The French army, confident and well-prepared with over 30,000 troops, faced a smaller, sick, and exhausted English force of 6,000 in the Battle of Agincourt. The historical significance of the longbow, tracing its origins to the Battle of Hastings, played a crucial role in English victories at Crecy and Poitiers. The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 saw Henry V's disciplined English forces, though outnumbered, utilizing longbowmen effectively to achieve a decisive victory, solidifying the longbow's reputation as a formidable weapon.