The Hundred Years' War and the Crisis of the French Monarchy (1337–1420)

By 1420, the Hundred Years’ War—which had begun in 1337 as an inheritance dispute over the French throne—had reached a critical stage. England, led by Henry V, had taken full advantage of France’s internal divisions, and the Treaty of Troyes had effectively placed the French crown in English hands. France, devastated by war, civil conflict, and economic ruin, faced its greatest crisis yet.

I. The Devastation of France and the English Advance

• Nearly all the fighting had taken place in France, leading to the widespread destruction of towns, farmlands, and infrastructure.
• The English had used chevauchée tactics—scorched-earth raids designed to economically cripple the French countryside, depriving the enemy of resources.
• The French economy was in tatters:
  • The population had never fully recovered from the Black Death (1347–1351).
  • Merchants were isolated from foreign trade markets.
  • The kingdom was politically fragmented due to the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War.

II. Civil War: The Armagnacs vs. the Burgundians

• King Charles VI, suffering from bouts of insanity, was frequently unable to rule, leading to a power struggle between two noble factions:
  • The Armagnacs, led by Louis, Duke of Orléans, and later by the Count of Armagnac.
  • The Burgundians, led by John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.
• Their rivalry was intensified by personal accusations:
  • Louis of Orléans was rumored to have had an affair with Queen Isabeau of Bavaria.
  • John the Fearless was accused of kidnapping the royal children.
• The murder of Louis of Orléans in 1407, ordered by John the Fearless, escalated tensions into all-out civil war.

III. English Intervention and the Victory at Agincourt (1415)

• Seizing the opportunity created by France’s internal divisions, Henry V of England invaded France in 1415.
• His victory at Agincourt (October 25, 1415) was one of the most decisive English victories in the war, leading to:
  • The capture of key northern French towns.
  • The weakening of the French nobility, many of whom died or were captured in battle.

IV. The Fall of Paris and the Assassination of John the Fearless (1418–1419)

• In 1418, Paris was taken by the Burgundians, who massacred the Count of Armagnac and 2,500 of his followers.
• The future Charles VII, who had assumed the title of Dauphin (heir to the throne) after the deaths of his four older brothers, sought reconciliation with Burgundy.
• However, Armagnac loyalists assassinated John the Fearless during a meeting with the Dauphin in 1419, shattering any hope of unity.
• The new Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, blamed Charles for the murder and formally allied himself with England.

V. The Treaty of Troyes (1420) and the Disinheritance of Charles VII

• With the French monarchy in chaos, Queen Isabeau of Bavaria signed the Treaty of Troyes (1420), granting:
  • The French throne to Henry V of England and his heirs.
  • The disinheritance of the Dauphin Charles, further weakening his claim.
• The treaty revived rumors that Charles VII was illegitimate, stemming from:
  • Isabeau’s alleged affair with the late Louis of Orléans.
  • The Armagnac-Burgundian propaganda war, which sought to undermine his legitimacy.

VI. Consequences and the Fate of France

• The Treaty of Troyes effectively made Henry V the heir to both the English and French crowns, paving the way for an Anglo-French dual monarchy.
• However, Henry V’s unexpected death in 1422 would complicate English ambitions, as his infant son, Henry VI, would inherit both thrones at just nine months old.
• The Dauphin Charles, though disinherited, refused to concede defeat, retreating to southern France and preparing for resistance—a struggle that would eventually culminate in the rise of Joan of Arc and the reconquest of France.

The Hundred Years’ War, originally an inheritance dispute, had by 1420 evolved into a desperate battle for French sovereignty, with the Treaty of Troyes placing England in control of the French throne—a situation that would soon be challenged by Charles VII and his supporters.