The Battle of Baugé, March 1421: Impact and Memory

On 22 March 1421, Henry V's brother and heir presumptive, Thomas, duke of Clarence, was killed in battle at Bauge in Anjou by a Franco-Scottish force. Clarence had engaged the enemy without proper preparation and with no archers to support him. For Henry V who had made inexorable progress since the start of his French campaign in 1417, this represented a serious and unexpected reverse. This article examines both contemporary and later reactions to Bauge. On account of the different perspectives – French, Scottish and a range of English reactions – from which the battle has been considered, it is possible to give an insight into the varying ways in which the same events were reported and interpreted. The article examines also the wider impact of a battle which, while having limited military effect, created considerable uncertainty at the time, and remained in the memory as an alarming example of how quickly the fortunes of war could change.