Henry V and The Band of Brothers

Henry V was King of England from 1413 until 1422 and reigned at a critical period of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, a war waged from 1337 to 1453 over the right to rule the Kingdom of France. On the 25th of October 1415, a day that the Christian community honors Saint Crispin who was martyred in 286, Henry V was facing an outnumbered French Army in a battle known as the Battle of Agincourt. The English Army, knowing they were tremendously outnumbered, was obviously nervous and fearful of the battle’s potential outcome.

Recognizing the degrading morale, Henry V rose in front of the English Army and delivered his famous Saint Crispin speech, motivating his Army, who would later defeat the French and enjoy the victorious outcome of the battle.

In 1599, over 180 years after the Battle of Agincourt, William Shakespeare wrote a play about the life of Henry V. In Act IV, he focuses on Henry V’s famous speech that motivated his undermanned force to victory over the French. The speech contains a phrase that relates to military combatants today, and truly illustrates the comradery, love, loyalty and commitment between warriors as a result of shared hardships over many days and many trials and challenges. It is commonly referred to as the Saint Crispin’s Day Band of Brothers speech and resonates with today’s military who have experienced similar challenges, failures and successes in the crucible of ground combat operations.

It is worth including Shakespeare’s version of Henry V’s speech. If you saw your King standing in front of you in the miserable conditions of ground combat, sharing the same hardships and the possible outcome you yourself would experience, you could not help but do everything within your power and within your passion to never let him down. It is one of the most motivating speeches military members refer to, and the section that says, “we few, we very few, we band of brothers, for he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother.”, is one of the most often quoted phrases by our ground warriors.

“What's he that wishes so?

My cousin, Westmorland? No, my fair cousin;

If we are mark'd to die, we are enough

To do our country loss; and if to live,

The fewer men, the greater share of honour.

God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.

By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,

Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;

It yearns me not if men my garments wear;

Such outward things dwell not in my desires.

But if it be a sin to covet honour,

I am the most offending soul alive.

No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.

God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour

As one man more methinks would share from me

For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!

Rather proclaim it, Westmorland, through my host,

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,

Let him depart; his passport shall be made,

And crowns for convoy put into his purse;

We would not die in that man's company

That fears his fellowship to die with us.

This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall live this day, and see old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

And say "To-morrow is Saint Crispian."

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,

And say "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,

But he'll remember, with advantages,

What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,

Familiar in his mouth as household words—

Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and

Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester and Talbot,—

Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.

This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be rememberèd—

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition;

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Although armies in the 15th Century consisted principally of male warriors back then, today’s gender-integrated forces find both men and women experiencing these challenges together. So, although the term “Band of Brothers” applied to an all-male force back then, today’s military will more commonly use the term “Band of Brothers and Sisters,” which more accurately portrays the gender-integrated composition we find on today’s battlefields. Nevertheless, the phrase accurately portrays the strength of the heart and the loyalty and bonds that exist between these men and women.

From the loyalty of this brotherhood and sisterhood, you will find love, passion, and the commitment to never, ever leave your brother or sister in a fight without fully committing yourself to stand by him or her, shoulder to shoulder, even if it means that you will die in doing so. It is a character trait that is born from shared hardships but creates a commitment to your teammate that is perhaps stronger than a commitment you would ever have even with your own blood brother or sister.

This is the loyalty and commitment you would want within your organization or unit. It is this bond that enables organizations to achieve what is infeasible, and to accomplish what was before impossible.

I saw it often during my time serving in the military. Unfortunately, during my time outside the military, I also saw the consequences of organizations that had only polarizing leadership and mistrust and failure.

Shared hardships. Trust and commitment. Brotherhood and sisterhood. Loyalty and honor. Build this within your organization and watch how far you really can go.