The Resurgence of the Montfortist Cause and…

The Resurgence of the Montfortist Cause and the English Intervention in Brittany (1345)

By 1343, the Montfortist party had largely collapsed, with John of Montfort's staunchest allies abandoning the cause. His imprisonment in Paris and the absence of strong leadership had led to disorganization, and by the time he escaped to England in March 1345, his role in the war was largely symbolic—a figurehead for English ambitions in Brittany rather than an active leader.

Edward III's Renewed Offensive: The End of the Truce (1345)

• The Truce of Malestroit (1343) had been set to last until September 1346, but Edward III unilaterally decided to break it in summer 1345.
• As part of his broader strategy against France, Edward planned a multi-front war effort, with attacks on Gascony, Flanders, and Brittany.
• A military force was dispatched to Brittany under the joint command of:
  • William de Bohun, Earl of Northampton, one of Edward’s most capable commanders.
  • John of Montfort, who now relied entirely on English military backing.

The English Landing and the Battle of Cadoret (June 1345)

• The English forces landed in Brittany in June 1345, quickly securing key positions.
• Within a week of landing, Sir Thomas Dagworth, one of Northampton’s lieutenants, led a raid into central Brittany.
• Dagworth engaged and defeated Charles of Blois at Cadoret, near Josselin, marking:
  • The first English victory in Brittany since the renewal of hostilities.
  • A significant morale boost for the Montfortist faction, signaling a revival of their cause.

Impact and Strategic Consequences

• The English intervention revitalized the Montfortist effort, turning John of Montfort from an isolated exile into a key political tool for Edward III.
• The victory at Cadoret was only the beginning of the renewed English campaign in Brittany, as the region became one of the primary theaters of the Hundred Years’ War.
• Philip VI of France was forced to respond, diverting resources from other fronts to deal with the resurgent English threat in Brittany.

Edward III’s decision to break the truce and dispatch troops to Brittany in 1345 transformed the Montfortist cause into a renewed Anglo-French conflict, setting the stage for further battles in the Breton War of Succession and the wider Hundred Years’ War.