy and with his son Ascanius founded Alba Longa the ancient city of Latium. He had two sons who were Silvius and Procas, Brutus was the son of Silvius and was banished from Italia after the accidental killing of his farther. Procas also had a son named Numitor who's daughter Rhea Silvia, a Vestal Virgin, gave birth to twins by Mars. They were abandoned on the Tiber and raised by a she-wolf and woodpecker. Romulus and Remus would go on to found Rome and their kingdom would rule the known world.

In this time, Brutus was wandering after freeing a group of Trojans who had been living in slavery in Greece. Here he had a vision foretelling a kingdom of giants that Brutus would conquer. He led his people westward and, after numerous battles in the region of the Gallic city of Tours, he settled on the island of Albion. With the aid of Corineus, the Trojans slew the giants living in that island and Brutus renamed the land Britain, founding a new kingdom therein. He is said to have founded the city Troia Nova. He created a code of laws for his people before his death. By his wife, Ignoge, he had three sons-Locrinus, Kamber and albanactus-whom on Brutus's death divided the island between them.


Albion's Farther and Mother (Poseidon shown as the Roman Neptune)​

Albion titan god of the British

The titan named Albion son of Poseidon and Amphitrite and brother to Atlas settled and established himself upon a remote island who's pagan and barbaric inhabitants revered him as a god. It was he who instructed the ancient people of that isle in the crafts of ship building and astronomy, the islanders soon began to excel in these skills, something that has never been lost and stood them in good stead for the coming challenges. This island kingdom and paradise was to be known as Albion, and the titan would look over and protect them from that time until the end of the world itself. He would come again in different guises when Albion needed him the most.

Arthur and the coming of the Anglo-Saxons

When the Roman legions left Albion in 410AD the Romano-British were left at the mercy of the Picts and Huns lead by their kings Wanius and Melga. Albion saw this time of trouble and sought an earthly consort, with which he could protect his people. Arthur or Arturus was a famous Romano-British war leader or Imperator who Albion saw was humble and the ideal of Kingship in both war and peace and so he gave to Arthur Excalibur an ancient sword of great power that had been carried from Troy. He also knew that the British were not strong enough on their own and advised Arthur to ally with the Angles and Saxons by offering them land. With these powerful allies the British king was able to drive the Huns and Picts from Albion. The Anglo-Saxons settled in Albion.


King Arthur with his faithful servant Patsy​

Alfred the Great and the beginnings of England

In 793AD a new terror was to erupt upon the shores of Albion in the form of the powerful Vikings. The benevolent Titan saw that Viking blood would strengthen his people but that their methods would not so he again turned to a great man he could give power to. In 847AD Alfred the fourth son of King Ethelwulf of Wessex was born and he went with his farther on pilgrimage to Rome where he asked for his people to be saved from the Vikings. After the short reigns of Ethelbald and Ethelbert his third brother Ethelred ascended to the throne and Alfred was named secundarius. He began his defence of the realm shortly after and in 868 he married Ealhswith uniting Wessex and Mercia. At the battle of Edington in 878 Alfred brought an army that was truly English it contained men from Northumberland to Kernow and defeated the perfidious Norsemen. An uneasy stalemate was formed with the Vikings forming Alba (the origins of Scotland) and Bernicia (Northumberland). Soon Alfred was able to convince them to settle and intermingle with the Anglo-Saxons and peace and prosperity returned to the land.

After Alfred's death in 899 his son Edward the Elder and grandson Athelstan ruled Wessex and Mercia and gradually expanded their realm north and westwards. Towards the end of the tenth century there was renewed interest in the kingdom from Scandinavia with Athelred loosing the crown to Swain, until it was recovered upon the latter's death. Unfortunately Athelred's son Edmund Ironside died shortly after and Canute, son of Swain, became King of England. During the course of the first half of the eleventh century descendants of Athelred and Canute both ruled the kingdom until in 1042 Edward the Confessor came to the throne.


A statue of Alfred the Great at Winchester​

Edward, Harold and William

Edward was a weak king and Albion saw that the kingdom was disintegrating and chose Harold Godwinson to become the strongest of the great Earls to keep England from falling into civil war. When Edward died Albion appeared to Harold and gave him the choice that he could become king and defeat the Norsemen for good but loose the crown to a Norman to forever safeguard England's destiny or he could stay king and have England descend into the pits of hell. Harold, a dutiful man, chose to give his own life so that England could be saved. So in September 1066 after being crowned King Harold marched his men north to Stamford Bridge where his brother and Norsemen had landed. His victory was so complete thanks in part to Albion that the Vikings would never again threaten England.

When Harold learnt of the landing of William the Bastard of Normandy on the south coast he knew what was to come. He knew that if any of the traditions of England were to be kept he would have to make William take the crown from him in battle over his dead body so he marched grimly south to his and England's destiny. At the Battle of Hastings on October 14th there was a close Norman victory and Harold lay dead leaving no successor to oppose William. Throughout the following years control of England was won by the Normans and the last ingredient of England had come.


A king and his Witan, one of the important traditions Harold laid down his life to save​

Significance

Apart from the obvious strengths of the actual peoples the 'British', Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Norsemen and Normans all brought specific things that when mixed made a formidable combination. Form the 'British' came the knowledge of Shipbuilding and astronomy that Albion had taught, the Romans showed they way's of civilisation and the Vikings lust for expansion and exploration. The most important development of the Anglo-Saxons was the Witenagemot (Old English for “meeting of the wise men”) or assembly that advised upon administration, organisation of the Kingdom and dealing with issues such as taxation, jurisprudence and both internal and external security. The assembly was too powerful and needed a strong central monarch to stop it and the Earl's from gaining too much power, thus the Normans brought this strength with them.

These ingredients should not be over shadowed and can be seen, with hindsight, for the powerful tools that they were. The Witenagemot gave the English a belief that no man should be above the law, but the Normans showed that there needed to be a strong centralised power to counterbalance it's power. These ingredients would be the first to show their worth at Runnymede on June 15th 1215.
 
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Wow an other new Sir Clive AAR, this seems jolly interesting. And also that you are planning to convert this tale to both Vicky and HoI2 is great, so I better start reading from the beginning I guess. Good luck, great beginning so far :)
 
Lord E said:
Wow an other new Sir Clive AAR, this seems jolly interesting. And also that you are planning to convert this tale to both Vicky and HoI2 is great, so I better start reading from the beginning I guess. Good luck, great beginning so far :)

Thank you very much kind sir, and now for the last of the prologue. :cool:
 
Dreams of Albion – Prologue​


The Dawn of England

The reign of William I was a period of great change for the island nation as the old Anglo-Saxon systems were removed. The 'democratic' traditions of the witan were removed after 1066 it no longer elected the monarch as had been the case before. The witan system had also included a web of local assembly's for each county, they would petition the Royal court for the needs of it's county while they would oversea jurisprudence and the settlement of local issues. This system was swept aside by William in favour of the continental idea of feudalism, with a strong central monarch. Although this time was one of increasing harmonisation of the Anglo-Saxons and Normans the idea of feudalism did not sit well on the minds of Englishmen. After his death there was an intense period of power struggles, conflict and at times even civil war. Henry I implemented many reforms and helped to integrate the two cultures and stabilise the kingdom, many of which were successful, but his work was undone when in November 1120 his only son William died in the wreck of the White Ship. The question of succession was to cast a long shadow over England history. The equally disastrous reins of King Stephen and Queen Matilda saw a major swing to the great land owning barons and away from the monarch. Before Stephen, with no heir, died in 1154 he came to an arrangement with Matilda that allowed her son Henry of Anjou to succeed.


William I of England​

The Plantagenet Kings

Prior to coming to the throne he already controlled Normandy and Anjou on the continent; his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine on May 18th 1152 added her holdings to his, including Touraine, Aquitaine, and Gascony. He thus effectively became more powerful than the king of France - with an empire, the Angevin Empire, that stretched from the Solway Firth almost to the Mediterranean and from the Somme to the Pyrenees. As king, he would make Ireland a part of his vast domain. He also maintained lively communication with the Emperor of Byzantium Manuel I Comnenus.

During Stephen's reign the barons had subverted the state of affairs to undermine the monarch's grip on the realm; Henry II saw it as his first task to reverse this shift in power. For example, Henry had castles which the barons had built without authorisation during Stephen's reign torn down, and scutage, a fee paid by vassals in lieu of military service, became by 1159 a central feature of the king's military system. Record keeping improved dramatically in order to streamline this taxation. Henry II established courts in England, and first instituted the royal practice of granting magistrates the power to render legal decisions on a wide range of civil matters in the name of the Crown. His reign saw the production of the first written legal textbook, providing the basis of today's “Common Law”.


Henry II the first of the Plantagenates​

By the Assize of Clarendon 1166, trial by jury became the norm. Since the Norman Conquest jury trials had been largely replaced by trial by ordeal and wager of battle. Provision of justice and landed security was further toughened in 1176 with the Assize of Northampton. This reform proved one of Henry's major contributions to the social history of England. As a consequence of the improvements in the legal system, the power of church courts waned. The church, not unnaturally, opposed this and found its most vehement spokesman in Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, formerly a close friend of Henry's and his Chancellor. Henry had appointed Becket to the archbishopric precisely because he wanted to avoid conflict.
The conflict with Becket effectively began with a dispute over whether the secular courts could try clergy who had committed a secular offence. Henry attempted to subdue Becket and his fellow churchmen by making them swear to obey the "customs of the realm", but controversy ensued over what constituted these customs, and the church proved reluctant to submit.

Following a heated exchange at Henry's court, Becket left England in 1164 for France to solicit in person the support of Pope Alexander III, who was in exile in France due to dissension in the college of Cardinals, and of King Louis VII of France. Due to his own precarious position, Alexander remained neutral in the debate, although Becket remained in exile loosely under the protection of Louis and Pope Alexander until 1170. After a reconciliation between Henry and Thomas in Normandy in 1170, Becket returned to England. Becket again confronted Henry, this time over the coronation of Prince Henry. The much-quoted, although probably apocryphal, words of Henry II echo down the centuries: "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" now four of his knights took their king's words and travelled immediately to England, where they assassinated Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. On the 4th July 1189 Henry's third son Richard, with help from the King of France, overthrew his farther as Henry lay dying only two days later, his illegitimate son Geoffrey Archbishop of York was then only child to be with him at his death.

Arms of the Plantagenates​

The brothers grim

Richard I, or Lionheart as he was christened, was forever preoccupied with foreign wars like the Third Crusade and defending his French lands against Philip II of France. Richard was moderately successful and left the actual running of the country to his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine. His brother John who succeeded him was not so fortunate. With John came the ending of the Angevin Empire, he lost much of the French lands including Normandy and antagonised many feudal lords and prominent church leaders. He so annoyed them that he sparked an armed revolt that succeeded in 1215. John capitulated at Runnymede and was forced to sign a document known as 'Articles of the Barons' on June 15th in return for their renewed oaths of felaty, or loyalty. As soon as the Barons left London John renounced the charter as, due to the clause of distraint, it left him as King only in name. The renunciation with the support of Pope Innocent III caused a full scale civil war to erupt. When John died on October 8th 1216 of dysentery his nine year old son Henry III was hastily crowned king, and the war soon ended. In November, Magna Carta, was reissued with some clauses taken out, it was reaffirmed by his regents in 1217 and once more by the king himself when he reached the age of 18 in 1225.


Richard The Lionheart​

The other important event of this time was Simon de Montfort's rebellion of 1265, cause by Henry's perceived over reliance on French courtiers. He summoned the first elected Parliament, with those owning the freehold on land to an annual rent of 40 shillings being able to vote for a member from the shires and other arrangements for those from the boroughs. The archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls and barons were summoned, as were two knights from each shire and two burgesses from each borough. Knights had been summoned to previous councils, but the representation of the boroughs was unprecedented. De Montfort's scheme was formally adopted by Edward I in the so-called “Model Parliament” of 1295. At first, each estate debated independently; by the reign of Edward III, however, Parliament had been separated into two Houses: one, including the nobility and higher clergy, the other, including the knights and burgesses. The authority of Parliament grew under Edward III; it was established that no law could be made, nor any tax levied, without the consent of both Houses as well as of the Sovereign. This assembly also reissued Magna Carta, by way of statute, known as Confirmatio Cartarum, on October 12th 1297.

The Hundred Years War

Edward III, grandson of Edward I, was crowned on January 15th 1327, his uncle Charles IV of France died without male heirs leaving Edward as the senior male heir of France through his wife Isabella. The French nobles invoked Salic Law which held that succession could not pass through female lines, and who, therefore, asserted the legitimate King of France was Philip VI, Edward's cousin and heir to Charles Valois. After Philip declared himself King of France on January 26th, 1340 Edward allied with the Holy Roman Emperor, Louis IV and declared war, in what was to become known as the Hundred Years War.


The Black Prince​

In 1346 Edward defeated the French at the battle of Crecy, accompanied by his son and heir The Black Prince, Edward of Woodstock. The Black Prince commanded England's victorious army at the Battle of Poitiers, in 1356. The first phase of the Hundred Years' War was concluded in 1360 with the Treaty of Brétigny, marking the height of English influence in France and providing three million crowns' ransom for the capture of the French King John II. The autocratic and arrogant methods of Richard II only served to alienate the nobility more, and his forceful dispossession in 1399 by Henry IV sowed the seeds for what was to come. Henry's son was appointed Henry Duke of Lancaster in 1399. The Welsh revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr absorbed Henry's energies until 1408. Then, as a result of the King's ill-health, Henry began to take a wider share in politics. From January 1410, helped by his uncles Henry and Thomas Beaufort — legitimised sons of John of Gaunt — he had practical control of the government. Henry V, succeeded his farther on March 20th 1413, and looked to the restoration of domestic peace, the healing of schism in the Church and the recovery of English prestige in Europe.

The Hundred Years War erupted again and in August 1415 he landed with an army at Harfleur in Normandy, taking the city. Although tempted to march on Paris directly, he elected to make a raiding expedition across France toward English-occupied Calais. In a campaign reminiscent of Crecy, he found himself outmanoeuvred and low on supplies, and had to make a stand against a much larger French army at the Battle of Agincourt north of the Somme. In spite of his disadvantages, his victory was near-total, and the French defeat was catastrophic, losing many of the Armagnac leaders. In subsequent campaigns, Henry took much of Normandy, including Caen in 1417. In 1419 Henry would look to the jugular of France.


Arms of Henry V​
 
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Nice prologue, now I am looking forward to the story. Perhaps this Henry will do better, avoid death, and take all of France :) Looking forward to the next update
 
Lord E said:
Nice prologue, now I am looking forward to the story. Perhaps this Henry will do better, avoid death, and take all of France :) Looking forward to the next update

Thank you sir, shound be sometime one wends after I return to my keybord..... we shall see about Henry.

Alhazen said:
nice prologue, historical and infromative yet conise. good job! Here's to the conquest of France.

Thank you sir..... the conquest is the easy bit ;)
 
Mettermrck: Well we shall have to see but it will probably not come to pass that France is part of Albion... :(

Alhazen: Ha! shows what I know... I didn't even realise... :)

enigmamcmxc: Thank you sir... although the patriosim of Harold is VERY poetic licence. ;)
 
Dreams of Albion – Destiny?​

In the first decades of the fifteenth century the destiny of two nations would be born, forged out of iron and blood by two great men, who would risk all to win all. Both would be victorious, but one more so than the other, both would wear the crown of France and both would set their country's destiny for centuries to come. Henry the true master of the battlefield was pitted against Charles master of the cloak and dagger, but who was the master of destiny?


Imagine, if you will, a youngish man standing upon the shores of northern France. It is early January and he is huddled over, fighting the bitter Arctic wind as light rain slowly soaks his cloak. He looks over in the direction of the great city of Paris and asks his brother “what destiny awaits me there?”. The man is Henry V King of England, his brother is John, Duke of Bedford. Whether he uttered those immortal words and by what means we know them today we can not know, but they capture the essence of what history asks.

His campaign in France had started in 1415 and thus far all had gone much better than expected. He was the first to see the importance of an English navy and control of the channel, and proved so in 1417 when he drove the Genoese allies of France from the sea. A little after his conversation with his brother he would oversee the surrender of the garrison at Rouen, and from there embark upon the greatest English insurgence upon the continent. With around twenty five thousand infantry and six thousand knights he fell upon France. He would secure an easy victory over Charles VI of France at Paris late in January, and beset the walls of the great city.

With the destruction of the French army he would leave Bedford at the siege, and march to the the capital of Picardie, Amiens in February. The garrison of the city would try to sally forth on March 6th but be utterly crushed, upon which Henry departed for Reims and Nevers to bring all the lands controlled by Charles to siege. One by one the great cities fell, in may Paris to Bedford and then in August and December Reims and Amiens. Early in February the garrison at Nevers and Charles finally surrendered to Henry himself, and the war was concluded. Normandy, Caux and Picardie were ceded to England along with the payment of 25,000 golden Duckett's.


Henry V of England​

Philip, Duke of Burgundy had supported Henry's claim to the throne since his farther John 'the fearless' had been assassinated by the Dauphin in September the year before. This support for Henry and his humiliation of Charles lead to the French king proposing a treaty. And so on March 20th 1420, Charles VI of France signed the Treaty of Troyes. This officially disinherited the Dauphin and recognised Henry as heir to the French throne.

The Dauphin too offence to this treaty and declared war upon Henry and England within a month of it's signing. While the Dauphin was busy organising his troops the Guyenne Detachment, under the Earl of Sussex, of some ten thousand foot and three thousand horse marched north for the city of Guyenne. Henry and Bedford approached Berri, the capital of the Dauphin's lands, to deliver the coup de grace. At Guyenne Sussex won a small skirmish and left the siege to his Aragonese allies as he moved toward the city of Montpelier.


The Dauphin of France​

On a dark and rain sodden day on the 21st of September 1420 Henry surveyed a field on the outskirts of Berri. Lined up on a hill in the near distance was a force a little larger than his own under the direct command of the Dauphin of France, Charles. Imagine the scene as you stand with your fellow men-at-arms in the long grass as it gently flirts from side to side, you look at the grim wall of iron to your north and, fingering your little mail ringlets wonder if they are all that solid after all.

The Battle of Berri was as much a calamity of misadventure for Charles Dauphin as it was genius of Henry. His forces held the high ground and straddled the road to the city, the Dauphin was no fool and was an able commander. The real weakness of the man was that Henry knew him well and was easily able to out think him.

Henry proceeded as planned he took command of the centre himself and attacked upon the centre right of his foe along with Walker attacking the Dauphin's right wing. Preston's wing (on the right) advanced in a manner that gave the impression of disorganisation toward the left of the French, while Bedford and much of the cavalry travelled undetected through the forest. The Dauphin had placed spearmen in the forest under De Sain, to protect his flank from a possible cavalry assault, however when he saw the attack from Preston disintegrate he saw his chance and quickly called upon De Sain to fall upon Henry's exposed flank and drive him from the field. Bedford almost laughed as he watched the spearmen disappear, and knew that Henry truly knew his opponent. He quickly climbed the slope under the cover of the trees and fell upon the amazed Dauphin, who quickly fled the field. This was a victory to rival Agincourt in its importance and signalled the last of the major fighting in France until some ten years later.


 
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