24th June, 2014. Today in History: June 24th, 1314. Scotland defeats England under Robert Bruce. Battle of Bannockburn On this day in 1314, in what became known as the Battle of Bannockburn, Scottish troops under the command of Robert the Bruce defeated English troops under the command of Edward II. This battle, in which the Scots were outnumbered four to one, was decisive in securing Scotlands independence from England 13 years later. At the heart of the battle was Stirling Castle. In spring of 1314 the Scotts under Edward Bruce laid siege to Stirling Castle, under the control of Sir Philip of Mowbray. Unable to capture the castle, Bruce made a pact with Mowbray that if no relief came to him by midsummer 1314, the castle would be surrendered to Bruce. The pact allowed the English under Edward II ample time to assemble a large army. Stirling was critical and its loss would be an embarrassment to the English. Credit: Timewatch Images / Alamy Edward mobilized a massive army— summoning some 2,000 horses and 25,000 infantry, by far the largest English army ever to invade Scotland. By contrast, the Scots army numbered around 6,000. Though they were small, the Scots army was battle- hardened after years of guerrilla warfare. In June 1314 Edward approached Stirling only to find the road to the castle blocked by the Scots army, led by Robert the Bruce. He had positioned himself strategically so that natural obstacles of the landscape lay to the east and west of the Scots army, with Stirling Castle behind. The battle opened with one of the most celebrated contests in Scottish history. As the English vanguard charged and clashed with the Scots, Sir Henry de Bohun, and English knight, spotted Robert the Bruce and aimed to capture or kill the Scots king. He lowered his lance and charged. Bruce met the charge, dodged the lance, and brought his battle-axe down on de Bohun, striking him dead. Elated, the Scots forced the English to withdraw. The Scots won the first day and their morale was high. At this critical moment, Sir Alexander Seton, a Scots noble in the English army, defected to the Scots, bringing them vital information. He relayed the English armys confined position and its low morale. Enlightened, Robert the Bruce decided to face the English in an open battle. The next morning, after a series of religious rites intended to bring good fortune, the Scots army met the English. After an archery duel, several Scots phalanxes advanced and hemmed in the English. Meanwhile, others were engaged in hand-to-hand combat and the English began to give ground. From here, the battle quickened: Edward was escorted away, panic set in, and the Scots began to hack their way into the disintegrating English army. In the rout that followed, hundreds of men and horses were drowned in the bog trying to escape. With thousands of English infantry now dead, the battle was over. Robert the Bruce gained total military control of Scotland, won Scotlands de facto independence, and consolidated his kingship. The Scots decisive victory paved the way for Scottish independence from England some 13 years later. As such, the Battle of Bannockburn is considered the greatest victory in the history of Scotland. ********** This battle is depicted in the movie Braveheart.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 06:54:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015