The medieval Band of Brothers
Artist's depiction of the Battle of Agincourt, without which we wouldn't have "Band of Brothers" (Image: history.com)
This year is the 20th anniversary of Band of Brothers, the highly celebrated HBO miniseries that chronicled the battles of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, the eponymous "Band of Brothers", in World War II. You probably know that the phrase "band of brothers" comes from a Shakespeare play, and you might be able to pinpoint it as Henry V, in which young King Henry exhorts his soldiers to courage before the Battle of Agincourt (or Azincourt in modern French).
But do you really know what actually happened at Agincourt and what influence it had on history? The real battle took place almost exactly 606 years ago, on October 25, 1415, on Saint Crispin's Day, exactly as Shakespeare noted. (And for those of you wondering, Saint Crispin is the patron saint of cobblers, tanners, curriers and other leatherworkers.) Today's newsletter will take a look at the medieval battle without which the acclaimed TV series couldn't have its name.
The Battle of Agincourt was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years War, a long conflict between England and France (and their allies) spanning from 1337 to 1453 (so actually being 116 years long). It started out as a succession dispute, when both the English and French royal houses claimed the French crown for themselves. Over time, it transformed into a general power struggle for dominance over Western Europe, and it became a major step in the birth of national patriotic sentiment in the Middle Ages.
https://www.beachesofnormandy.com/articles/The_medieval_Band_of_Brothers?id=0752f28c68
