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France in 1360 |  |
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France in 1360 | |
(Links are to coins of the key participants)
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After
Poitiers, where Jean le Bon was taken captive
by the English, France was in disarray. Charles
V becomes regent but exerted minimal control of France. Charles was
a young man at this time and had not developed the skills that were to
serve France so well in several years.
In 1360 the English marched on Rheims, but failed to take it. Paris was so threatened that Charles was forced to withdraw. Both nations were exhausted by the war and willing to parley. The upshot was agreement to the Treat of Bretigny. This treaty reduced the ransom for Jean le Bon, still captive in London, and granted sovereignty to English territories in Aquitaine, long an English goal in response to dissatisfaction to the fealty Edward III gave Philip VI several decades earlier.
The treaty recognized English rights in Gascony and Aquitaine, as well as in the traditionally English county of Ponthieu.
The treaty did not bring peace to France, as internal strife and brigandage remained a continual problem. Charles took a careful approach to the English and continually challenged them, although not in set piece battles such as Crecy and Poitiers, which proved so disastrous to the French. Bertrand du Guesclin became a successful commander for Charles and over time the Treaty was essentially repudiated and the French took back much of the land they had previously lost. The cost was high for both sides, and particularly for the civilian population.
At this time France was suffering from population depletion due to the Black Death (1348/9), war, internal brigandage, civil uprising, intrigue by the king of Navarre and exhaustion. Even so, Charles' reign was successful. Seward notes "even though he failed to drive the English out of his country, Charles V won back the greater part of that which had been conquered by Edward III."
This was a hard time for France, but the worst was yet to come.
Source:
Desmond Seward, The Hundred Year's War, Atheum, N.Y., 1978