And So Begins a New Phase of the Hundred Years’ War

And So Begins a New Phase of the Hundred Years’ War

      Today marks the anniversary of the assignation, in 1419, of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.

      The long-running Hundred Years’ War (it would actually last more than 100 years, but was interspersed with long periods of truce) was churning along.  France was, however, effectively paralyzed.  The King, Charles VI, was at best mentally unstable, a characteristic all too common in the Valois line – this deficiency would ultimately be introduced into the English royal house and exhibited in Henry VI, whose own mental instability would lead to the War of the Roses.  The House of Burgundy, of which John was the head, held Charles captive.  The opposition Armagnac house, however, held his heir, the Dauphin, in its custody.  At the same time, Henry V of England was leading an army across northern France, leaving the countryside rather the worst for wear.

      The proposal had been that the Burgundians and Armagnacs would meet to agree on some sort of reconciliation so as to present a unified force against the invading English.  The Burgundians were represented by John and the Armagnacs represented by the Dauphin.  In response to a perceived slight as he knelt to acknowledge his liege obedience, John was assassinated by being struck with an ax.  The Burgundians then signed an alliance with the English against the Armagnacs.  Within a year, Henry V would have the Treaty of Troyes whereby, had it terms actually been fulfilled, Henry would marry the daughter of Charles VI (that part did happen) and succeed to the French throne (that part did not happen).  The treaty was largely undone by the untimely deaths of both Charles VI and Henry V.