France in Crisis: The Aftermath of the…

1350 CE

France in Crisis: The Aftermath of the Black Death and Rising Unrest (1350)

By 1350, France was in turmoil, struggling with multiple disasters that had severely weakened the kingdom. The Black Death, which had struck in 1348, had killed nearly one-third of the population, including Queen Joan of Burgundy, the wife of Philip VI. This demographic catastrophe, combined with economic instability, roaming mercenaries, and the ongoing Hundred Years' War, left France in a state of crisis.

1. The Black Death and Economic Collapse

The plague had decimated the French population, creating a severe labor shortage that led to widespread inflation.
In an effort to control rising prices, Philip VI attempted to fix wages and prices, but these measures further destabilized the economy by discouraging production and trade.
Many rural villages and urban centers were abandoned as survivors fled plague-infested areas, disrupting agriculture and commerce.

2. The Rise of the Routiers: Mercenary Raids Across France

With so many deaths from the plague, many professional soldiers found themselves unemployed as lords struggled to pay for standing armies.
These disbanded mercenaries, known as routiers (free companies), formed armed bands that roamed the countryside, pillaging towns, looting estates, and preying on the weak.
Their unchecked violence and lawlessness added to the social unrest, as peasants and merchants had no means of protection from their raids.

3. English Aggression and the Ongoing War

France was still reeling from its defeats at Crécy (1346) and Calais (1347), while English forces maintained a strong presence in northern France.
The loss of Calais as a French stronghold meant that Edward III could easily reinforce and supply his troops from across the Channel, making it difficult for France to regain lost territory.
With the English king preparing for further campaigns, France faced the constant threat of renewed attacks, preventing any real recovery from the economic and social devastation of the plague.

A Divided and Weakened Kingdom

By 1350, France was deeply divided:

The nobility struggled to maintain order, as mercenary bands operated freely.
Peasants and urban workers suffered under economic hardship, while plague survivors demanded higher wages, leading to social unrest.
King Philip VI’s death in August 1350 left his son, John II ("the Good"), to inherit a kingdom in chaos, facing military, economic, and political disasters simultaneously.

The combination of plague, economic collapse, internal disorder, and English aggression made France vulnerable and politically fractured, setting the stage for further conflict and peasant revolts in the coming years.