Battle of Formigny
April 15, 1450 · Early Modern
On April 15, 1450, French forces under the Comte de Clermont engaged Sir Thomas Kyriell's English army near Formigny in Normandy. English longbowmen initially repelled French advances, but Jean Bureau's culverins — among the first recorded uses of field artillery in European battle — disrupted their lines. When Constable Arthur de Richemont's Breton cavalry struck the English flank, the position collapsed. English losses exceeded 2,500 killed and 900 captured. The victory enabled France to retake Caen, Bayeux, and the remaining English-held towns, ending English control of Normandy within months.
Key Figures
Sir Thomas KyriellCharles VII of FranceArthur de Richemont, Constable of FranceJean II, Count of ClermontSir Matthew Gough
Locations
FormignyBayeuxNormandy
Topics
NormandyHundred Years' WarFranceEngland
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The Hundred Years' War's evolution from feudal cavalry charges to gunpowder warfare culminated at Formigny, where French cannons and culverins decisively defeated English longbowmen, marking the final transformation of medieval warfare that began in 1337 Start of the Hundred Years' War
The Duchy of Normandy's integration into French royal domains provided the territorial and administrative framework that enabled France to organize effective resistance against English occupation during the final phase of the Hundred Years' War Establishment of the Duchy of Normandy
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