425:
to strengthen his case. John was unwilling to weaken his authority in western France in this way. He argued that he need not attend Philip's court because of his special status as the Duke of
Normandy, who was exempt by feudal tradition from being called to the French court. Philip argued that he was summoning John not as the Duke of Normandy, but as the Count of Poitou, which carried no such special status. When John still refused to come, Philip declared John in breach of his feudal responsibilities, reassigned all of John's lands that fell under the French crown to Arthur – with the exception of Normandy, which he took back for himself – and began a fresh war against John.
386:; by this treaty, Philip recognised John as the rightful heir to Richard in respect to his French possessions, temporarily abandoning the wider claims of his client, Arthur. John, in turn, abandoned Richard's former policy of containing Philip through alliances with Flanders and Boulogne, and accepted Philip's right as the legitimate feudal overlord of John's lands in France. John's policy earned him the disrespectful title of "John Softsword" from some English chroniclers, who contrasted his behaviour with his more aggressive brother, Richard.
316:, John's elder brother. Richard appeared to have started to recognise John as his legitimate heir in the final years before his death, but the matter was not clear-cut and medieval law gave little guidance as to how the competing claims should be decided. With Norman law favouring John as the only surviving son of Henry II and Angevin law favouring Arthur as the heir of Henry's elder son, the matter rapidly became an open conflict. John was supported by the bulk of the English and Norman nobility and was crowned at
285:
348:, at strategic points, built and maintained at considerable expense. It was difficult for a commander to advance far into fresh territory without having secured his lines of communication by capturing these fortifications, which slowed the progress of any attack. Armies of the period could be formed from either feudal or mercenary forces. Feudal levies could only be raised for a fixed length of time before they returned home, forcing an end to a campaign; mercenary forces, often called
37:
421:, whose own lands currently provided the key route for royal goods and troops across Aquitaine. Rather than negotiating some form of compensation, John treated Hugh "with contempt"; this resulted in a Lusignan uprising that was promptly crushed by John, who also intervened to suppress Raoul in Normandy.
433:
John initially adopted a defensive posture similar to that of 1199: avoiding open battle and carefully defending his key castles. John's operations became more chaotic as the campaign progressed, and Philip began to make steady progress in the east. John became aware in July that Arthur's forces were
424:
Although John was the Count of Poitou and therefore the rightful feudal lord over the
Lusignans, they could legitimately appeal John's actions in France to his own feudal lord, Philip. Hugh did exactly this in 1201 and Philip summoned John to attend court in Paris in 1202, citing the Le Goulet treaty
356:
but actually recruited from across northern Europe, could operate all year long and provide a commander with more strategic options to pursue a campaign, but cost much more than equivalent feudal forces. As a result, commanders of the period were increasing drawing on larger numbers of mercenaries.
401:
to marry Isabel in the first place – as a cousin, John could not have legally wed her without this. It remains unclear why John chose to marry
Isabella of AngoulĂŞme. Contemporary chroniclers argued that John had fallen deeply in love with Isabella, and John may have been motivated by desire for an
381:
was persuaded to switch sides from Arthur to John; suddenly the balance seemed to be tipping away from Philip and Arthur in favour of John. Neither side was keen to continue the conflict, and following a papal truce the two leaders met in
January 1200 to negotiate possible terms for peace. From
462:
strictly imprisoned in
England, John had secured his throne, but his controversial removal of Arthur turned the support of local counts against him. For the next two years, John dealt so arrogantly with the counts of Anjou and Poitou that large numbers switched sides to support Philip II, who
360:
After his coronation, John moved south into France with military forces and adopted a defensive posture along the eastern and southern
Normandy borders. Both sides paused for desultory negotiations before the war recommenced; John's position was now stronger, thanks to confirmation that Count
402:
apparently beautiful, if rather young, girl. On the other hand, the
Angoumois lands that came with Isabella were strategically vital to John: by marrying Isabella, John was acquiring a key land route between Poitou and Gascony, which significantly strengthened his grip on Aquitaine.
343:
Warfare in
Normandy at the time was shaped by the defensive potential of castles and the increasing costs of conducting campaigns. The Norman frontiers had limited natural defences but were heavily reinforced with castles, such as
446:, elder sister of Arthur, also with a better claim to England, was captured in the battle as well. With his southern flank weakening, Philip was forced to withdraw in the east and turn south himself to contain John's army.
382:
John's perspective, what then followed represented an opportunity to stabilise control over his continental possessions and produce a lasting peace with Philip in Paris. John and Philip negotiated the May 1200
442:, he swung his mercenary army rapidly south to protect her. His forces caught Arthur by surprise and captured the entire rebel leadership at the battle of Mirebeau. It was also probable that
210:
417:, who possessed lands along the sensitive eastern Normandy border. Just as John stood to benefit strategically from marrying Isabella, so the marriage threatened the interests of the
203:
196:
716:
220:
389:
The new peace would only last for two years; war recommenced in the aftermath of John's decision in August 1200 to marry
28:
721:
711:
328:, who remained committed to breaking up the Angevin territories on the continent. With Arthur's army pressing up the
736:
459:
443:
394:
377:
had renewed the anti-French alliances they had previously agreed to with
Richard. The powerful Anjou nobleman
475:
313:
731:
463:
continued to incrementally advance from one hilltop castle to the next in
Normandy. This culminated in the
370:
464:
324:. Arthur was supported by the majority of the Breton, Maine and Anjou nobles, and received the support of
241:
726:
309:
42:
479:
474:
The captivity of Eleanor prevented her from succeeding Brittany, ending the line of succession of
467:, which ended in 1204. John's relief attempts were defeated, the castle fell, and his position in
390:
289:
458:. At some indeterminate point soon afterwards, it is presumed that Arthur was murdered. With
301:
128:
397:, his first wife; John accomplished this by arguing that he had failed to get the necessary
434:
threatening his mother, Eleanor, at Mirebeau Castle. Accompanied by William de Roches, his
321:
273:
8:
455:
410:
383:
325:
305:
50:
345:
406:
398:
378:
269:
148:
137:
132:
107:
46:
317:
116:
418:
353:
300:'s death on 6 April 1199 there were two potential claimants to the Angevin throne:
261:
112:
439:
152:
141:
54:
693:
Nonetheless, the treaty did offer Arthur certain protections as John's vassal.
284:
705:
349:
188:
414:
329:
362:
36:
435:
297:
374:
366:
265:
256:
82:
78:
409:, an important member of a key Poitou noble family and brother of
468:
340:, John's continental empire was in danger of being cut in two.
333:
454:
Though John defeated the Lusignans, he was still contested by
337:
304:, whose claim rested on being the sole surviving son of
393:. In order to remarry, John first needed to abandon
276:
successfully smashed the Lusignan army by surprise.
336:and Philip's forces moving down the valley towards
57:'s forces, culminating in the Battle of Mirebeau.
703:
482:half-sister of Arthur from House of Thouars.
218:
204:
666:
664:
662:
660:
658:
656:
654:
635:
633:
623:
621:
619:
617:
607:
605:
523:
521:
405:Isabella was, however, already engaged to
211:
197:
651:
630:
614:
602:
518:
283:
599:Carpenter (2004), p.264; Turner, p.100.
153:
142:
704:
192:
717:History of Nord (French department)
13:
14:
748:
312:, who held a claim as the son of
260:was a battle in 1202 between the
35:
687:
673:
642:
593:
584:
575:
554:Warren, pp.57–8; Barlow, p.280.
566:
557:
548:
539:
530:
509:
500:
491:
478:; the effective successor was
460:Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany
395:Isabel, Countess of Gloucester
1:
485:
279:
506:Barlow, p.305; Turner, p.48.
449:
7:
29:French Invasion of Normandy
10:
753:
722:Battles involving England
465:Siege of Château Gaillard
428:
320:, backed by his mother,
232:
174:
161:
122:
101:
61:
34:
26:
21:
712:Battles involving France
497:Carpenter (2004), p.264.
16:Battle in 1202 in France
293:
123:Commanders and leaders
737:John, King of England
391:Isabella of AngoulĂŞme
290:Isabella of AngoulĂŞme
287:
175:Casualties and losses
581:Huscroft, pp.169–70.
476:Geoffrey Plantagenet
322:Eleanor of Aquitaine
310:Arthur I of Brittany
292:, John's second wife
274:King John of England
53:'s French army, and
732:Philip II of France
456:Philip II of France
384:Treaty of Le Goulet
326:Philip II of France
294:
270:Kingdom of England
133:William des Roches
108:Kingdom of England
43:Arthur of Brittany
22:Battle of Mirebeau
727:Conflicts in 1202
411:Raoul de Lusignan
379:William de Roches
318:Westminster Abbey
268:alliance and the
262:House of Lusignan
250:
249:
187:
186:
117:Duchy of Brittany
113:House of Lusignan
97:
96:
744:
694:
691:
680:
679:Turner, pp.98–9.
677:
671:
668:
649:
646:
640:
637:
628:
625:
612:
609:
600:
597:
591:
590:Huscroft, p.170.
588:
582:
579:
573:
570:
564:
561:
555:
552:
546:
543:
537:
534:
528:
525:
516:
513:
507:
504:
498:
495:
471:was destroyed.
407:Hugh de Lusignan
399:papal permission
354:Duchy of Brabant
346:Château Gaillard
242:Château Gaillard
227:
223:
222:Anglo-French War
213:
206:
199:
190:
189:
155:
144:
63:
62:
47:Hugh de Lusignan
39:
19:
18:
752:
751:
747:
746:
745:
743:
742:
741:
702:
701:
698:
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531:
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515:"Barlow, p.305"
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431:
282:
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147:
131:
115:
93:English victory
85:
55:John of England
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
750:
740:
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
714:
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681:
672:
650:
641:
629:
613:
601:
592:
583:
574:
565:
556:
547:
545:Barrett, p.91.
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489:
487:
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451:
448:
430:
427:
281:
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216:
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201:
193:
185:
184:
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167:Mercenary Army
164:
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159:
158:
135:
125:
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120:
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110:
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103:
99:
98:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
77:
75:
71:
70:
69:August 1, 1202
67:
59:
58:
49:'s alliances,
32:
31:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
749:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
709:
707:
700:
690:
686:
676:
670:Turner, p.99.
667:
665:
663:
661:
659:
657:
655:
648:Warren, p.63.
645:
639:Warren, p.55.
636:
634:
627:Turner, p.98.
624:
622:
620:
618:
611:Warren, p.54.
608:
606:
596:
587:
578:
572:Warren, p.59.
569:
563:Warren, p.57.
560:
551:
542:
536:Warren, p.51.
533:
527:Warren, p.53.
524:
522:
512:
503:
494:
490:
483:
481:
477:
472:
470:
466:
461:
457:
447:
445:
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437:
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408:
403:
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33:
30:
25:
20:
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541:
532:
511:
502:
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453:
432:
423:
404:
388:
359:
342:
330:Loire valley
295:
288:The tomb of
254:
252:
236:
102:Belligerents
41:Movement of
27:Part of the
415:Count of Eu
149:Duke Arthur
706:Categories
486:References
363:Baldwin IX
352:after the
350:Brabançons
280:Background
255:Battle of
450:Aftermath
436:seneschal
419:Lusignans
298:Richard I
226:1202–1204
129:King John
51:Philip II
375:Boulogne
367:Flanders
332:towards
314:Geoffrey
306:Henry II
257:Mirebeau
237:Mirebeau
162:Strength
83:Normandy
79:Mirebeau
74:Location
444:Eleanor
180:Unknown
151: (
140: (
469:France
429:Battle
413:, the
371:Renaud
334:Angers
308:, and
296:After
266:Breton
170:Rebels
138:Hugh X
90:Result
440:Anjou
338:Tours
183:Heavy
480:Alix
369:and
302:John
253:The
66:Date
45:and
438:in
373:of
365:of
154:POW
143:POW
708::
653:^
632:^
616:^
604:^
520:^
272:.
81:,
264:-
212:e
205:t
198:v
157:)
146:)
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