Battle of Montlhéry
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Montlhéry was fought between Louis XI and the League of the Public Weal
on the 16th of July 1465 in proximity to Longpont-sur-Orge
. It had no clear winner and therefore didn't decide the war.
and Francis II, Duke of Brittany. Together they assembled an army that was considered strong enough to extort independence from Louis XI.
, the big cities and all provinces (like
Languedoc
, Normandy
, Champagne
, Dauphiné
and others). His army grew rapidly and enforced Picardy
's boarder to Burgundy
. He put the defence of this boarder into the hands of Joachim Rouault
, sent Charles, Count of Maine (his uncle) with twelve thousand soldiers against the ruler of Brittany and took the rest of his Army (including the Scottish Guard) in April against the Bourbons. After he had conquered Moulins
the Duke of Bourbon and other members of the League of the Public Weal signed a peace treaty on the King's conditions. The Bourguignons arrived at the end of May in Champagne and reached Saint-Dénis on the 5th of July. Not meeting any resistance they marched further and eventually attacked Paris
. Brittany
's army arrived on the 13th of July at Beaugency
and intended to join forces with the Bourguignons and to attack the King's army with a force of 35,000 men. Confronted with an invasion of Champagne and an attack on Paris at the same time, Louis XI split his army. His infantry
and artillery
kept marching toward Burgundy but he went north while Paris was already surrounded by enemies. Eventually he and his uncle, the comte du Maine, attacked Brittany's army from two sides and hindered it successfully to fuse with the Bourguignons. In the night between the 14th and the 15th of July the army of Louis XI rejoined the forces led by his uncle. Together they prepared for battle.
. He was facing an enemy who had 20,000 men and substantial artillery. The King's men were determined to battle but their enemies weren't. The artillery took their toll among the King's lines but his soldiers stood their ground. During the following battle many fighters on both sides sought duels in the middle of the area between both armies, trying to distinguish themselves. Also, single groups on both sides went occasionally forward, seeking combat, but returned to their original places once they had had their fights. At 14 o'clock Louis XI decided to march forward. Pierre de Brézé who held the right wing of the Royal Army would go first and then Louis would attack the centre of the enemy's army while his was uncle should attack at last. Pierre de Brézé
managed to break through the lines and in the course of the subsequent disorder Louis XI achieved to attack the heart of the adversary army. When Pierre de Brézé fell in combat, his enraged men annihilated everybody who stood in their way. However, the men under command of his uncle didn't do so well and spoilt the triumph by partly avoiding direct contact to the enemy. The Comte of Maine was eventually hunted by his counterparts. Instead of a victory Louis XI encountered chaos. He was even thrown off his horse. Finally his enemies retreated after all but his own forces were to scattered to pursue them. The comte du Maine escaped his pursuers as well. At the end of the day Louis XI had inflicted huge losses among his enemy's army and could rescue Paris while the League of the Public Weal gave in, retreated and eventually disbanded.
League of the Public Weal
The League of the Public Weal was an alliance of feudal nobles organized in 1465 in defiance of the centralized authority of King Louis XI of France...
on the 16th of July 1465 in proximity to Longpont-sur-Orge
Longpont-sur-Orge
Longpont-sur-Orge is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Longpont-sur-Orge are known as Longipontains.Brico Dépôt, a subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, has its head office in Longpont-sur-Orge.-References:...
. It had no clear winner and therefore didn't decide the war.
Insurgency of the Vassal countries
Philip the Good had supported and even hosted Louis XI during his dispute with his father Charles VII. Still, or possibly even because he knew him that well after having lived for four years at his court, Louis XI resented the ambitions of Philip, who relentlessly expanded his duchy and behaved like a king in his own right. Louis XI had been King of France for four years already when Philip the Good allied with John II, Duke of BourbonJohn II, Duke of Bourbon
John de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon , sometimes referred to as John the Good and The Scourge of the English, was a son of Charles I of Bourbon and Agnes of Burgundy...
and Francis II, Duke of Brittany. Together they assembled an army that was considered strong enough to extort independence from Louis XI.
Preliminary skirmishes
Louis XI was backed up by Gaston IV, Count of FoixGaston IV, Count of Foix
Gaston IV, Count of Foix, Viscount of Béarn was a French nobleman from Bearn, who founded a brief-ruling dynastic house of the Kingdom of Navarre.He was a son of John I, Count of Foix and Jeanne d'Albret...
, the big cities and all provinces (like
Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
, Dauphiné
Dauphiné
The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
and others). His army grew rapidly and enforced Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
's boarder to Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
. He put the defence of this boarder into the hands of Joachim Rouault
Joachim Rouault
Joachim Rouault , French soldier, was a member of an old family of Poitou. He attached himself to the dauphin and became his premier squire....
, sent Charles, Count of Maine (his uncle) with twelve thousand soldiers against the ruler of Brittany and took the rest of his Army (including the Scottish Guard) in April against the Bourbons. After he had conquered Moulins
Moulins, Allier
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department.Among its many tourist attractions are the Maison Mantin the Anne de Beaujeu Museum.-History:...
the Duke of Bourbon and other members of the League of the Public Weal signed a peace treaty on the King's conditions. The Bourguignons arrived at the end of May in Champagne and reached Saint-Dénis on the 5th of July. Not meeting any resistance they marched further and eventually attacked Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
's army arrived on the 13th of July at Beaugency
Beaugency
Beaugency is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is located on the Loire river, upriver from Blois and downriver from Orléans.-History:...
and intended to join forces with the Bourguignons and to attack the King's army with a force of 35,000 men. Confronted with an invasion of Champagne and an attack on Paris at the same time, Louis XI split his army. His infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
kept marching toward Burgundy but he went north while Paris was already surrounded by enemies. Eventually he and his uncle, the comte du Maine, attacked Brittany's army from two sides and hindered it successfully to fuse with the Bourguignons. In the night between the 14th and the 15th of July the army of Louis XI rejoined the forces led by his uncle. Together they prepared for battle.
The battle
After a hard march which left parts of his army behind, Louis XI and his men arrived by dawn at Étampes. The King had 15,000 soldiers at his side, mainly cavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
. He was facing an enemy who had 20,000 men and substantial artillery. The King's men were determined to battle but their enemies weren't. The artillery took their toll among the King's lines but his soldiers stood their ground. During the following battle many fighters on both sides sought duels in the middle of the area between both armies, trying to distinguish themselves. Also, single groups on both sides went occasionally forward, seeking combat, but returned to their original places once they had had their fights. At 14 o'clock Louis XI decided to march forward. Pierre de Brézé who held the right wing of the Royal Army would go first and then Louis would attack the centre of the enemy's army while his was uncle should attack at last. Pierre de Brézé
Pierre de Brézé
Pierre de Brézé was a French soldier and politician in the service of King Charles VII. He had made his name in the English wars when in 1433 he joined with Yolande, queen of Sicily, the constable Richmond and others, in chasing from power Charles VII's minister La Trémoille...
managed to break through the lines and in the course of the subsequent disorder Louis XI achieved to attack the heart of the adversary army. When Pierre de Brézé fell in combat, his enraged men annihilated everybody who stood in their way. However, the men under command of his uncle didn't do so well and spoilt the triumph by partly avoiding direct contact to the enemy. The Comte of Maine was eventually hunted by his counterparts. Instead of a victory Louis XI encountered chaos. He was even thrown off his horse. Finally his enemies retreated after all but his own forces were to scattered to pursue them. The comte du Maine escaped his pursuers as well. At the end of the day Louis XI had inflicted huge losses among his enemy's army and could rescue Paris while the League of the Public Weal gave in, retreated and eventually disbanded.