Reims Campaign

Last updated
Reims Campaign
Part of the Hundred Years' War
Edouard III assiegeant Reims.jpg
Edward III before Reims
Date28 October 1359 – 8 May 1360
Location
Champagne, Burgundy and Beauce

50°57′29″N1°51′11″E / 50.9580°N 1.8530°E / 50.9580; 1.8530 Coordinates: 50°57′29″N1°51′11″E / 50.9580°N 1.8530°E / 50.9580; 1.8530
Result Treaty of Brétigny
Belligerents
Royal Arms of England (1340-1367).svg Kingdom of England Blason pays fr FranceAncien.svg Kingdom of France
Commanders and leaders
Royal Arms of England (1340-1367).svg Edward III
Arms of the Prince of Wales (Ancient).svg Edward, the Black Prince
Arms of Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Leicester and Lancaster.svg Duke of Lancaster
Thomas de Beauchamp Arms.svg Earl of Warwick 		Arms of the Dauphin of France.svg Dauphin Charles

The Reims Campaign took place during the Hundred Years' War. It occurred after the French de facto government rejected the terms of the Treaty of London and consequently Edward III of England organised and commanded an expeditionary army to gain by force what he had failed to win by diplomacy. On 28 October 1359 Edward landed at Calais, and advanced to Reims, where he hoped to be crowned king of France. The strenuous resistance of the citizens frustrated this scheme, and Edward marched into Burgundy, and then he made his way back towards Paris. Failing in an attack on the capital, he was glad to conclude, on 8 May 1360, preliminaries of peace at Brétigny, near Chartres. This treaty, less onerous to France than that of London, took its final form when Edward and John ratified the treaty in Calais on 9 October 1360. By it Edward renounced his claim to France in return for Aquitaine and other French territories in full sovereignty. [1]

Hundred Years War Series of conflicts and wars between England and France during the 14th and 15th-century

The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the Kingdom of England, against the French House of Valois, over the right to rule the Kingdom of France. Each side drew many allies into the war. It was one of the most notable conflicts of the Middle Ages, in which five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe. The war marked both the height of chivalry and its subsequent decline, and the development of strong national identities in both countries.

The Treaty of London was proposed by England, accepted by France, and signed in 1359. After Edward the Black Prince soundly defeated the French at Poitiers, where they captured John II of France, the French king was forced to accept the terms of the English. Based on the terms of the accord, England was permitted to annex much of western France, including Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Aquitaine within its ancient limits, Calais and Ponthieu, as well as suzerainty over the Duchy of Brittany. This would restore the ancient territories of Henry II, and in full sovereignty rather than as a fief. In addition, France would pay a ransom of four million écus for the king.

Edward III of England 14th-century King of England and Duke of Aquitaine

Edward III was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death; he is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after the disastrous and unorthodox reign of his father, Edward II. Edward III transformed the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe. His long reign of 50 years was the second longest in medieval England and saw vital developments in legislation and government, in particular the evolution of the English parliament, as well as the ravages of the Black Death.

Contents

Prelude

After his defeat and capture at the Battle of Poitiers (19 September 1356), the King John II of France accompanied the Black Prince to England, where he remained a prisoner of Edward III of England.

Battle of Poitiers A battle during the Hundred Years War

The Battle of Poitiers was a major English victory in the Edwardian phase of the Hundred Years' War. It was fought on 19 September 1356 in Nouaillé, near the city of Poitiers in Aquitaine, western France. Edward, the Black Prince, led an army of English, Welsh, Breton and Gascon troops, many of them veterans of the Battle of Crécy. They were attacked by a larger French force led by King John II of France, which included allied Scottish forces. The French were heavily defeated; an English counter-attack captured King John II along with his youngest son and much of the French nobility.

John II of France monarch of the House of Valois who ruled as King of France from 1350 until his death

John II, called John the Good, was King of France from 1350 until his death.

In March 1359 the Treaty of London was made between the kings of France and England by which John, who was still a prisoner in England, surrendered to Edward the whole of the south-east of France from Poitou to Gascony, with Calais, Guisnes, and Ponthieu in full sovereignty, and was to ransom himself and his lords for four million crowns, while Edward gave up his claims to the crown and the provinces north of the Loire, formerly held by his ancestors. This treaty was repudiated by Charles, the regent of France, with the consent of the Estates General, and so Edward prepared for war. [2]

Poitou Place in France

Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.

Gascony former France territory

Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined, and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; by some they are seen to overlap, while others consider Gascony a part of Guyenne. Most definitions put Gascony east and south of Bordeaux.

Calais Subprefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Calais is a city and major ferry port in northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. The population of the metropolitan area at the 2010 census was 126,395. Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 mi) wide here, and is the closest French town to England. The White Cliffs of Dover can easily be seen on a clear day from Calais. Calais is a major port for ferries between France and England, and since 1994, the Channel Tunnel has linked nearby Coquelles to Folkestone by rail.

The Flemings, who were now on good terms with their count, Louis II, Count of Flanders, had deserted the English alliance and now drove the English merchants into Brabant. On the other hand Sir Robert Knolles and other leaders of the free companies that desolated France put themselves under Edward's command, and so many foreign lords and knights flocked to Calais to serve under him, that he was forced to send Henry, Duke of Lancaster to satisfy them by leading them on a plundering expedition. [2]

The Flemish or Flemings are a Germanic ethnic group native to Flanders, in modern Belgium, who speak Flemish Dutch. They are one of two principal ethnic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons. Flemish people make up the majority of the Belgian population. Historically, all inhabitants of the medieval County of Flanders were referred to as "Flemings", irrespective of the language spoken. The contemporary region of Flanders comprises a part of this historical county, as well as parts of the medieval duchy of Brabant and the medieval county of Loon.

Louis II, Count of Flanders Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel

Louis II of Flanders, also known as Louis of Male, a member of the House of Dampierre, was Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel from 1346 as well as Count of Artois and Burgundy from 1382 until his death.

Duchy of Brabant State of the Holy Roman Empire

The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, until it was partitioned after the Dutch revolt.

Expedition

Having raised an immense force, and furnished it with everything that could be needed during a long campaign, Edward III sailed from Sandwich on 28 October and arrived at Calais the same day. [3] The adventurers who had gained little booty by their raid, were clamorous for pay, but he told them that he had nothing for them, and that they might please themselves as to serving under him, though he would give those who did so a good share of the spoil. [4] He marched through Artois and Cambresis to Rheims, where he intended to be crowned king of France, [5] and laid siege to the city on 30 November. Charles, the regent of France, did not attack him, but the city was strong and as his men suffered from the weather and bad quarters he broke up the siege on 11 January 1360, led his army into Burgundy, and took Tonnerre, where his soldiers were refreshed with three thousand butts of wine. After remaining there some days he removed to Guillen on the borders of the duchy, encamped there on 19 February, and remained till mid-Lent. [2]

Sandwich, Kent town in Kent, England

Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 4,985. Sandwich was one of the Cinque Ports and still has many original medieval buildings, including several listed public houses and gates in the old town walls, churches, almshouses and the White Mill. While once a major port, it is now two miles from the sea due to the disappearance of the Wantsum Channel. Its historic centre has been preserved. Sandwich Bay is home to nature reserves and two world-class golf courses, Royal St George's and Prince's. The town is also home to educational and cultural events. Sandwich also gave its name to the bread snack by way of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, and the word sandwich is now found in many languages.

Artois former province of France

Artois is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km² and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras, Saint-Omer, Lens, and Béthune.

Burgundy Region of France

Burgundy is a historical territory and a former administrative region of east-central France. It takes its name from the Burgundians, an East Germanic people who moved westwards beyond the Rhine during the late Roman period.

On 10 March Duke Philip bought Edward III off by a payment of two hundred thousand gold 'moutons', [6] and he then marched to Paris and encamped between Montlhéry and Châtres, lodging at the castle of Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon. Edward did not succeed in provoking Charles, the regent of France, to battle, and on 6 April marched towards the Loire, intending to refresh his men in Brittany and commence operations again later in the year. [2]

Philip I, Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy from 1350 until his death

Philip of Rouvres was the Count of Burgundy and Count of Artois from 1347, Duke of Burgundy from 1349, and Count of Auvergne and Boulogne from 1360. He was the only son of Philip, heir to the Duchy of Burgundy, and Joan I, heiress of Auvergne and Boulogne.

Montlhéry Commune in Île-de-France, France

Montlhéry is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located 26 km (16.2 mi) from Paris.

Châtres, Seine-et-Marne Commune in Île-de-France, France

Châtres is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.

Meanwhile, on 15 March, a Norman fleet appeared at Winchelsea, carrying a large force of soldiers, who plundered the town and were at last driven to their ships. Charles, the regent of France, now pressed for peace. The Edward, the Black Prince took the principal part on the English side in the negations, and the preliminary truce arranged at Chartres on 7 May 1360 was drawn up by proctors acting in his name and the name of Charles, Duke of Normandy, the regent of France. [7] The terms of the Treaty of Bretigny at Bretigny, near Chartres were agreed on 8 May 1360. [2]

Aftermath

By the terms of the Treaty of Bretigny the whole of the ancient province of Aquitaine, together with Calais, Guisnes, and Ponthieu, was ceded to Edward. Edward renounced his claim to the crown, to the provinces north of the Loire, and to the overlordship of Flanders. The right to Brittany was left undecided, and provision was made that any future struggle for the duchy between the two competitors should not involve a breach of the treaty. The ransom to be paid for King John II, was fixed at three million gold crowns, at an exchange rate of two to the noble, six thousand to be paid in four months, and hostages to be delivered, and the king to be then set free. [2]

Edward returned thanks in the cathedral of Chartres, and then embarked at Honfleur, [8] landing at Rye on 18 May. On 9 October Edward crossed to Calais, and on the 24 October, with some amendments, finally ratified the treaty of Bretigny, [9] in the church of Saint-Nicolas, received payment and hostages, and liberating John II, to whom he accorded the title of king of France. [10] Edward returned to England at the beginning of November and kept Christmas at Woodstock. [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Tout 1911, p. 995.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hunt 1889, p. 62.
  3. ↑ Hunt 1889 , p. 62 cites Fœdera iii. 452; Hardy 1869 , p. 404.
  4. ↑ Hunt 1889 , p. 62 cites Jehan le Bel, vol. ii. p. 251).
  5. ↑ Hunt 1889 , p. 62 cites Cont. Will, of Nangis, ii. 297.
  6. ↑ Hunt 1889 , p. 62 cites Fœdera, iii 473; Hardy 1869 , p. 406.
  7. ↑ Hunt 1889, p. 95.
  8. ↑ "Not Harfleur as Froissart has it, for it was then in French hands" ( Hunt 1889 , p. 62)
  9. ↑ Hardy 1869, p. 411.
  10. ↑ Hunt 1889 , p. 62 cites Fœdera, iii. pp. 515 sq; Hardy 1869 , p. 411.
  11. ↑ Hunt 1889 , p. 63 cites Walsingham, i. 294.

Related Research Articles

Edward the Black Prince Eldest son of King Edward III of England

Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and thus the heir to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead. Edward nevertheless still earned distinction as one of the most successful English commanders during the Hundred Years' War, being regarded by his contemporaries as a model of chivalry and one of the greatest knights of his age.

Treaty of Brétigny treaty

The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty, drafted on 8 May 1360 and ratified on 24 October 1360, between King Edward III of England and King John II of France. In retrospect it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453)—as well as the height of English power on the Continent.

Guînes Commune in Hauts-de-France, France

Guînes (Dutch:Wijnen)is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Historically it was spelt Guisnes.

Ponthieu was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France. Its chief town is Abbeville.

Louis I of Anjou Duke of Anjou

Louis I was the second son of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. Born at the Château de Vincennes, Louis was the founder of the Angevin branch of the French royal house. His father appointed him Count of Anjou and Count of Maine in 1356, and then raised him to the title Duke of Anjou in 1360 and Duke of Touraine in 1370.

Hundred Years War (1337–1360) First part of the Hundred Years War

The Edwardian War was the first phase of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. It was named after King Edward III of England, who claimed the French throne in defiance of King Philip VI of France. The dynastic conflict was caused by disputes over the French feudal sovereignty over Aquitaine and the English claims over the French royal title. The Kingdom of England and its allies dominated this phase of the war.

Arnoul d'Audrehem was a Marshal of France, who fought in the Hundred Years' War.

The County of Ponthieu, centered on the mouth of the Somme, became a member of the Norman group of vassal states when Count Guy submitted to William of Normandy after the battle of Mortemer. It eventually formed part of the dowry of Eleanor of Castile and passed to the English crown. Much fought-over in the Hundred Years' War, it eventually passed to the French royal domain, and the title Count of Ponthieu became a courtesy title for the royal family.

The ransom of King John II of France was an incident during the Hundred Years War between France and England. Following the English capture of the French king during the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, John was held for ransom by the English crown. The incident had serious consequences for later events in the Hundred Years War.

Pale of Calais

The Pale of Calais was a historical region in France that was controlled by the monarchs of England following the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the subsequent siege. Pale is an archaic English term for "area, jurisdiction". Its capture by the English is the subject of Auguste Rodin's 1889 sculpture The Burghers of Calais. In 1558, the expanding Kingdom of France annexed the Pale of Calais in the aftermath of the Siege of Calais.

The crown lands, crown estate, royal domain or domaine royal of France refers to the lands, fiefs and rights directly possessed by the kings of France. While the term eventually came to refer to a territorial unit, the royal domain originally referred to the network of "castles, villages and estates, forests, towns, religious houses and bishoprics, and the rights of justice, tolls and taxes" effectively held by the king or under his domination. In terms of territory, before the reign of Henry IV, the domaine royal did not encompass the entirety of the territory of the kingdom of France and for much of the Middle Ages significant portions of the kingdom were the direct possessions of other feudal lords.

Free company late medieval army of mercenaries acting independently of any government

A free company was an army of mercenaries between the 12th and 14th centuries recruited by private employers during wars. They acted independently of any government, and were thus "free". They regularly made a living by plunder when they were not employed; in France they were the routiers and écorcheurs who operated outside the highly structured law of arms. The term "free company" is most applied to those companies of soldiers which formed after the Peace of Brétigny during the Hundred Years' War and were active mainly in France, but it has been applied to other companies, such as the Catalan Company and companies that operated elsewhere, such as in Italy and the Holy Roman Empire.

The dual monarchy of England and France existed during the latter phase of the Hundred Years' War when Charles VII of France and Henry VI of England disputed the succession to the throne of France. It commenced on 21 October 1422 upon the death of King Charles VI of France, who had signed the Treaty of Troyes which gave the French crown to his son-in-law Henry V of England and Henry's heirs. It excluded King Charles's son, the Dauphin Charles, who by right of primogeniture was the heir to the Kingdom of France. Although the Treaty was ratified by the Estates-General of France, the act was a contravention of the French law of succession which decreed that the French crown could not be alienated. Henry VI, son of Henry V, became king of both England and France and was recognized only by the English and Burgundians until 1435 as King Henry II of France. He was crowned King of France on 16 December 1431.

Black Monday (1360)

Black Monday took place on Easter Monday (1360) during the Hundred Years' War (1337–60), when a freak hail storm struck and killed an estimated 1,000 English soldiers. The storm was so devastating that it caused more English casualties than any of the previous battles of the war.

Sir Willian Felton and English knight and seneschal of Poitou. Took part in Battle of Halidon Hill, 1333 and fought at Crecy in 1346. He was appointed lord justice of all the king's lands in Scotland in 1348, He fought at battle of Poitiers in 1356. He was appointed seneschal of Poitou in 1360. He accompanied Black Prince on the Spanish campaign in 1367 and was called Felleton Guilliam qui ot cœur de lyon by Chandos Herald. He was killed at the battle of Aríñez a skirmish fought by the vanguard of the Black Prince's army.

Thomas Felton (died 1381) English soldier and administrator

Sir Thomas Felton was an English knight. He fought at the Battle of Crecy in 1346, and the Capture of Calais in 1347. He was also at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. He was a signatory to treaty of Bretigny in 1360. In 1362 he was appointed seneschal of Aquitaine. He accompanied the Black Prince on his Spanish campaign. He was taken prisoner by Henry of Trastamare's forces in 1367. In 1372 he was appointed joint-governor of Aquitaine and seneschal of Bordeaux. He caused Guillaume de Pommiers and his secretary to be beheaded for treason in 1377 and was made a Knight of the Garter in 1381.

The Truce of Calais was a truce agreed to by King Edward III of England and King Philip VI of France on 28 September 1347, that was mediated by Pope Clement VI. Originally agreed to last for nine months, it was repeatedly renewed until 1355.

References

Attribution:


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.