The psychology of crowds has come under increasing scrutiny. Masses of people jammed into a too-small space tend to exhibit stampede-like behaviors-no matter the time or place. Interestingly, the results of this new understanding may explain a historic event: the Battle of Agincourt. On October 25, 1415, a small English force of less than 9,000 troops and archers faced a French army that, by some accounts, numbered 50,000. A substantial proportion of the French were fully armored knights. But when these two forces clashed, the English won, suffering only modest casualties while delivering devastating losses to the French. Using modern understanding of crowd dynamics and computer simulations, contemporary researchers have new ideas that explain the outcome of the battle.

The French numbers contributed to overcrowding on the field-a narrow plot of recently ploughed land bordered by thick forest. English archers quickly realized that their arrows could not penetrate the French knights' heavy armor, so they aimed at the horses instead. As the horses fell, dismounted knights continued on foot, joining the French foot soldiers and crowding the field. At the same time, French soldiers from behind pressed up against their cohorts at the front. At some point, researchers suspect, a stampede effect took over, as soldiers from behind trampled those caught in front. As a result, researchers now believe that the high French casualties were more likely caused by the crushing and smothering effects of a stampeding crowd rather than the military superiority of English troops.

1. It can be inferred from this passage that

A. human responses to overcrowding vary.
B. the French may have been better positioned to win had they attacked with a smaller force.
C. computers will replace on-the-ground examination in historical research.
D. crowd behavior has evolved in pace with an expanding world population.
E. the English victory at the Battle of Agincourt can be best explained as a matter of luck.


2. The author most likely mentions the knights being "dismounted" in order to

A. create sympathy for the loss of horses at Agincourt.
B. provide an example of superior English tactics in the battle.
C. paint a dramatic portrait of the confusion and chaos of medieval combat.
D. underscore the difficulties faced by all medieval armies in the face of enemy archers.
E. explain how falling horses aggravated the conditions that led to the French defeat.


3. Which statement, if true, would most weaken the conclusion drawn in the second paragraph?

A. An investigation using period armor and battlefield soil reveals that many French knights probably drowned in thick mud.
B. A compilation of firsthand accounts convincingly demonstrates that considerable numbers of French knights survived the battle.
C. The computer algorithms used to calculate the overcrowding effects at Agincourt in 1415 were based on behavior studies done on college students in 2010.
D. An archeological study suggests that the English deliberately shaped the battlefield with trenches that would create an overcrowding effect.
E. Research suggests that computer simulations of historic events lack credibility.