How a Simple Wooden Bow Let England Dominate France

The English longbow was the critical technological advantage that enabled England to dominate French armies during the Hundred Years War, despite France having larger cavalry forces. The longbow required years of training to use effectively, which England addressed by making Sunday longbow practice mandatory for the entire population under Edward III. This created a large, trained force of cheap troops who could shoot a deadly weapon with longer range than crossbows. Combined with England's more centralized political authority, which allowed efficient tax collection and war funding through parliament, and the geographic advantages of being an island nation, these factors enabled English victories at battles like Crécy (1346) and Agincourt (1415).