The Strategic Stakes of Poitou in 1372

The year 1372 marked a critical juncture in the Hundred Years’ War, as France turned its military focus toward Poitou, one of the wealthiest regions of the Aquitaine duchy. This area had long served as England’s forward operating base and primary zone for limited counteroffensives. Despite previous campaigns, French forces had secured only minor footholds in the territory. Now, under King Charles V’s command, France prepared to launch a major offensive with approximately 4,000 troops.

Bertrand du Guesclin, the brilliant Breton commander, initiated the campaign with lightning strikes from the eastern border region, swiftly capturing most vital river crossings. The French simultaneously prepared defenses to block potential reinforcements from England. Their strategic preparations would soon prove devastatingly effective against English plans.

The Naval Disaster at La Rochelle

On June 22, 1372, as part of King Edward III’s strategy, John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, arrived near La Rochelle with a fleet carrying modest reinforcements. Before reaching port, his ships encountered a Castilian fleet lying in wait. Trapped between enemy vessels and sandbanks, the English found themselves at a severe disadvantage – the towering castles on Castilian ships allowed them to dominate the engagement.

By the afternoon of June 23, the wind-favored Castilian fleet had burned most English ships. Pembroke surrendered, and with him fell 12,000 pounds of military funds intended to raise a 3,000-strong local army. This naval catastrophe forced Edward III to abandon plans for landing in Brittany and begin recruiting additional forces, while French troops advanced virtually unopposed into Poitou.

The Collapse of English Poitou

On August 7, the citizens of Poitiers, disregarding their English garrison, opened the city gates to surrender to Jean, Duke of Berry, the nominal French commander. Jean de Grailly, the Captal de Buch, could only retreat southward with his small Anglo-Gascon force. Meanwhile, Owain Lawgoch (“Red Hand”), a Welsh prince serving Castile and France, landed near Marennes with nearly 1,000 Welsh-Castilian troops, declaring himself the true King of Wales.

By August 22, Owain had joined French vanguard units and defeated the Captal de Buch at Soubise, capturing both him and Thomas Percy, the English seneschal of Poitou. With this victory, French and Castilian forces established a tight land and sea blockade around La Rochelle.

Edward III made one final effort, assembling 4,000 cavalry and nearly 10,000 longbowmen aboard 400 ships at Sandwich. However, fierce storms prevented the fleet from reaching France, and by mid-October, the expensive expedition was disbanded. La Rochelle’s citizens rebelled and opened their gates on September 8, mirroring Poitiers’ surrender. By month’s end, most of Poitou had fallen, followed quickly by Saintonge and Angoulême.

The Breton Crisis and English Desperation

For nearly a year, England’s continental allies stood isolated, with only John IV, Duke of Brittany receiving any support. In mid-October, Sir John Neville landed 1,000 men at Saint-Mathieu in Finistère, capturing Brest and other coastal strongholds. This minor reinforcement provoked a massive French response, as Charles V ordered his Poitou forces to invade Brittany.

By month’s end, Rennes was besieged, and documents revealing Duke John’s secret agreements with England were discovered. Though his subjects resented English occupation, the duke’s exposed treachery forced him to flee to Brest Castle, his rule collapsing around him.

The Chevauchée of 1373: England’s Costly Gamble

With Aquitaine losing most mountainous and wealthy regions, and commanders dead or captured, England desperately needed dramatic action. John of Gaunt championed a traditional chevauchée (mounted raid) from Brittany through Poitou into Aquitaine, possibly continuing south to attack Castile in support of Portugal.

After raising funds through Parliament, Gaunt adjusted plans to land at Calais in August. His 9,000-strong force then divided, ravaging Artois and Picardy at about nine miles daily. French commanders, including Philip the Bold of Burgundy, avoided direct confrontation, instead harassing supply lines and destroying bridges.

When Gaunt turned southeast toward Bordeaux, his army suffered terribly crossing the Massif Central in winter rains. Bertrand du Guesclin’s cavalry picked off stragglers as disease and starvation took their toll. By Christmas Eve, Gaunt reached Bordeaux having lost one-third of his men and 15,000 horses, with survivors often begging for food in the streets.

The Aftermath and Strategic Stalemate

Gaunt’s expensive failure (costing over £100,000) achieved little beyond temporary relief for Brittany. Meanwhile, Charles V implemented military reforms in 1374, attempting to curb looting and improve discipline. However, French momentum slowed as war exhaustion grew.

In 1375, both sides agreed to a truce at Bruges. England retained only Brittany, parts of Lower Normandy, and Calais from its pre-war continental holdings. Negotiations for lasting peace failed as English demands for returned territories were rejected.

The Good Parliament and Royal Decline

England’s 1376 “Good Parliament” revealed deepening crises. Commons criticized war mismanagement and corruption, forcing government reforms and impeachments. However, the death of Edward the Black Prince in June and Edward III’s declining health allowed John of Gaunt to reverse these changes, worsening public discontent.

Charles V exploited England’s weakness, preparing for renewed war in 1377. His plans included supporting Owain Lawgoch’s claim in Wales and encouraging Scottish pressure on England’s northern border.

The Final Campaigns and Royal Deaths

When war resumed in June 1377, France attacked on multiple fronts. Although failing to take Calais or Bordeaux, French forces made significant gains. England’s new coastal fortress strategy showed promise with holdings at Brest and Cherbourg, but the 1378 Saint-Malo expedition failed.

The war’s final phase saw increasing domestic strains on both sides. In France, heavy taxation sparked revolts in Languedoc, while Charles V’s confiscation of Brittany backfired, uniting Breton nobles against him. Bertrand du Guesclin’s death from dysentery in 1380 marked the loss of France’s greatest commander.

Charles V himself died of heart failure on September 16, 1380, just as English forces under Thomas of Woodstock were ravaging the French countryside. Though he had recovered most territories lost by his father, Charles left an exhausted kingdom facing continued challenges.

Legacy of the 1372-1380 Campaigns

This eight-year period demonstrated the changing dynamics of the Hundred Years’ War. England’s chevauchée strategy proved increasingly ineffective against France’s defensive tactics and fortified positions. Naval power emerged as a decisive factor, with the Castilian alliance giving France maritime superiority. Both kingdoms faced growing war weariness and domestic unrest from heavy taxation and military demands.

Charles V’s administrative reforms and military leadership had reversed many English gains, but his death left France’s future uncertain. For England, the aging Edward III’s ineffective rule and the minority of Richard II created political instability. The stage was set for the war’s next dramatic phase, where these unresolved tensions would continue shaping Western Europe’s political landscape.