Catherine of Valois
Born on 27th October 1401, Catherine of Valois was the youngest daughter of King Charles VI of France. As a Princess of France, she was of great diplomatic importance and was to follow her elder…
Dan Moorhouse
Grain shippers’ Storm the Town Hall in Ghent
2 January 1382 : Grain shippers’ Stormed the Town Hall in Ghent 1381: A Year of Unrest 1381 had been a year of great unrest. The authorities strove to retain control. The poor had become desperate,…
Edward III goes to aid of Jacob van Artevelde
On 3 July 1345 King Edward III sailed for Sluys as a matter of urgency England’s strategy for the wars with France depended very much upon the support of Flanders. Edward had gained a valuable…
Origins of the War of Saint-Sardos
The English put off paying homage to Charles IV of France on 1 July 1324. It was the beginning of a series of events that culminated in the War of Saint-Sardos. This conflict, a French…
Battle of Morlaix, 30 September 1342
1341 saw a political crisis take shape as the result of the death of the Duke of Brittany without a male heir. Two rival claims were made, both in right of their wives, by Charles…
Mobilisation of the French, summer 1338
French army instructed to array on 8th August 1338 Whereas the English needed to prepare for a campaign for a significant period due to the logistics of a sea crossing, the king of France was…
Battle of Verneuil
The Battle of Verneuil was fought between English forces and a Franco-Scottish army in support of the Dauphin on 17th August 1424. Verneuil was a significant victory for the English, who overcame a larger French…
Beginning of the Siege of Calais
4th September 1346: Beginning of the Siege of Calais Edward IIIs campaign of 1346 had taken him through Normandy, seen victory at the Battle of Crécy, and now taken him to the English Channel. Here,…
Garrison at Caen agreed a date for surrender
Caen’s garrison agreed to surrender if a relief force had not arrived by 19th September 1417 saw King Henry V of England renew his campaign to seize control of Normandy. His objectives included taking major…
Secret Treaty between Brittany and Burgundy, April 1423
On 13th April a tripartite agreement had been formalised between England, Burgundy, and Brittany. The Treaty of Amiens was a defensive treaty in which each of the states agreed to aid each other in the…