Crécy campaign

The Chevauchée of Edward III of 1346, sometimes called the Crécy Campaign, which began on 12 July 1346, with the landing of English troops in Normandy and ended with the beginning of the siege of Calais on 4 September 1346. This expedition devastated a large part of Normandy, Vexin, Beauvaisis, Vimeu, Ponthieu, Boulonnais and the Boulogne. The chevauchée was a decisive victory for England, with the flower of French nobility decimated during the Battle of Crécy on 26 August 1346. The capture of Calais allowed the English to secure a strong and powerful base in the north of France, close to England.

Background

Since the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, English monarchs had held titles and lands within France, the possession of which made them vassals of the kings of France. The status of the English king's French fiefs was a major source of conflict between the two monarchies throughout the Middle Ages. Following a series of disagreements between Philip VI of France (r. 1328–1350) and Edward III of England (r. 1327–1377), on 24 May 1337 Philip's Great Council in Paris agreed that the Duchy of Aquitaine, effectively Gascony, should be taken back into Philip's hands on the grounds that Edward was in breach of his obligations as a vassal. This marked the start of the Hundred Years' War, which was to last one hundred and sixteen years.

Prelude

Map of the route of Edward III's chevauchée of 1346.

During 1342, King Edward III of England learnt that King Philip VI of France was preparing to confiscate the County of Ponthieu. English forces took control of Ponthieu, however the Abbeville nobles, ruined by the taxes raised by the English and tired of their vexations, armed themselves and drove back the English forces. In September 1345, Philip VI began to support the rebels and reconquered the entire province at the end of the year.

Edward determined early in 1345 to attack France on three fronts: a small force would sail for Brittany; a slightly larger force would proceed to Gascony under the command of the Henry, Earl of Derby; and the main force would accompany Edward to northern France or Flanders. In early 1345 the French decided to stand on the defensive in the south west. Their intelligence had uncovered the English plan for offensives in the three theatres, but they did not have the money to raise a significant army in each. They anticipated, correctly, that the English planned to make their main effort in northern France. Thus they directed what resources they had to there, planning to assemble their main army at Arras on 22 July. South western France was encouraged to rely on its own resources.

Edward III's main army sailed on 29 June 1345. It anchored off Sluys in Flanders until 22 July, while Edward attended to diplomatic affairs. When it sailed, probably intending to land in Normandy, they were scattered by a storm and found their way to various English ports over the following week. After more than five weeks on board ship the men and horses had to be disembarked. There was a further week's delay while the King and his council debated what to do, by which time it proved impossible to take any action with the main English army before winter. Aware of this, Philip VI despatched reinforcements to Brittany and Gascony. During 1345, Derby led a whirlwind campaign through Gascony at the head of an Anglo-Gascon army. He smashed two large French armies at the battles of Bergerac and Auberoche, captured French towns and fortifications in much of Périgord and most of Agenais and gave the English possessions in Gascony strategic depth. Late in the year he captured the strategically and logistically important town of Aiguillon, "the key to Gascony".

Chevauchée

The chevauchée began on 11 July 1346, when Edward's fleet departed the south of England and landed the next day at St. Vaast la Hogue, 20 miles (32 km) from Cherbourg. The English army was estimated to be between 12,000 and 15,000 strong and consisted of both English and Welsh soldiers combined with a number of German and Breton mercenaries and allies. It included at least one Norman baron who was unhappy with the rule of Philip VI. Edward III landed at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue on 12 July 1346. The English army, whilst landing, was attacked by a French force of 300 troops, led by Robert VIII Bertrand de Bricquebec and his eldest son Robert Bertrand IX. Robert VIII was injured along with his son and they had to retire with only 30 survivors of their force. The English had "achieved complete strategic surprise" and marched south. Edward's aim was to conduct a chevauchée, a large scale raid, across French territory to reduce his opponent's morale and wealth. His soldiers razed every town in their path and looted whatever they could from the populace. The towns of Carentan, Saint-Lô and Torteval were destroyed as the army passed, along with many other smaller places. The English fleet paralleled the army's route, devastating the country for up to 5 miles (8.0 km) inland and taking vast amounts of loot; many ships deserted, having filled their holds. They also captured or burnt over 100 ships; 61 of these had been converted into military vessels. Caen, the cultural, political, religious and financial centre of north west Normandy, was stormed on 26 July and subsequently looted for five days. The English marched out towards the River Seine on 1 August.

The French military position was difficult. Their main army was committed to the intractable siege of Aiguillon. After his surprise landing in Normandy Edward was devastating some of the richest land in France and flaunting his ability to march at will through what he claimed to be his kingdom. On 2 August, a small English force supported by a large number of Flemings invaded France from Flanders. French defences were completely inadequate. On 29 July, Philip proclaimed the arrière-ban for northern France, ordering every able-bodied male to assemble at Rouen, where Philip himself arrived on the 31st. He immediately moved west against Edward with an ill-organised and ill-equipped army. Five days later he returned to Rouen and broke the bridge over the Seine behind him. On 7 August, the English reached the Seine, 12 miles (19 km) south of Rouen, and raided up to its suburbs. Philip offered peace and a marriage alliance. By 12 August, Edward's army was encamped at Poissy, 20 miles (32 km) from Paris, having left a 20 miles (32 km)-wide swath of destruction down the left bank of the Seine.

On 16 August, Edward burnt down Poissy and marched north. The French had carried out a scorched earth policy, carrying away all stores of food and so forcing the English to spread out over a wide area to forage, which greatly slowed them. Bands of French peasants attacked some of the smaller groups of foragers. Philip reached the River Somme a day's march ahead of Edward. He based himself at Amiens and sent large detachments to hold every bridge and ford across the Seine between Amiens and the sea. The English were now trapped in an area which had been stripped of food. The French moved out of Amiens and advanced westwards towards the English. They were now willing to give battle, knowing that they would have the advantage of being able to stand on the defensive while the English were forced to try and fight their way past them.

Edward was determined to break the French blockade of the Somme and probed at several points, vainly attacking Hangest and Pont-Remy before moving west along the river. English supplies were running out and the army was ragged, starving and beginning to suffer from a drop in morale. On the evening of 24 August, the English were encamped north of Acheux while the French were 6 miles (9.7 km) away at Abbeville. During the night Edward was made aware, either by an Englishman living locally or by a French captive, that just four miles away, near the village of Saigneville, was a ford named Blanchetaque (so named for the white stones lining the river's bed). Edward immediately broke camp and moved his whole force toward the ford.

Caen

Main article: Battle of Caen (1346)

Blanchetaque

Main article: Battle of Blanchetaque

Crécy

Main article: Battle of Crécy

Calais

Main article: Siege of Calais (1346–1347)

References

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