Henry V killed at Harfleur

What if, just as Henry V jumped up & commanded Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more... a French crossbowman shot off a bolt that hit Henry in the head killing him instantly.

What happens to the English army besieging Harfleur?

But more importantly, what happens to England considering there's no offspring of Henry's?

Does the War of the Roses start earlier or is there a peaceful transfer of the Crown?

And what of the war with France - how is that effected?

Anything else?
 
The first question is what happens to harfleur.

Likely, after all the men are skinned alive, the women and children are locked into the churches which are then fired. Afterward, the building are torn down and the soil plowed and salted.
 

67th Tigers

Banned
The first question is what happens to harfleur.

Likely, after all the men are skinned alive, the women and children are locked into the churches which are then fired. Afterward, the building are torn down and the soil plowed and salted.

That's not likely. The death of a King of France wouldn't fast forward the English into Nazis.

Maybe though, the English Army don't loose half their number from eating contaminated shellfish during their OTL convivial stay there though....
 
This is the latest Parle we will admit:
Therefore to our best mercy giue your selues,
Or like to men prowd of destruction,
Defie vs to our worst: for as I am a Souldier,
A Name that in my thoughts becomes me best;
If I begin the batt'rie once againe,
I will not leaue the halfe-atchieued Harflew,
Till in her ashes she lye buryed.
The Gates of Mercy shall be all shut vp,
And the flesh'd Souldier, rough and hard of heart,
In libertie of bloody hand, shall raunge
With Conscience wide as Hell, mowing like Grasse
Your fresh faire Virgins, and your flowring Infants.
What is it then to me, if impious Warre,
Arrayed in flames like to the Prince of Fiends,
Doe with his smyrcht complexion all fell feats,
Enlynckt to wast and desolation?
What is't to me, when you your selues are cause,
If your pure Maydens fall into the hand
Of hot and forcing Violation?
What Reyne can hold licentious Wickednesse,
When downe the Hill he holds his fierce Carriere?
We may as bootlesse spend our vaine Command
Vpon th' enraged Souldiers in their spoyle,
As send Precepts to the Leuiathan, to come ashore.
Therefore, you men of Harflew,
Take pitty of your Towne and of your People,
Whiles yet my Souldiers are in my Command,
Whiles yet the coole and temperate Wind of Grace
O're-blowes the filthy and contagious Clouds
Of heady Murther, Spoyle, and Villany.
If not: why in a moment looke to see
The blind and bloody Souldier, with foule hand
Desire the Locks of your shrill-shriking Daughters:
Your Fathers taken by the siluer Beards,
And their most reuerend Heads dasht to the Walls:
Your naked Infants spitted vpon Pykes,
Whiles the mad Mothers, with their howles confus'd,
Doe breake the Clouds; as did the Wiues of Iewry,
At Herods bloody-hunting slaughter-men.
What say you? Will you yeeld, and this auoyd?
Or guiltie in defence, be thus destroy'd.

This is the Bard talking about a mere refusal to surrender, not about revenge for a dead king.

The crossbowman who killed Richard I was skinned alive IIRC ...
 
That and I suggest to 67th Tigers to check what the black prince did during the siege of Limoge. Wars in that period were NOT known for strict observance of the Geneva conventions, even in the best of times.
 

67th Tigers

Banned
That and I suggest to 67th Tigers to check what the black prince did during the siege of Limoge. Wars in that period were NOT known for strict observance of the Geneva conventions, even in the best of times.

I would suggest that Froissart's unsubstanciated, and largely proven incorrect, propaganda piece is perhaps not the best of sources.

I've no doubt Magdeburg Quarter was sometimes given during Stormings, it was in comparitively modern stormings, but Limoge wasn't stormed, and the Froissart had not witnessed the event, nor interviewed witnesses....
 
I would suggest that Froissart's unsubstanciated, and largely proven incorrect, propaganda piece is perhaps not the best of sources.

Possibly, but it was in the spirit of the times.

And the english marches through france were definitely NOT gentles for the population.

So, add anger over the Kings death into the mix and you definitely have the possibility for an event that will lead the pope to interdict the whole kingdom ( for burning the churches, not for what is done to the population )
 
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