The Battle of Crécy happened on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War. The smaller English army won against the much larger French army. New tactics and weapons make this an important battle in the history of warfare because the English used longbows to win against French knights. The longbow was a faster weapon to fire than the French and Genoan crossbow and could send arrows farther than the crossbow could and with more force. Before this battle during the Middle Ages, knights had been the most important part of an army. Because of this change some historians call this battle the beginning of the end of chivalry.