Q&A · 1:01:56-1:02:50

Were the French losses deaths or total casualties?

The 16,000-20,000 estimate represents French deaths or losses, while some contemporary French chronicles claimed an even higher total.

Question

Do the estimates of 16,000-20,000 French losses mean deaths or all kinds of casualties?

Short answer

They are presented as French deaths or losses, with several records supporting the range and some contemporary chronicles claiming roughly 30,000.

Notes

A viewer asks whether the familiar figure means men killed or a broader category of casualties. The 16,000-20,000 figure represents French losses rather than a combined total of killed, wounded, and captured, and the surviving records provide strong support for that range. Some contemporary French chronicles placed the number as high as 30,000. A comparison with the manpower of Roman legions conveys the scale while leaving the result as a range rather than a single exact count.