The Stalemate at Arras and the Siege of Saint-Denis

While English, French, and Burgundian diplomats engaged in fruitless peace talks at Arras in the summer of 1435, the war in the Île-de-France continued unabated. The Anglo-Burgundian coalition forces had maintained their siege of Saint-Denis for nearly five weeks, demonstrating how little impact the negotiations had on actual military operations.

French commanders, led by the Bastard of Orléans and Duke Jean of Alençon, adopted an indirect strategy rather than confronting the besiegers directly. In early September, they appeared before the walls of Verneuil, launching an assault that ultimately failed. This setback forced the French commanders to divide their forces – Alençon moving toward Sées while the Bastard maneuvered down the Seine, threatening enemy supply lines.

The Brutal Assault on Saint-Denis

The Anglo-Burgundian commanders – Robert Willoughby, Thomas Lord Scales, and Jean de Villiers, Lord of L’Isle-Adam – remained focused on their primary objective: driving Marshal Pierre de Rieux and his 600 French defenders from Saint-Denis. Their siege tactics followed a familiar pattern:

1. Continuous artillery bombardment weakened the fortifications
2. Once breaches appeared in walls and gates, they launched their assault
3. Attackers divided into groups carrying scaling ladders through neck-deep water in the moat
4. French defenders divided to hold towers while Rieux maintained a mobile cavalry reserve

The fighting proved exceptionally vicious, lasting several hours of intense close-quarters combat. Notable casualties included:
– Sir Robert Harling (kinsman of John Fastolf)
– Jean de Humières (newly-knighted before the battle)
– Over 80 Anglo-Burgundian losses in the moat and walls
– French commander Josselin de Cassel fell in the fighting

The only Anglo-Burgundian gain was a small outwork near the Porte de Pontoise, which French forces recaptured that night via a covert counterattack.

The Fall of Saint-Denis and Its Consequences

Despite the failed assault, Saint-Denis’s isolation became complete. After the Arras negotiations concluded, Constable Arthur de Richemont rushed to organize relief efforts but found few troops available. Recognizing the hopeless situation, Rieux negotiated a surprisingly generous surrender on September 24:

– French forces permitted to withdraw with possessions
– Honorable withdrawal “as if breaking camp in peacetime”

The recapture allowed for the reburial of Queen Isabeau beside her husband Charles VI, though security concerns forced a nocturnal river transport rather than the traditional ceremonial procession. More significantly, the victory marked the final collaboration between English and Burgundian forces in the region.

The Strategic Shift: French Gains and English Decline

The recapture of Saint-Denis proved merely a last flicker of English success in the Île-de-France. French forces had already established strong positions around Paris, with the Bastard of Orléans targeting the bridgehead at Meulan. On the night of September 24, while most English troops were diverted to Saint-Denis:

– French forces used fishing boats to conceal ladders
– Entered via sewers connecting to the Seine
– Caught the garrison unprepared
– Captured the vital bridge, severing Normandy-Paris supply routes
– Parisian food prices immediately skyrocketed

English attempts to relieve Meulan ended disastrously at the Battle of Meulan Bridge, where Matthew Gough and Thomas Kyriell’s 600-800 man force walked into an ambush, resulting in:
– Gough captured
– Heavy casualties
– Complete French victory

The Collapse of the Anglo-Burgundian Alliance

The death of John, Duke of Bedford (September 14, 1435) and Burgundian withdrawal from the war created an irreversible crisis for English forces. Attempts to rally at Évreux in October faltered as:

– Burgundian envoys to England were essentially imprisoned
– London mobs attacked Burgundian merchants
– Parliament voted to expand war against Burgundy
– Pirates received official pardons for attacking Flemish shipping

The emotional climax came when young Henry VI wept upon hearing Philip the Good’s letters no longer addressed him as “King of France.” The English political establishment, particularly Humphrey of Gloucester, stoked anti-Burgundian sentiment despite the strategic necessity of maintaining the alliance.

French Offensives and Norman Revolts

With Burgundy neutralized, French forces launched coordinated attacks across multiple fronts in late 1435:

Dieppe (October 28, 1435)
– Surprise attack at low tide
– Charles des Marets scaled poorly guarded walls
– Opened Rouen-facing gates
– English governor Mortimer fled by noon
– Gave French control of important port

Caux Country Revolt (Winter 1435-36)
– 2,000-3,000 French troops triggered popular uprising
– Peasant army joined by dispossessed Norman nobles
– Captured Fécamp (Christmas Eve), Montivilliers
– Failed at Harfleur against William Minors’ 400 defenders
– Within 15 days took 7-8 towns including Tancarville

By February 1436, French forces controlled nearly all of Caux except Caudebec, threatening Rouen’s defenses. The English response proved sluggish and disorganized under Thomas Lord Scales’ interim leadership.

The Road to Paris (1436)

French strategy shifted decisively toward isolating Paris in early 1436:

Eastern Approaches
– Recaptured Melun (late 1435)
– Took Corbeil and upper Seine towns (January 1436)
– Seized Charenton (January 11)
– Captured Vincennes via Scottish infiltrator (February 19)
– Took Beauté-sur-Marne and other bridgeheads

Western Approaches
– Saint-Germain-en-Laye fell
– Pontoise revolt (February) – citizens locked out English garrison
– Burgundian forces under L’Isle-Adam took command

By April 1436, French and Burgundian forces controlled nearly all approaches to Paris, severing supply lines. The food crisis became catastrophic:
– Wheat prices quadrupled during Lent
– Herring supplies failed before Easter
– Authorities confiscated and inventoried private food stores

The Liberation of Paris (April 13, 1436)

The final act unfolded with meticulous planning:

1. Preliminary Moves (Early April)
– Richemont massed 6,000 troops at Pontoise
– Divided into three columns approaching Paris

2. Battle of Épinay (April 10)
– English sortie under Thomas Beaumont intercepted
– L’Isle-Adam’s initial reverse
– Richemont’s flank attack from vineyards decided the day
– 380 English casualties, Beaumont captured

3. The Entry (April 13)
– Conspirators led by Michel de Lallier created diversions
– L’Isle-Adam negotiated entry at Saint-Jacques Gate
– Displayed royal pardon documents
– Lowered ladders and opened gates at 7-8 AM
– Procession through Latin Quarter to Île de la Cité

4. English Collapse
– Luxembourg and Willoughby contained by street barricades
– 1,500 defenders retreated to Bastille
– Negotiated withdrawal on April 17
– Humiliating exit mocked by Parisians

Aftermath and Significance

The Paris liberation marked a pivotal moment, though fighting continued:

1. Strategic Consequences
– Severed English continental administration
– United French political and economic capital
– Demonstrated Burgundy’s definitive realignment

2. Military Developments
– English retained some Île-de-France strongholds
– Talbot’s 1437 counteroffensive retook Pontoise
– Failed attempt to scale Paris walls (February 1437)

3. Political Impact
– Charles VII’s ceremonial entry (November 12, 1437)
– Parisian administration reorganized
– High Court of Parlement restored

The events of 1435-1437 marked the irreversible decline of English fortunes in France. Though the war would continue for sixteen more years, the loss of Paris and collapse of the Burgundian alliance ensured the eventual French victory. The period demonstrated the effectiveness of:
– Coordinated multi-front operations
– Economic warfare (siege and supply interdiction)
– Political reconciliation (Burgundian détente)
– Urban insurrection combined with conventional forces

These lessons would characterize the French “reconquest” that ultimately expelled the English from all continental territories except Calais by 1453.