CHEVAUCHEES
[war-rides]
Term used for the marauding marches of Edward Ill's armies in France, which were meant to cause alarm and despondency and to destroy French resources, making life unpleasant for the French. The chevauchee was a strategy of attrition - of food and war materiel. Much medieval warfare was of this kind, set-piece battles being relatively rare. Battle was risky. While many battles were not decisive, some could be catastrophic to the loser, e.g. Stamford Bridge and Hastings (1066), Crecy (1346) and Agincourt (1415). [< Fr. chevaucher = to over-ride]
Cf. Routier