History: Battles and Conflict 3

– The Battle of Agincourt –

“The Battle of Agincourt, one of the most famous battles of the Hundred Years’ War, took place on October 25, 1415, near the village of Agincourt in northern France. King Henry V of England sought to reclaim the English monarchy’s ancestral lands in France, which had been contested for generations.

The English forces, numbering around 6,000, were significantly outnumbered by the French, who boasted between 12,000 and 36,000 troops. However, the French forces were severely impeded by the muddy terrain, which sapped their energy and mobility.

Meanwhile, the English, adept at longbow archery, unleashed a rain of arrows upon their adversaries. These arrows decimated the French cavalry and caused utter pandemonium among the ranks.

Ultimately, this resulted in an astonishing victory for the English. The Battle of Agincourt has since been immortalized through historical texts and Shakespeare’s play, “Henry V.” It remains an exemplar of how deft strategy and technological prowess can prevail even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.”

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO words from the text for each answer.

King Henry V was the sovereign of _______ during the Battle of Agincourt.
King Henry V aimed to _______ the ancestral lands in France that belonged to the English crown.
The French troops were substantially _______ in number compared to the English forces.
The sodden _______ played a major role in hindering the movement of the French soldiers.
The English, proficient in the use of the _______, let loose a barrage of projectiles on the French.
The Battle of Agincourt is often cited as an archetype of how _______ planning and technological superiority can lead to triumph against overwhelming opposition.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE word from the text for each answer.

The skirmish of Agincourt, a defining event in the Hundred Years’ War, transpired on the 25th of October, 1415, proximal to a small French _____ named Agincourt. The English monarch, Henry V, aspired to _____ the hereditary territories in France. In spite of the English army, consisting of roughly 6,000 soldiers, being largely _____ by the French forces, they exploited their proficiency in longbow usage and the mire-infused terrain, which significantly _____ the French troops. This tactical maneuvering led to an unexpected _____ for the English, making Agincourt a timeless symbol of strategic and technological triumph against formidable adversaries.

Vocabulary Builder

Find the synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) to these 9 words from the original passage.

Original Word	Variants Used
Battle	___________________ / __________________
Took place	___________________ / __________________
Sought to reclaim	___________________ / __________________
Forces	___________________ / __________________
Significantly outnumbered	___________________ / __________________
Muddy terrain	___________________ / __________________
Impeded	___________________ / __________________
Unleashed	___________________ / __________________
Victory	___________________ / __________________

Reveal answer (26 More Words)

Original Word	Variants Used
Battle	Skirmish, Conflict
Took place	Transpired, Occurred
Sought to reclaim	Aspired to recover, Intended to retrieve
Forces	Troops, Soldiers
Significantly outnumbered	Substantially more, Largely surpassed
Muddy terrain	Sodden ground, Mire-infused terrain
Impeded	Hindered, Obstructed
Unleashed	Let loose, Launched
Victory	Triumph, Win