Charles V, the King Who Turned the Tide of the 100 Years War
Charles V of France, also known as Charles the Wise, ruled France from 1364 until his death in 1380. Few kings in French history have been as respected as Charles, and he is often seen as one of the strongest monarchs the country ever produced. The most famous aspect of his reign was his recovery of lost territory during the Hundred Years War, and this will be the primary focus of this article.Charles Early LifeRecumbent of Charles V, carved by Andr Beauneveu at his request when he was 27 years old, 1364. Source: Wikimedia CommonsBorn to the future King John II (r. 1350-64) and his wife, Bonne of Bohemia, on January 21, 1338, Charless early life was primarily characterized by his strong education. He was raised in court with other boys of a similar age to him, including his uncle (Philip, Duke of Orlans), who was only two years his senior, and his brothers. Many of these boys would go on to have important roles in French history.However, Charles would also gain some invaluable experience of kingship during his regency, when, in 1356, following the Battle of Poitiers, his father was captured by the English. Charles was 18 years old at this point, and heir to the French throne, so he had to stand in as king regent in his fathers stead.It was during these years that Charles gained some of the most important experience of his life, and it was this experience that undoubtedly helped him turn the tide of the Hundred Years War back to France.Background on the Hundred Years WarJohn the Good (Jean le Bon), 1350-75. Source: BnFThe capture of King John II of France (who was also known as John the Good) was one of the lowest points of the Hundred Years War from the French perspective.The English king, Edward III (r. 1327-77), had at this point won several victories against the French, but three major battles stood out for their importance: Sluys (1340), Crcy (1346), and Poitiers (1356).During the Battle of Sluys, a naval battle, Edward III successfully defeated the French king Philip VIs Franco-Genoese fleet off the coast of Flanders. This huge naval victory meant that England was nigh-on impossible to invade and that the majority of the Hundred Years War would have to be fought in France. It also meant that France was significantly easier to invade than England was, meaning that the French had to be careful with their alliances with bordering countries.The Battle of Crcy on August 26, 1346 was another major victory for the English and a huge loss for France. During this battle, the power of the English longbow (largely thanks to the Welsh longbowmen in Edwards army) showed its superiority against the French crossbow and effectively won the battle on a tactical basis for the English. It was not just a tactical, technical, and psychological victory for the English, but a huge military one too: approximately 4,000 French troops were killed over the course of one day.Battle of Poitiers, by Eugene Delacroix, 1830. Source: French Ministry of CultureFinally, the Battle of Poitiers was one battle that was easily in living memory for Charles V, and one that undoubtedly stayed with him for the rest of his life. The ageing yet formidable Edward III of England placed his son in charge of this battle, the famous Edward, the Black Prince. During this battle, the forces of the Black Prince captured John II, Charless father, and France was sent into chaos. For many contemporaries, it was as if England had won the war completely.This is just a sample of what France had been up against and the task that the young Charles faced in an attempt to turn the tide in favor of France.Charles as King RegentCharles V, by Gillot Saint-Evre, 1838. Source: French Ministry of CultureAs with almost every war in history, money won out. Money meant more manpower, more mercenaries, and more resources. Unfortunately, France was just about out of money after Poitiers.Things got even worse when, during his captivity in England in 1359, John II agreed to the Treaty of London, which ceded almost all of western France to the English, imposing a ransom of four million cus on the country.Charles vehemently rejected this treaty, so Edward III invaded France. However, Charles stated that his men would not engage in hand-to-hand combat, and while Edward pillaged and ravaged the French countryside, he could not bring them to a decisive battle, much to his annoyance and Charless relief. This non-confrontational strategy would help Charles numerous times throughout his reign.John was released the following year after the signing of the Treaty of Brtigny, and his son (and Charless brother), Louis, was held in captivity in England in his place instead. Charles had proven to be a strong leader during his short tenure, and many contemporaries likely felt good about the future.The future would not be too far away, thoughJohn proved himself just as hapless upon his return to the throne, and after Louis escaped captivity, John handed himself back to the English. He arrived back in England in January 1364, became seriously ill, and died in April of the same year. The French throne was now Charless.Charless War PolicyEdward the Black Prince as Knight of the Garter, from the Bruges Garter Book, 1453. Source: British LibraryThe Black Prince had moved into southwest France in what came to be known as the Castilian War in the early 1360s, and this war financially and physically drained him. It was a poor showing for the English, who lost 80% of the soldiers who went on that ill-fated campaign.However, this meant that by 1369, the Hundred Years War was now going in Charless favor rather than Edwards. As mentioned earlier, Charles Vs warring tactics were what helped him win decisive battles against the English, rather than relying on sheer manpower, mercenaries, or new technological advancements, like the English had done with the longbow two decades earlier.Instead, Charles V relied on a strategy of attrition, morally and physically wearing down the English and spreading the fighting so far and wide that their resources were thinned out. Effectively, Charles wanted to deal with the English in small, manageable groups rather than in one strong retinue, which had proved nigh on impossible for his father and grandfather to deal with.French Victories in the Hundred Years WarBattle of Pontvillain, from Froissarts Chronicles, artist unknown, c. 15th century. Source: Wikimedia CommonsAnother key figure came to prominence in these years, a man known as Bertrand du Guesclin, or the Eagle of Brittany. One of Charles Vs most highly-admired and trusted military commanders, du Guesclin, who had been appointed Constable of France in 1370, began a series of raids off the English coast, showing them that they were not invincible simply because they were surrounded by water.In fact, at the turn of the 1370s, du Guesclin won a decisive battle against the English on French soil, when he pushed back English forces at the Battle of Pontvallain on December 4, 1370. It was during this battle that one of the great English commanders of the Hundred Years War, Robert Knolles, was killeda huge loss for Edward IIIs army.Another significant victory came at the Battle of La Rochelle, which was a naval battle fought between the English and the united forces of the French and the Castilians (who had sided with Charles following the Black Princes attempt to take their lands), on June 22nd23rd, 1372.Between them, they managed to sink an English fleet, which was a huge morale loss for the ageing King Edward III, who also had troubles in Scotland to deal with at the same time.The Eagle of Brittany at the Battle of Cocherel, by Charles-Philip Lariviere, 1839. Source: French Ministry of CultureOver the next few years, many more English leaders were killed, pushing English forces further and further back. In turn, this meant that Charles V had successfully claimed even more territory for France. The Black Prince even left the country, returning to his native England and dying in 1376, a year before his father. This led to a succession crisis in England, which again aided the French in the Hundred Years War when the Black Princes ten-year-old son Richard II was handed the English crown.In fact, by 1375, Charles V had reclaimed much of the territory that was lost during the reigns of his father and grandfather, and most of France was back under French controlexcept the major cities of Gascony and Calais. This meant that the 1360 Treaty of Brtigny was effectively null and void by this point.Charles Vs LegacyThe Louvre, rebuilt in the 15th century during Charles Vs reign, from the Trs Riches Heures du duc de Berry, c. 1412-40. Source: Wikimedia CommonsCharles V died on September 16, 1380, aged 42. His eldest surviving son, also called Charles, would succeed him and become one of the most unfortunate monarchs in the countrys history: King Charles VI of France.As a ruler, Charles V is up there with the all-time great French kings. His steadfast kingship, authoritative rule, and tactical military mind ensured that France not only survived these tough years of the Hundred Years War, but they also gained the upper handand they would generally stay on top for the remainder of the conflict, before eventually winning it in 1453.Charles managed to win back territory in almost impossible circumstances, territory that would have immediately rendered England the most powerful country not just in medieval Europe, but arguably in the medieval world.Without Charless astute military leadership, it is hard to imagine that France would ever have recovered from the losses incurred by Edward III and the Black Prince in the mid-14th century, and for this reason alone, it is little wonder that Charles V is often regarded as one of the greatest French monarchs of all time. He is also a monarch fully deserving of his sobriquethe was indeed Charles the Wise.
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