Truce of Leulinghem
Encyclopedia
The Truce of Leulinghem was a truce agreed to by Richard II
's kingdom of England
and its allies, and Charles VI
's kingdom of France
and its allies, on 18 July 1389, ending the third phase of the Hundred Years' War
. England was on the edge of financial collapse and suffering from internal political divisions. Charles VI was suffering from a mental illness that handicapped the furthering of the war by the French government. Neither side was willing to concede on the primary cause of the war, the legal status of the Duchy of Aquitaine and the King of England's homage to the King of France through his possession of the duchy. However, both sides faced major internal issues that could badly damage their kingdoms if the war continued. The truce was originally negotiated by representatives of the kings to last three years, but the two kings met in person at Leulinghem
, near the English fortress of Calais
, and agreed to extend the truce to a twenty-seven years' period. Other provisions were agreed to, in attempts to bring an end to the papal schism, to launch a joint crusade against the Turk
s in the Balkans
, to seal the marriage of Richard to Charles' daughter Isabella along with an 800,000 franc dowry
, and to guarantee to continue peace negotiations, in order to establish a lasting treaty between the kingdoms. The treaty brought peace to the Iberian peninsula
, where Portugal
and Castile
were supporting the English and French respectively. The English evacuated all their holdings in northern France except Calais
.
The truce was the result of a decade of failed peace negotiations and inaugurated a thirteen years peace, the longest period of sustained peace during the Hundred Years War. During the years following the truce, Richard reneged on his agreement to assist in ending the schism, leading the French to unilaterally withdraw from the obedience of either pope and seize Avignon
by military force. French foreign policy also began to focus on Italy
, and Genoa
became a French protectorate. In England, Richard used the lapse in fighting to attack his political enemies and reward his supporters with land he began confiscating from his enemies. He then left for Ireland
to put down a revolt among the Irish chieftains, but during his absence a number of his exiled opponents returned, led by his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster
. Henry began an insurrection and seized most of England before Richard could return. Upon his return, Richard was imprisoned, and before he was starved to death he was forced to agree to abdicate. Henry was crowned in his place. The French initially interpreted events in England as a repudiation of the truce and raised an army and put garrisons in place on the fronts. Henry IV reaffirmed the truce which remained in place for several more years.
Henry made a number of aggressive political moves against France in the following years, marrying Joanna, widow of the duke of Brittany in April 1402, and forming alliances with several German rulers, including a marriage alliance with Bavaria
. Scotland was the first nation to break the truce, invading England in August 1402 in coordination with a revolt in Wales
. The French reentered the conflict in September 1403, landing an army in Wales.
, resuming the Hundred Years' War
between the kingdom of France
and the kingdom of England
and their various allies. The war originated over the King of England's status as both a French duke and also an English king, creating conflicting interests in many of his actions. The French had declared the English duchy in southwestern France forfeit, beginning the war. The English won the first phase, and the treaty granted the English possession of the duchy as a fief independent of France. During the ensuing decade of peace, the French government strengthened and determined to establish control over the duchy. For nearly two decades, the French pursued a military policy of avoiding direct battle with the English armies and wearing them down by attrition
. Although the English won a few victories, eventually almost all of their gains from the earlier phases of the war were lost, including all of the Duchy of Aquitaine except for a narrow coastal strip from Bordeaux
to the border of Navarre
.
By 1389 England was in the midst of political divisions. King Richard II, favored making peace because the English parliament refused to grant sufficient funds to prosecute the war, the population had twice risen in revolt of the high taxation, and the nobility, led by his uncle the Duke of Gloucester
, was attempting to subvert his control over the kingdom. France was also suffering from internal crisis. Charles IV was having recurring attacks of mental illness that paralyzed the government. During the 1380s a series of revolts occurred in the kingdom as a result of high taxation, beginning with the Harelle
in 1382. As a result of these difficulties, the two kingdoms had been making attempts to negotiate a peace throughout the decade.
, a town just outside of Calais
. England and its allies, Portugal
, Ghent
and the Duchy of Guelders, had been represented in the negotiations by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
, and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester
, the uncles of Richard II. France and its allies, the Kingdom of Castile
and the Kingdom of Scotland
, were represented by Philip the Bold
, Duke of Burgundy
, and John of Valois, Duke of Berry
, the uncles of Charles VI. The Kingdom of Aragon
, several counties of the low countries, and the Duchy of Brittany had already made peace and became neutral in the conflict. The Holy Roman Empire
nominally supported the English position but had remained neutral in the conflict. Lower level diplomats had been working out many of the details of the treaty in the years prior. France, overestimating England's ability to continue prosecuting the war, made major concessions, offering to return all the Duchy of Aquitaine to the English, except for the County of Poitou, permitting the English to maintain their fortress at Calais
, and offering an indemnity of 1.5 million francs for English losses. In exchange, the King of England had to agree to do homage
to the King of France in exchange for his duchy. The treaty would essentially restore to England everything lost in the course of the war except the full sovereignty of Aquitaine. Both delegations returned to their respective governments to have the treaty approved. In the interim, a three year truce was agreed to go into effect 18 July.
The French government was in effect led by the Duke of Burgundy since Charles VI's incapacity, and French approval was quickly granted. In England, Richard's political position was weak and the House of Commons of England
in Parliament was controlled largely by the knights fighting the war. Richard feared open rebellion if he agreed to the treaty without the approval of Parliament, and called a session to consider the treaty. Parliament rejected the treaty, citing their fear of placing the king as a liege
of the king of France and suggesting it would effectively make England a client kingdom of France. The Parliament also refused to grant a significant tax grant to continue funding the stalled war.
Richard decided to enact a de facto peace with the French and use the interim to punish his political enemies. On May 15, 1390, he received a French embassy to negotiate with him personally. It was agreed that he would marry the six-year-old daughter of Charles, Isabelle, and Charles would provide a dowry of 800,000 francs and extend the truce by five years. In exchange Richard began evacuating the ports he controlled in northern France, surrendering them all except Calais. Brest
and Cherbourg were only evacuated after substantial payments by the local nobility were made in exchange. The two kings agreed to meet in future and finalize negotiations. Charles, however, remained in a fragile mental state and was frequently unaware of his surroundings. He made a temporary recovery in 1396, and the two kings met privately at Leulinghem over the course of two days and made a number of commitments. They agreed to a joint crusade against the Turks
in the Balkans
, Richard agreed to support French attempts to end the papal schism and formally accepted Isabelle as his wife and received his dowry. The truce was extended by another nineteen years, and both men agreed to continue negotiations towards a permanent peace. With negotiations complete, both kings returned to their respective capitals and the truce remained in effect.
in September 1396. Some of Richard's advisers suggested reopening the war, but he rejected the idea. Richard also repudiating his agreement to end the papal schism and continued to support the Roman pope over the Avignon pope. This led the French to unilaterally withdraw support for either pope and to seize Avignon
by force. Richard's attacks against the landed nobility were met with hostility which remained suppressed for a time. After the death of John of Gaunt in 1398, Richard seized his duchy and exiled his son, Henry of Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke took up residence in Paris, where many of his fellow exiles began plotting a return to England. Richard was without children, and as Richard's only cousin, Henry was next in line for the English throne. Richard left England to suppress a revolt in Ireland
during 1399 and while he was away Henry led a small army back to England and seized his former estate by force. He quickly raised an army among the rest of the disaffected nobility and took control of most of England without force before Richard could return. Upon his return, Richard was forced to abdicate and was then starved to death. Henry was crowned King.
French foreign policy shifted in the years following the truce, and the focus was placed on Italy
as the French attempted to gain a foothold whereby they could force the Roman pope to abdicate. Genoa
became a French protectorate. Charles's mental state continued to deteriorate, leading to more fighting in the court, with his wife allying with his uncles in opposition of Charles's brother, Louis of Orleans, Duke of Touraine. When Henry took the throne in England, the French initially interpreted it as a repudiation of the truce and raised and army and strengthened their garrison's on their borders. An embassy to England reconfirmed the truce with Henry.
in April 1402, which made him duke of the two largest duchies with ties to France. The French responded by making a son of Charles Duke of Guyenne, a part of Duchy of Aquitaine which the French claimed was forfeit. Richard formed alliances with several German states, including a marriage alliance with Bavaria
. Scotland was the first nation to break the truce, invading England in August 1402 in coordination with a revolt in Wales
. The Welsh revolt was likely influenced by the French. The French reentered the conflict in September 1403, landing an army in Wales. The thirteen year truce was the longest period of peace between England and France in the Hundred Years War. The war continued intermittently for another five decades.
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
's kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
and its allies, and Charles VI
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
's kingdom of France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
and its allies, on 18 July 1389, ending the third phase of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
. England was on the edge of financial collapse and suffering from internal political divisions. Charles VI was suffering from a mental illness that handicapped the furthering of the war by the French government. Neither side was willing to concede on the primary cause of the war, the legal status of the Duchy of Aquitaine and the King of England's homage to the King of France through his possession of the duchy. However, both sides faced major internal issues that could badly damage their kingdoms if the war continued. The truce was originally negotiated by representatives of the kings to last three years, but the two kings met in person at Leulinghem
Leulinghem
Leulinghem is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small village situated 5 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D212 road, half a mile from the A26 autoroute.-Population:...
, near the English fortress of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, and agreed to extend the truce to a twenty-seven years' period. Other provisions were agreed to, in attempts to bring an end to the papal schism, to launch a joint crusade against the Turk
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
s in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, to seal the marriage of Richard to Charles' daughter Isabella along with an 800,000 franc dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
, and to guarantee to continue peace negotiations, in order to establish a lasting treaty between the kingdoms. The treaty brought peace to the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, where Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
were supporting the English and French respectively. The English evacuated all their holdings in northern France except Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
.
The truce was the result of a decade of failed peace negotiations and inaugurated a thirteen years peace, the longest period of sustained peace during the Hundred Years War. During the years following the truce, Richard reneged on his agreement to assist in ending the schism, leading the French to unilaterally withdraw from the obedience of either pope and seize Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
by military force. French foreign policy also began to focus on Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
became a French protectorate. In England, Richard used the lapse in fighting to attack his political enemies and reward his supporters with land he began confiscating from his enemies. He then left for Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to put down a revolt among the Irish chieftains, but during his absence a number of his exiled opponents returned, led by his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster
There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. See also Duchy of Lancaster.There were three creations of the Dukedom of Lancaster....
. Henry began an insurrection and seized most of England before Richard could return. Upon his return, Richard was imprisoned, and before he was starved to death he was forced to agree to abdicate. Henry was crowned in his place. The French initially interpreted events in England as a repudiation of the truce and raised an army and put garrisons in place on the fronts. Henry IV reaffirmed the truce which remained in place for several more years.
Henry made a number of aggressive political moves against France in the following years, marrying Joanna, widow of the duke of Brittany in April 1402, and forming alliances with several German rulers, including a marriage alliance with Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Scotland was the first nation to break the truce, invading England in August 1402 in coordination with a revolt in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The French reentered the conflict in September 1403, landing an army in Wales.
Background
In 1369 the French government repudiated the 1360 Treaty of BrétignyTreaty of Brétigny
The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty signed on May 9, 1360, between King Edward III of England and King John II of France. In retrospect it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War —as well as the height of English hegemony on the Continent.It was signed...
, resuming the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
between the kingdom of France
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
and the kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
and their various allies. The war originated over the King of England's status as both a French duke and also an English king, creating conflicting interests in many of his actions. The French had declared the English duchy in southwestern France forfeit, beginning the war. The English won the first phase, and the treaty granted the English possession of the duchy as a fief independent of France. During the ensuing decade of peace, the French government strengthened and determined to establish control over the duchy. For nearly two decades, the French pursued a military policy of avoiding direct battle with the English armies and wearing them down by attrition
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
. Although the English won a few victories, eventually almost all of their gains from the earlier phases of the war were lost, including all of the Duchy of Aquitaine except for a narrow coastal strip from Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
to the border of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
.
By 1389 England was in the midst of political divisions. King Richard II, favored making peace because the English parliament refused to grant sufficient funds to prosecute the war, the population had twice risen in revolt of the high taxation, and the nobility, led by his uncle the Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
, was attempting to subvert his control over the kingdom. France was also suffering from internal crisis. Charles IV was having recurring attacks of mental illness that paralyzed the government. During the 1380s a series of revolts occurred in the kingdom as a result of high taxation, beginning with the Harelle
Harelle
The Harelle was a revolt that occurred in the French city of Rouen in 1382 followed by the Maillotins Revolt a few days later in Paris, and numerous other revolts across France in the subsequent week. France was in the midst of the Hundred Years War, and had seen decades of warfare, widespread...
in 1382. As a result of these difficulties, the two kingdoms had been making attempts to negotiate a peace throughout the decade.
Negotiations
In June 1389, high-level diplomats finished negotiations on a formal peace treaty in the town of LeulinghemLeulinghem
Leulinghem is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small village situated 5 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D212 road, half a mile from the A26 autoroute.-Population:...
, a town just outside of Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
. England and its allies, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
and the Duchy of Guelders, had been represented in the negotiations by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster
There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. See also Duchy of Lancaster.There were three creations of the Dukedom of Lancaster....
, and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
, the uncles of Richard II. France and its allies, the Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
and the Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
, were represented by Philip the Bold
Philip the Bold
Philip the Bold , also Philip II, Duke of Burgundy , was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne of Luxembourg. By his marriage to Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, he also became Count Philip II of Flanders, Count Philip IV of Artois and Count-Palatine Philip IV...
, Duke of 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...
, and John of Valois, Duke of Berry
Duke of Berry
The title of Duke of Berry in the French nobility was frequently created for junior members of the French royal family. The Berry region now consists of the départements of Cher, Indre and parts of Vienne. The capital of Berry is Bourges. The first creation was for John, third son of John II, King...
, the uncles of Charles VI. The Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
, several counties of the low countries, and the Duchy of Brittany had already made peace and became neutral in the conflict. The Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
nominally supported the English position but had remained neutral in the conflict. Lower level diplomats had been working out many of the details of the treaty in the years prior. France, overestimating England's ability to continue prosecuting the war, made major concessions, offering to return all the Duchy of Aquitaine to the English, except for the County of Poitou, permitting the English to maintain their fortress at Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, and offering an indemnity of 1.5 million francs for English losses. In exchange, the King of England had to agree to do homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the King of France in exchange for his duchy. The treaty would essentially restore to England everything lost in the course of the war except the full sovereignty of Aquitaine. Both delegations returned to their respective governments to have the treaty approved. In the interim, a three year truce was agreed to go into effect 18 July.
The French government was in effect led by the Duke of Burgundy since Charles VI's incapacity, and French approval was quickly granted. In England, Richard's political position was weak and the House of Commons of England
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in Parliament was controlled largely by the knights fighting the war. Richard feared open rebellion if he agreed to the treaty without the approval of Parliament, and called a session to consider the treaty. Parliament rejected the treaty, citing their fear of placing the king as a liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
of the king of France and suggesting it would effectively make England a client kingdom of France. The Parliament also refused to grant a significant tax grant to continue funding the stalled war.
Richard decided to enact a de facto peace with the French and use the interim to punish his political enemies. On May 15, 1390, he received a French embassy to negotiate with him personally. It was agreed that he would marry the six-year-old daughter of Charles, Isabelle, and Charles would provide a dowry of 800,000 francs and extend the truce by five years. In exchange Richard began evacuating the ports he controlled in northern France, surrendering them all except Calais. Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
and Cherbourg were only evacuated after substantial payments by the local nobility were made in exchange. The two kings agreed to meet in future and finalize negotiations. Charles, however, remained in a fragile mental state and was frequently unaware of his surroundings. He made a temporary recovery in 1396, and the two kings met privately at Leulinghem over the course of two days and made a number of commitments. They agreed to a joint crusade against the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Richard agreed to support French attempts to end the papal schism and formally accepted Isabelle as his wife and received his dowry. The truce was extended by another nineteen years, and both men agreed to continue negotiations towards a permanent peace. With negotiations complete, both kings returned to their respective capitals and the truce remained in effect.
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the treaty, Richard began executing revenge against his political enemies. Several men with large landed estates were dispossessed and executed or exiled. Their property was assigned to allies of Richard, who was attempting to create a block of allies in central England. Richard failed to send support for the crusade against the Turks; the French contingent, which contained many of France's prominent fighters, was annihilated at the Battle of NicopolisBattle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
in September 1396. Some of Richard's advisers suggested reopening the war, but he rejected the idea. Richard also repudiating his agreement to end the papal schism and continued to support the Roman pope over the Avignon pope. This led the French to unilaterally withdraw support for either pope and to seize Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
by force. Richard's attacks against the landed nobility were met with hostility which remained suppressed for a time. After the death of John of Gaunt in 1398, Richard seized his duchy and exiled his son, Henry of Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke took up residence in Paris, where many of his fellow exiles began plotting a return to England. Richard was without children, and as Richard's only cousin, Henry was next in line for the English throne. Richard left England to suppress a revolt in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
during 1399 and while he was away Henry led a small army back to England and seized his former estate by force. He quickly raised an army among the rest of the disaffected nobility and took control of most of England without force before Richard could return. Upon his return, Richard was forced to abdicate and was then starved to death. Henry was crowned King.
French foreign policy shifted in the years following the truce, and the focus was placed on Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as the French attempted to gain a foothold whereby they could force the Roman pope to abdicate. Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
became a French protectorate. Charles's mental state continued to deteriorate, leading to more fighting in the court, with his wife allying with his uncles in opposition of Charles's brother, Louis of Orleans, Duke of Touraine. When Henry took the throne in England, the French initially interpreted it as a repudiation of the truce and raised and army and strengthened their garrison's on their borders. An embassy to England reconfirmed the truce with Henry.
Repudiation
Henry made a number of aggressive political moves against France in the following years, marrying the dowager duchess of BrittanyBrittany
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...
in April 1402, which made him duke of the two largest duchies with ties to France. The French responded by making a son of Charles Duke of Guyenne, a part of Duchy of Aquitaine which the French claimed was forfeit. Richard formed alliances with several German states, including a marriage alliance with Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Scotland was the first nation to break the truce, invading England in August 1402 in coordination with a revolt in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The Welsh revolt was likely influenced by the French. The French reentered the conflict in September 1403, landing an army in Wales. The thirteen year truce was the longest period of peace between England and France in the Hundred Years War. The war continued intermittently for another five decades.