On 23-24 June 1314, the Battle of Bannockburn was fought in Scotland between the Scottish under Robert Bruce and the English under Edward II during the Anglo-Scottish Wars.
Why did it happen?
Following the death of William Wallace in 1305, Robert Bruce became the leader of the Scots. In 1306, Robert Bruce was crowned king on the Stone of Destiny at Scone Abbey, which was the traditional coronation site for Scottish kings. In 1307, Robert Bruce defeated an English army at the Battle of Loudoun Hill, which forced Edward I of England to invade Scotland, only for the English king to die on his way north. Over the next seven years, Robert Bruce slowly built up his forces and captured several castles in Scotland. By 1314, his forces were strong enough to attack Stirling Castle, which was England’s key fortress in Scotland. The English king, Edward II, immediately headed north with a large army to relieve the garrison at Stirling Castle and put down the Scottish rebellion. The two sides met south of Stirling Castle at Bannockburn.
Who was involved?
The Scottish army at Bannockburn numbered 9,000 infantry and 500 cavalry. During the main engagement of 24 June, the Scottish army was arrayed in four schiltrons of pikemen between the Pelstream and the Bannockburn. In reserve were the cavalry and archers while small holes covered with branches were dug in front of the pikemen to trip the English horses. The Scottish plan at Bannockburn was for their pikemen, supported by archers, to advance against the English army and pin it between the Pelstream and the Bannockburn. The English army at Bannockburn numbered 15,000 infantry and 2,500 cavalry. On 24 June, the English army was arrayed in three lines: cavalry in the vanguard, infantry in the centre and archers to the rear with a small force of cavalry under Edward II positioned behind them. The English plan at Bannockburn was to allow the cavalry to charge the Scottish line and break their formation while archers rained down arrows upon the Scottish pikemen.
What happened?
On 23 June, The English cavalry under Humphrey de Bohun charged the Scottish positions which took the Scots by surprise. Robert Bruce quickly slew Humphrey’s son Henry in single combat while the second force of English cavalry under Robert Clifford attempted to outflank the Scottish army, only to be repulsed by Scottish pikemen. On 24 June, the main battle commenced with the English cavalry charging the Scottish pikemen, only to be halted by the wall of pikes and the few knights that managed to break through were hacked to death. As the English infantry advanced, the surviving English knights became tangled up trying to retreat. To make matters worse, the English archers trying to fire upon the Scottish ranks ended up hitting many of their own countrymen instead. To neutralize the English archers, Robert Bruce ordered his cavalry to attack the English right flank, which scattered the archers. As the English right-wing crumbled, King Edward II fled the battle, followed soon by his army with the Scots in pursuit. While the Scots only lost 400 men, the English lost 4,000.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Bannockburn was a decisive Scottish victory. In the aftermath of the battle, Edward II was refused entry into Stirling Castle and was forced to flee south instead. Over the following eight years, Robert Bruce ousted the English from Scottish towns and defeated another English army in 1322 at the Battle of Old Byland. After Edward II was deposed in 1327 and replaced by his young son, Edward III, Robert Bruce invaded England to force the English to recognize Scottish independence. In 1328, the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton was signed with the English formally recognizing the independence of Scotland.
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. 1001 Battles That Changed the Course of History. London, Cassell Illustrated, 2011.
Holmes, Richard. & Marix Evans, Martin. A Guide to Battles: Decisive Conflicts in History. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009.
McNab, Chris. The World’s Worst Military Disasters. London, Amber Books, 2005.
Regan, Geoffrey. Famous British Battles. London, Carlton, 2004.
Webb, Jonathan. “Battle of Bannockburn, 1314.” The Art of Battle. Last revised 2012. www.theartofbattle.com/battle-of-bannockburn-1314/
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