| 1414 | Summer | Henry claims French territories |
| | | France was in the midst of a civil war between the Burgundians and the Armagnacs. Charles VI, the king of France, had joined the Armagnacs. Henry came in on the side of the Burgundians and saw the opportunity to reclaim lost lands in France. Henry's plan was to invade France but he needed a good reason. He gave the French king a list of demands including the French throne, the restoration of the Angevin empire and the hand of the king's daughter in marriage. If the demands could not be met Henry could go to war. |
| 1415 | Spring | Preparations for war with France |
| | | As negotiations were underway in France, England was preparing for the invasion of France. |
| Aug 1 | Plot to overthrow the King |
| | | Lead by Richard Earl of Cambridge, Henry's cousin, a plot to assasinate the King and replace him with the Earl of March who was the true heir to the throne was hatched. The revolt brought together all the old enemies of Henry including Lord Scrope (Archbishop Scrope's nephew) and the Lollards. The Earl of March whose loyalties were with the king informed Henry of the plot the night before and the rebels were arrested. Several were executed. |
| Aug 11 | Henry sails for France |
| | | Preparations for war are complete and Henry's army sets sail from Southampton for the French coast. |
| Aug 16 | English fleets lands in Normandy |
| | | Henry's army landed on the north bank of the Seine estuary near to the town of Harfleur (now part of Le Havre). Henry organised the siege of the town and waited for it to fall. |
| Sep 22 | Harfleur falls to the English |
| | | The town held out for five weeks in which time the English soldiers were starting to suffer from disease caught from their camps in the marshes. The people in the town were not doing much better and when it was clear that the town was not going to be rescued, the citizens surrendered. Henry treated the towns people with respect and let them leave. |
| Oct 8 | The march to Calais |
| | | Henry's plans for invading France had been dented by the time it took to capture Harfleur and the affect of disease on his men. He decided to move his men to Calais which was under English control. |
| Oct 19 | Henry crosses the Somme |
| | | Henry's plan was to get across the Somme at its estuary where it was relatively easy to cross but he recieved word that the crossing was being guarded by the French. Henry had no other choice but to follow the west bank of the Somme south into French territory to find a suitable crossing point. His men were short of food as Henry had told them to take only a few day's supplies expecting them to reach Calais. Henry tinally found a crossing point that was unguarded and his army crossed the Somme. |
| Oct 25 | The Battle of Agincourt |
| | | The English army met the French army near the town of Agincourt. Although the English were outnumbered three to one, Henry used the local terrain to his advantage. The French cavalry were hit heavily by the English archers and French knights got bogged down in the wet fields. The French were defeated and Henry ordered that no prisoners should be taken apart from the extremely important knights who could be ransomed. The death toll amongst the French nobility was high. |
| Nov | Henry returns to England |
| | | After a few weeks recovering in Calais from their ordeal, Henry and the English army returned to England to a hero's welcome. |
| 1416 | | Armagnac Fleet blockade Harfleur |
| | | A French fleet laid siege to Harfleur, the French port captured by Henry, and attempted to get it back. |
| Aug 15 | Harfleur rescued |
| | | An English fleet commanded by John Duke of Bedford attacked and defeated the French blockading the mouth of the Seine who were preventing supplies reaching the English held town of Harfleur. Bedford was the king's brother. |
