July 17th, 1453 - The Battle of Castillon

Conflict: The Hundred Years' War

Combatants: English vs. French

Location: France

Outcome: French victory

In an attempt to relieve the city of Castillon, Sir John Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury, led an ill-advised attack on the besieging French forces. The French, led b Jean Bureau, raked the English attackers with artillery fire before counterattacking. Shrewsbury himself and most of his English soldiers were killed.

Battle of Castillon by Charles-Philippe Larivière

Points of Interest:

• The defeat at Castillon, followed by the fall of Bordeaux in October, effectively ended the Hundred Years' War.

• Although otherwise driven entirely from France, England would cling to Calais until 1588.

Death of the Earl of Shrewsbury by John Cassell

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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.