Each small estate was likely to have a fortified tower or keep, with larger estates having castles. Many landholders owned a patchwork of widely separated estates, perhaps owing fealty to a different overlord for each, or holding some rights from the French Crown as the monarch and others from the English Crown as their liege lord. There was no formal border between English and French territory. Typically the Gascons could field 3,000–6,000 men, the large majority infantry, although up to two-thirds of them would be tied down in garrisons. In 1339 the French besieged Bordeaux, the capital of Gascony, even breaking into the city with a large force before they were repulsed. In most campaigning seasons the Gascons had to rely on their own resources and had been hard pressed by the French. Īlthough Gascony was the cause of the war, Edward was able to spare few resources for its defence, and previously when an English army had campaigned on the continent it had operated in northern France. This marked the start of the Hundred Years' War, which was to last 116 years. ![]() On, Philip's Great Council in Paris agreed that the Duchy of Aquitaine, effectively Gascony, should be taken back into Philip's hands on the grounds that Edward was in breach of his obligations as a vassal. ![]() Towards the end of 1336, following a series of disagreements between Philip VI of France ( r. 1328–1350) and Edward III of England ( r. 1327–1377), Philip decided that war was the only way to drive the English out for good. French monarchs systematically sought to check the growth of English power, stripping away lands as the opportunity arose. The status of the English kings' French fiefs was a major source of conflict between the two monarchies throughout the Middle Ages. Any interruptions to regular shipping were liable to starve Gascony and financially cripple England the French were well aware of this. However, by this time English Gascony had become so truncated by French encroachments that it relied on imports of food, largely from England. Bordeaux had a population of over 50,000, greater than London's, and Bordeaux was possibly richer. The duty levied by the English Crown on wine from Bordeaux, the capital of Gascony, was more than all other customs duties combined and by far the largest source of state income. Among their cargoes were over 80,000 tuns of wine. īefore the war commenced at least 1,000 ships a year departed Gascony. The Gascons preferred their relationship with a distant English king who left them alone to one with a French king who would interfere in their affairs. A large proportion of the enormous quantity of red wine that they produced was shipped to England in a profitable trade. The independent-minded Gascons had their own customs and claimed to have a separate language. Over the centuries, English holdings in France had varied in size, but by 1337 only Gascony in south-western France and Ponthieu in northern France were left. ![]() Since the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, English monarchs had held titles and lands within France, the possession of which made them vassals of the kings of France. It was one of a series of victories which would lead to Henry of Lancaster being called "one of the best warriors in the world" by a contemporary chronicler. Along with the Battle of Bergerac earlier in the year, it marked a change in the military balance of power in the region as the French position subsequently collapsed. The battle took place during the early stages of the Hundred Years' War. The battle resulted in a heavy defeat for the French, who suffered very high casualties, with their leaders killed or captured. At the time, Gascony was a territory of the English Crown and the "English" army included a large proportion of native Gascons. It was fought at the village of Auberoche near Périgueux in northern Aquitaine. The Battle of Auberoche was fought on 21 October 1345 during the Gascon campaign of 1345 between an Anglo- Gascon force of 1,200 men under Henry, Earl of Derby, and a French army of 7,000 commanded by Louis of Poitiers. Class=notpageimage| Location of Auberoche in modern Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and other places named in the text
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