The Perfect Storm: Origins of the 1438 Crisis

The year 1438 found France trapped in a devastating cycle of conflict and environmental catastrophe. The Hundred Years’ War had entered its second century, with English forces still occupying Normandy and other northern territories. But nature proved as merciless as any invading army – the previous year’s unusually wet summer and autumn had ruined harvests across northern Europe, leaving insufficient seed grain for spring planting. The subsequent winter proved exceptionally harsh, compounding agricultural failures.

This environmental disaster struck both warring parties. In England, southern rural areas suffered particularly, enduring two years of severe shortages. But France’s predicament proved far worse. Wheat prices skyrocketed from 4 sous to a staggering 40 sous at their peak. Across Philip the Good’s Burgundian territories, overwhelmed towns expelled their poor beyond city walls. Municipal authorities enacted draconian measures – Ghent banned beer production to conserve grain and ordered the slaughter of dogs owned by the poor.

The Breakdown of Military Discipline

With the French crown financially exhausted after the 1437 Gatinais campaign, the government lost control of its mercenary companies. These “écorcheurs” (flayers) became free companies roaming the countryside like locusts. When the depleted northern frontier could no longer sustain them, they turned east toward richer lands.

The mercenaries’ brutality became legendary. Chronicler Enguerrand de Monstrelet recorded their trademark tactic: “Whoever fell into their hands – whether French, Burgundian or English – was immediately stripped naked down to his shirt. When he returned home in this state, he was told he had fallen among the écorcheurs, and his misfortune provoked much laughter.”

Burgundian officials like Jean de Croy attempted to organize resistance, but suffered humiliating defeats. At Le Quesnoy, Croy’s 300-400 soldiers were routed by better-disciplined French mercenaries, with 160 Burgundians left dead on the field. Only Duke Philip’s intervention with a strong cavalry force finally drove the écorcheurs south into Champagne.

The Human Cost: Famine, Plague, and Social Collapse

The consequences for ordinary people were catastrophic. Paris, already burdened by taxes from battles like Montereau, saw its surrounding countryside ravaged by constant skirmishes. Both English and French forces implemented scorched earth policies, leaving peasants – whether in cities or countryside – destitute.

By spring 1438, resources were exhausted across northeastern France. The situation grew so desperate that towns refused entry to their own governors. At Auxonne, when Marshal Jean de Fribourg requested emergency passage, officials claimed they needed to consult citizens attending mass – then refused to repair a strategically vital bridge, claiming ignorance about where to find timber.

The winter of 1437-38 proved particularly deadly. Wolves, driven by hunger, entered Paris to snatch dogs and even attacked a child near the Cemetery of the Innocents. Plague followed famine, killing thousands indiscriminately – even Marie of Valois, Charles VII’s sister and prioress of Poissy, succumbed.

Military and Political Repercussions

The crisis reshaped the war’s dynamics. Burgundy’s Philip the Good, frustrated by failed campaigns against Calais and alarmed by French mercenary depredations on his lands, began secret peace overtures to England. His May 1438 embassy to Henry VI’s court marked the first step toward Burgundy’s eventual withdrawal from the Anglo-French conflict.

Meanwhile, French military efforts remained disjointed. While Charles VII launched a campaign in Gascony, much of his army remained uncontrolled. The king’s December 1438 ordinance banning unauthorized troop movements proved ineffective – commanders like Rodrigue de Villandrando continued pillaging southwest France, only leaving Toulouse after extorting 2,000 gold écus.

The Road to Reform: The 1439 Orléans Ordinance

The crisis ultimately forced systemic reforms. The November 1439 Ordinance of Orléans established France’s first standing army while creating permanent royal taxation without Estates-General approval. This landmark legislation:

– Created a professional royal army under the Constable’s command
– Banned unauthorized private armies
– Established fixed war taxes (taille)
– Protected peasants from military abuses

Though revolutionary, the reforms came at a cost – they sparked noble rebellions that would plague Charles VII for years. Yet they laid foundations for France’s eventual victory in the Hundred Years’ War.

Legacy of the 1438 Crisis

The events of 1438 revealed the unsustainable nature of late medieval warfare. Environmental shocks combined with mercenary armies created a perfect storm of suffering. Yet from this crisis emerged key innovations in military organization and state finance that would define early modern European states.

The écorcheurs’ devastation demonstrated the need for disciplined standing armies, while the fiscal-military state born from the crisis gave France tools to finally expel the English. In this crucible of famine, plague and war, the foundations of modern France were forged through fire and steel.