The Brewing Conflict: Rising Tensions Between England and France

By early 1449, the fragile truce between England and France was unraveling. Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset and England’s chief administrator in Normandy, found himself besieged by growing French hostility. On February 28, he penned a frustrated letter to King Charles VII of France, accusing Robert de Flocques, governor of Louviers, of violating the peace. French garrisons had been raiding English-held territories since the previous August—attacking fishing boats on the Seine, seizing wine worth 800 livres tournois, and assaulting villages like Quévreville near Pont-de-l’Arche. Soldiers from Mont Saint-Michel and Granville even conducted nighttime raids, kidnapping English loyalists.

The situation escalated on February 25 when 160–180 French troops from Dieppe stormed the town of Torcy, where English officials were meeting. Two were killed, and others—including deputies, prosecutors, and even Simon Morhier, a former governor of Paris—were taken hostage. Morhier, a staunch English supporter, later died in captivity. Though Charles VII promised an investigation, relations had already reached a breaking point.

England was no innocent party. English garrisons at Mantes, Verneuil, and Gournay routinely ambushed travelers and pillaged French lands, branding their victims “treacherous Armagnac traitors.” Masked English raiders, nicknamed “the Hooded Men,” terrorized civilians, further poisoning the atmosphere.

The Foolhardy Gamble: England’s Occupation of Fougères

Amid this tension, England made a catastrophic miscalculation. In late 1448, tensions with Francis I, Duke of Brittany—who had abandoned his father’s pro-English neutrality—boiled over. Instead of diplomacy, England opted for force. On March 24, 1449, mercenary captain François de Surienne, backed by Somerset and Suffolk, seized Fougères, a wealthy Breton border town. The raid netted rich plunder, but it alienated Brittany and handed Charles VII a pretext for war.

Brittany demanded restitution, but Somerset and Suffolk disavowed responsibility, leaving Surienne to face the fallout. Charles VII, as Brittany’s feudal overlord, declared England’s actions a challenge to his sovereignty. By June, Brittany and France had forged a military alliance, while Burgundy—angered by English piracy—withdrew support for England. The stage was set for a French reconquest.

Lightning Campaign: The French Reconquest Begins

France struck fast. On July 16, 1449, French forces under Robert de Flocques and Jean de Brézé captured Pont-de-l’Arche through a daring ruse: disguised as carpenters, soldiers infiltrated the town, killing guards and opening the gates. The fall of this strategic Seine crossing stunned Somerset.

Meanwhile, Brittany’s army overran Saint-James-de-Beuvron and Mortain, while French troops reclaimed Verneuil through another subterfuge—a disgruntled miller helped them scale the walls. By August, Charles VII formally voided the truce, and three French armies converged on Normandy:
– West: Brittany’s forces, led by Duke Francis and Arthur de Richemont.
– Center: Jean de Dunois, advancing along the Seine.
– East: Charles d’Artois and Louis de Luxembourg, pushing from Picardy.

The Siege of Rouen: England’s Last Stand

By October, only Rouen remained under English control. But the city’s populace, weary of occupation, conspired with the French. On October 16, a failed French assault galvanized Rouen’s citizens to revolt. They seized gates and streets, forcing Somerset’s garrison into isolated strongholds. Jean de Dunois entered the city on October 19, and within days, Rouen surrendered.

Charles VII granted generous terms: English troops were allowed to depart, and Rouen’s privileges were restored. The victory marked the collapse of English Normandy. By 1450, the Hundred Years’ War’s final phase would end with France reclaiming all its lost territories.

Legacy: The End of English Normandy

The 1449 campaign showcased France’s military reforms under Charles VII—a professional army, effective artillery, and shrewd diplomacy had turned the tide. For England, the loss exposed systemic failures: poor leadership, financial mismanagement, and alienated local populations. Normandy’s fall foreshadowed England’s eventual expulsion from France, closing a chapter of medieval conflict that had spanned generations.

Today, the reconquest stands as a testament to the resilience of French state-building and the fleeting nature of empire. The war’s end reshaped European geopolitics, paving the way for the rise of centralized nation-states and the dawn of the Renaissance era.