1445-1450 (French Wars) Flashcards
100 years War
The 100 Years War 1337-1453
When did Henry VI come of age
December 1437: Henry VI comes of age to rule, at 16 years old
Truce of Tours
22 May 1444 - The Truce/Treaty of Tours: Arranged by Suffolk (William de la Pole), Henry was to marry Margaret of Anjou (niece of Charles VII) and there was to be no dowry. As Henry would gain no money from the marriage, the English were to pay for everything, and also give up the territory of Maine and Anjou in the future. There was to be a 5 year ceasefire in war, though this was not guaranteed.
Marriage of Henry VI to Margaret of Anjou
23 April 1445 - Marriage of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou: The marriage took place at Titchfield Abbey, near Southampton. On the 28th of May she was welcomed at London with a great pageant, and two days later crowned at Westminster. As the marriage had been negotiated by Suffolk, when she came to England, Suffolk and his wife were her only friends, so naturally she fell under Suffolk’s influence, and supported his policies.
Death of the Duke of Gloucester
23 February 1447 - Death of the Duke of Gloucester: York now became the head of the pro-war faction against the Beauforts. This would contribute to his banishment when he became the Lieutenant of Ireland.
England Cedes Maine and Anjou to Charles VII
March 1448 - England Cedes Maine and Anjou to Charles VII: In exchange for the marriage, Charles wanted Maine and Anjou, though Henry didn’t want to give them up. Eventually, the English were forced to give them up though, when Charles threatened him by sending envoys. The treaty was a humiliating failure, and the bride secured for Henry was a poor match - only distantly related to King Charles VII. However, Henry very quickly fell in love with her.
Growth of factions in the 1440s
Growth of Factions: The treaty exacerbated rifts between the Beaufort faction (William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset) and the Dukes of York and Gloucester (Richard of Shrewsbury and Humphrey Lancaster). Pollard described Henry as ‘nothing but the pathetic puppet of a faction.’ The French were still angry about English control over Brittany, and meanwhile, English political forces were divided in how to deal with the increasingly bleak situation at war. The king’s uncle Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, favoured an aggressive continuation of the war, whereas Henry VI’s main advisors, Suffolk and Edmund Beaufort, urged the king to work towards an agreement with his enemies.
Henry VI had shown himself to have a weak personality and unsuited to handle affairs of war, described by Pollard as ‘a feeble and ineffective king’ and by McFarlane, as a ‘man not fit to wear his father’s crown.’ Henry favoured the conciliatory faction of Suffolk and Beaufort over the aggressive party of Gloucester, meaning that London’s court was split. Pollard shows that ‘Henry abhorred war…his own preference was for peace with France.’ Then to make tensions worse, York returned to England to become Lieutenant of France, but was instead effectively banished and demoted, becoming the Lieutenant of Ireland instead. Edmund Beaufort 2nd Duke of Somerset, was sent in his place to become Lieutenant of France, as well as gaining the title of Captain of Calais.
When did Somerset surrender Rouen
November 1449
Battle of Formingy
15 April 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Henry sent Suffolk with a small expeditionary army to France. They suffered a colossal defeat as their longbow tactics were outdated by the French usage of gunpowder. It was perhaps the most decisive incident in France’s reconquest of Normandy, as they had already reclaimed capital Rouen but they needed to recapture Caen. McFarlane says that ‘the government’s failure to hold Normandy was a source of grievance.’
- Arguably led to the murder of Suffolk and Cade’s revolt
Battle of Castillon
17 July 1453 - Battle of Castillon: The final battle of the 100 Years War. The English army were too confident and were destroyed, with John Talbot the legendary soldier killed in the process. Bordeaux then fell to the French and England only had Calais under their control - the war was over. It has been said that news of this colossal defeat was what triggered the period of mental
incapacitation for Henry VI.
Results of the 100 years war
Results of the 100 Years War:
- The crown was left bankrupt, with debts of £372,000 by 1450. This meant that it was difficult to award patronage evenly and therefore, favourites were created (Somerset) and others found themselves in huge financial arrears. York was owed £38,000 by the crown. The lack of money also made it difficult to deal with private feuds. Pollard refers to this as the ‘collapse of royal finances.’
- Jack Cade’s rebellion is a direct consequence of the wars, as vast taxes were imposed to deal with the debt. The rebellion took place in 1450 and was a repeat of the 1381 Peasants Revolt, though this time the King was humiliated and nearly taken down, and London was seized.
- The feud between the Yorkists and Lancastrians was exacerbated. Also Henry’s reputation is tarnished as well as some of his government. Storey refers to this as ‘the escalation of private feuds.’
- Fighters return to England after the war as professionals and thus gravitate towards fighting with noblemen, meaning that the private armies of some grew massively. Some, like York who had 3000 armed retainers, had the power to topple the king
York’s banishment to Ireland
- 30th July 1447, York is appointed lieutenant of Ireland, effectively as a form of banishment as following the death of Gloucester he had become head of the pro-war faction. Somerset replaces Lieutenant and the main leader in France
