The Fractured Kingdom: Origins of the Burgundian-Armagnac Rivalry

The early 15th century found France in a state of profound crisis, caught between the ongoing Hundred Years’ War with England and an increasingly bitter internal conflict between two powerful factions. The roots of this division stretched back to the mental instability of King Charles VI, whose episodes of madness had created a power vacuum at the heart of French governance. Two primary factions emerged to fill this void: the Burgundians, led by John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, and the Armagnacs, named after their leader Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac.

This rivalry reached its boiling point in 1417 when Queen Isabeau of Bavaria, estranged from her son the Dauphin Charles, threw her support behind the Burgundian faction. The political landscape became further complicated by the simultaneous English invasion under Henry V, who was methodically conquering Normandy while the French nobility remained divided.

The November Retreat and Political Maneuvering

The autumn of 1417 marked a significant turning point in the conflict. Duke John of Burgundy, having decided against further expansion in the Loire Valley, retreated with Queen Isabeau’s entourage to Chartres on November 9. The queen’s modest retinue—four carriages and twenty ladies, accompanied by Sir Robert le Cyne—stood in stark contrast to her former lavish Parisian court.

Three days later, on November 12, the queen issued a bold proclamation to French municipalities, denouncing the “low-born” Armagnacs who controlled the government. She accused them of imprisoning the king and urged citizens to cease obeying Armagnac decrees and paying their taxes, instead calling for loyalty to her “beloved cousin,” the Duke of Burgundy.

With Burgundian support, Queen Isabeau established an alternative government structure, appointing new officials including a chancellor, secretaries, and financial officers. She created two special courts to replace the Paris Parlement, staffing them with Burgundian loyalists and those exiled by the Armagnacs. Their first act authorized a payment of 200,000 livres from royal revenues to Duke John, who had already spent 300,000 livres on the civil war with monthly expenses running at 100,000 livres.

Military Stalemate and Winter Disengagement

Duke John’s hopes for a Parisian uprising to support his forces were dashed when a leather merchant revealed a Burgundian plot to seize the Porte Bordelle on November 23. The conspirators were executed, though Armagnac commander Bernard learned of Burgundian plans to station thousands of troops near Paris. A subsequent Armagnac ambush inflicted some losses but failed to break Burgundian strength.

Recognizing the impossibility of taking Paris, Duke John withdrew to Chartres and lifted the siege of Saint-Cloud. As winter approached, he strategically positioned his forces to maintain control of key routes to Paris while dismissing most Picardy troops. The duke and queen then wintered in Troyes, arriving on November 20 to church bells and civic welcomes.

The Armagnac Counteroffensive

The Armagnacs, seeing Burgundian withdrawal as weakness, launched a counterattack in early 1418. Parisian forces under Tanneguy du Châtel successfully besieged Étampes, Montlhéry, and Marcoussis, improving southern defenses. However, their resources were stretched thin, particularly with English forces threatening Normandy.

Meanwhile, English expansion continued unabated. Henry V’s brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, led a 3,000-strong campaign across the Cotentin Peninsula, capturing towns with minimal resistance until meeting stiffer defense at Cherbourg. Simultaneously, English forces pushed westward toward Coutances, completing their conquest of lower Normandy by spring 1418.

The Siege of Senlis and Its Aftermath

The pivotal Battle of Senlis in February 1418 became a microcosm of the larger conflict. Armagnac forces under Bernard VII besieged the Burgundian-held town with 4,000 troops and heavy artillery. Initial negotiations with townspeople broke down when Burgundian commander Pierre de Maucroix rejected the surrender terms.

For two months, Armagnac bombardment devastated Senlis, damaging even royal palace ruins. Burgundian relief efforts were initially limited to small infiltration parties until Philip, Count of Charolais (future Philip the Good), organized a proper relief force. The April 12 conditional surrender agreement—promising surrender if no relief came within a week—spurred Burgundian action.

The subsequent battle on April 19 saw brutal exchanges, including executions of hostages by both sides. When Burgundian forces arrived, Armagnac commander Bernard, facing potential encirclement, withdrew to Paris. The failed siege cost the Armagnacs 200,000 livres and significant prestige, while Burgundian morale soared.

The Fall of Paris: May 1418

The Armagnac defeat at Senlis created conditions for their overthrow in Paris. On May 28-29, Perrinet le Clerc, a resentful iron merchant’s son, opened the Saint-Germain gate to Burgundian forces under Jean de Villiers, seigneur de l’Isle-Adam.

The carefully coordinated coup saw Burgundian forces and Parisian mobs seize key points before dawn. They captured King Charles VI at the Hôtel Saint-Pol while Tanneguy du Châtel rescued the Dauphin Charles, fleeing to Bastille and eventually Bourges. The subsequent days witnessed brutal reprisals against Armagnac supporters, culminating in the June 12 massacre where mobs slaughtered prisoners including Bernard VII and Chancellor Henri de Marle.

The Aftermath and Historical Significance

The Burgundian capture of Paris marked a decisive shift in French politics but failed to unite the kingdom against English invasion. The Dauphin’s flight south established a rival government that would eventually evolve into the French royalist cause. Meanwhile, Henry V exploited the division, conquering Normandy by 1419 and forcing the Treaty of Troyes in 1420 that disinherited the Dauphin.

This period demonstrates how dynastic conflicts and noble rivalries could paralyze a kingdom facing external threat. The Burgundian-Armagnac feud left France vulnerable to English conquest, requiring decades and Joan of Arc’s intervention to begin recovery. The events also highlight medieval urban politics, where guilds and mobs could influence high politics through violence and rebellion.

The legacy of these conflicts shaped French governance, contributing to later royal centralization efforts to prevent such destructive noble factionalism. The trauma of civil war during foreign invasion became a cautionary tale in French political culture for centuries to follow.