Scorched Earth and Broken Spirits: The English Chevauchée That Shattered France #history

One of the most frustrating tactics used by the English during the Hundred Years' War was the chevauchée. It wasn’t a glorious battlefield charge, but a brutal strategy of economic warfare. English forces, often led by knights or princes, would ride deep into French territory, burning villages, destroying crops, looting towns, and terrorizing the local population. The goal wasn’t just to cause destruction—it was to weaken the enemy's economy, break their morale, and force them into open battle on English terms. These fast-moving raids left the French countryside in ruins and created widespread panic. Even powerful French armies often failed to stop them in time. Over time, the chevauchée wore down French resistance and became a symbol of how unconventional tactics could change the course of war.