The last major battle of the Hundred Years' War, it ended English rule in Gascony and was the first European battle decided by field artillery.
Key Facts
- Date
- 17 July 1453
- Location
- Gascony, near Castillon-sur-Dordogne
- English commander
- John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
- Artillery milestone
- First major European battle won by field artillery
- Territorial consequence
- England lost nearly all holdings in France
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
John Talbot, commanding English forces in Gascony, mistakenly believed the French were retreating from their encampment. Convinced the enemy was withdrawing, he led a relatively small advance force in an immediate assault without waiting for the bulk of his reinforcements to arrive.
On 17 July 1453, Talbot's forces attacked the strongly fortified French camp near Castillon-sur-Dordogne. Even after recognising the strength of the French position, Talbot refused to withdraw. French field artillery systematically destroyed the arriving English reinforcements, deciding the battle in France's favour.
The English defeat at Castillon resulted in the loss of Gascony, a Plantagenet possession of three centuries, and effectively ended English territorial control in France. The outcome concluded the Hundred Years' War and contributed to political instability within England in the years that followed.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.
Side B
1 belligerent