A Brief Biography of Heny V

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When deciding the qualities that make kings great, one thinks of a king who cares about his people. A king that is charming but humble; strong and determined; powerful and wise. Those characteristics are those of one English king, Henry V. He was king of England from 1413 to 1422, and he died at the age of thirty-five because of Dysentery. Nonetheless, Henry V was the greatest king of the European monarchies because he was fair and successful. Even though being known as a religious persecutor, Henry V was the best king in all of European history because he was a soldier king, he was very successful during his rule, and he had a strong leadership. One of the various things that made King Henry V a great king was that he was a soldier king and was not afraid to fight for his kingdom. One example of this was the Battle of Agincourt. This war started on October 25, 1415 and lasted one day. To rescue England’s reputation along with his own lost during the Hundred Year War, Henry rides off alongside twelve thousand English soldiers to France. Things start to go wrong after arriving at France for this beloved king. First, half of the King’s men die of dysentery before they arrive anywhere close to Agincourt and so the wise king decided that he and his men had to retreat. Sadly, the brave English were ambushed by French forces and the English were greatly outnumbered, but the soldier king, Henry V, was intelligent. As French forces attacked, the English bombarded them with arrows. By the end of the day, six thousand French deaths greatly outnumbered the four hundred deaths that of the English (“Henry V,” History.com). “After the English soldiers took too many French captives, Henry broke the law and ordered their execution to all without... ... middle of paper ... ... or worse is up for debate. Now, Henry V had completely changed England’s and Europe’s history. If this man wasn’t important, why did William Shakespeare write several plays based around his life? Why would we still remember him today if he wasn’t influential? King Henry V sets the ideal of what people think of when thinking of kings in the modern day society. That is the reason why Henry V was important and meaningful and worth learning about. Works Cited "King Henry V." 2014. Britannica Staff. Mar 24 2014. Web "Battle of Agincourt." 2014. The History Channel Website. Mar 23 2014, 5:59. Web "Henry V." 2009. History.com Staff. Mar 23 2014. Web. "Henry VI." 2014. Britannica Staff. Mar 24 2014. Web. "Henry V. King of England." 2014. Luminarium: Encyclopedia Project. Mar 23 2014. Web. "King Henry V (1413-1422)." 2014. Royals Family History Staff. Mar 24 2014. Web

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