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Franco-Flemish War
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Franco-Flemish War
The Franco-Flemish War was a conflict between the Kingdom of France and the County of Flanders between 1297 and 1305. The war is related to the original Gascon War and the First War of Scottish Independence, as Philip IV of France and Edward I of England sought allies in Scotland and Flanders respectively and thus involved the related conflicts.
Philip IV, who became king of France in 1285, was determined to strengthen the French monarchy at any cost. The County of Flanders had been nominally part of the kingdom since the Treaty of Verdun in 843 but had maintained its de facto independence from the crown. Flanders had some of the richest cities of that time, including Bruges, Ghent, Ypres, Lille and Douai. They tried to keep their independence from the Count of Flanders and from the rural aristocracy but were themselves divided between their rich patricians and the urban tradesmen, united in guilds. In 1288, Philip IV used complaints over taxes to tighten his control over Flanders. Tension built between Guy of Dampierre, count of Flanders, and the king.
Meanwhile, despite having been forced to accept the loss of Normandy, Maine, Anjou and Poitou in the 1259 Treaty of Paris after a century of conflict, the Kingdom of England continued to hold the Channel Islands and the massive Duchy of Aquitaine in nominal vassalage to the French king. Personal disputes between English and French sailors in the early 1290s caused Philip to make demands that prompted King Edward I to renounce his fealty and Philip to declare his Continental holdings forfeit to the Crown, occasioning the 1294–1303 Gascon War.
Count Guy attempted to join his fortunes with King Edward in 1294, betrothing his daughter Philippa to Prince Edward, the future Edward II. Philip then ordered the arrest and imprisonment of Guy and two of his sons; the marriage was called off and Philippa was brought to Paris, where she remained until her death in 1306. Guy was summoned before the king in 1296, and the principal cities of Flanders were taken under royal "protection" until he paid an indemnity and surrendered his territories after which he would hold them at the grace of the King.
In January 1297, Count Guy formally renounced his vassalage to King Philip IV and allied himself with Edward I, king of England; John I, count of Holland; Henry III, count of Bar; and Adolf of Nassau, king of the Germans. Philip responded by declaring Guy's titles forfeit, annexing Flanders to the royal domain, and sending a French army under Robert II of Artois to conquer it. The count of Flanders received little support from his allies: an invasion of Champagne by Count Henry III of Bar (June 1297) was easily beaten back by King Philip's wife, Queen Joan I of Navarre, the German king encountered opposition from a French backed rival Albert I of Habsburg and fell in battle in 1298, and King Edward encountered opposition by the English nobility against a Flemish enterprise and was faced with the First War of Scottish Independence. This meant that Count Guy effectively faced the French alone.
The count's eldest son Robert of Bethune speedily occupied Mortagne, at the confluence of the Scheldt and the Scarpe, and the castle of Helkijn. In March 1297 King Phillip IV arrested all partisans of Count Guy and seized all their property. Philip IV then occupied the castle of l’Ecluse near Douai. In June 1297, Philip IV gathered an army of about 3,000 knights at Compiegne. The French Army marched on Arras (6 June), Lens (12 June) and reached the Franco-Flemish border near Douai on 14 June 1297. The next day part of the French cavalry, led by the king's brother Charles of Valois and by Raoul de Nesle crossed the border near Râches and encountered part of the Flemish Army, consisting of German hired troops, which was beaten back. After the setback, Orchies surrendered to France. Valois' troops raided and burned the countryside up to Lille, but then returned to the French main army.
On 16 June 1297, the entire French Army entered Flanders, marching upon Lille and burning the towns of Seclin and Loos on the way. On 17 June, Lille was invested and a formal siege began, lasting ten weeks. During the siege, French raiding parties marched through the Flemish countryside, burning or conquering the towns of Komen, Waasten, and Kortrijk, which surrendered to Valois.
In August 1297, the French troops were reinforced when Robert of Artois returned from his successful campaign against Edward in Aquitaine. Artois's troops marched upon Cassel, which, except for the Flemish-occupied castle, was burned, and to Sint-Winoksbergen, which surrendered. By 20 August, Artois's troops had reached Veurne. The Flemish counter-attack on Artois ended in a French victory at the Battle of Furnes (20 August 1297). Five days later Lille surrendered to King Philip and the 3,000-man strong Flemish Army, led by Robert of Bethune, was allowed to march out to Roeselare.
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Franco-Flemish War
The Franco-Flemish War was a conflict between the Kingdom of France and the County of Flanders between 1297 and 1305. The war is related to the original Gascon War and the First War of Scottish Independence, as Philip IV of France and Edward I of England sought allies in Scotland and Flanders respectively and thus involved the related conflicts.
Philip IV, who became king of France in 1285, was determined to strengthen the French monarchy at any cost. The County of Flanders had been nominally part of the kingdom since the Treaty of Verdun in 843 but had maintained its de facto independence from the crown. Flanders had some of the richest cities of that time, including Bruges, Ghent, Ypres, Lille and Douai. They tried to keep their independence from the Count of Flanders and from the rural aristocracy but were themselves divided between their rich patricians and the urban tradesmen, united in guilds. In 1288, Philip IV used complaints over taxes to tighten his control over Flanders. Tension built between Guy of Dampierre, count of Flanders, and the king.
Meanwhile, despite having been forced to accept the loss of Normandy, Maine, Anjou and Poitou in the 1259 Treaty of Paris after a century of conflict, the Kingdom of England continued to hold the Channel Islands and the massive Duchy of Aquitaine in nominal vassalage to the French king. Personal disputes between English and French sailors in the early 1290s caused Philip to make demands that prompted King Edward I to renounce his fealty and Philip to declare his Continental holdings forfeit to the Crown, occasioning the 1294–1303 Gascon War.
Count Guy attempted to join his fortunes with King Edward in 1294, betrothing his daughter Philippa to Prince Edward, the future Edward II. Philip then ordered the arrest and imprisonment of Guy and two of his sons; the marriage was called off and Philippa was brought to Paris, where she remained until her death in 1306. Guy was summoned before the king in 1296, and the principal cities of Flanders were taken under royal "protection" until he paid an indemnity and surrendered his territories after which he would hold them at the grace of the King.
In January 1297, Count Guy formally renounced his vassalage to King Philip IV and allied himself with Edward I, king of England; John I, count of Holland; Henry III, count of Bar; and Adolf of Nassau, king of the Germans. Philip responded by declaring Guy's titles forfeit, annexing Flanders to the royal domain, and sending a French army under Robert II of Artois to conquer it. The count of Flanders received little support from his allies: an invasion of Champagne by Count Henry III of Bar (June 1297) was easily beaten back by King Philip's wife, Queen Joan I of Navarre, the German king encountered opposition from a French backed rival Albert I of Habsburg and fell in battle in 1298, and King Edward encountered opposition by the English nobility against a Flemish enterprise and was faced with the First War of Scottish Independence. This meant that Count Guy effectively faced the French alone.
The count's eldest son Robert of Bethune speedily occupied Mortagne, at the confluence of the Scheldt and the Scarpe, and the castle of Helkijn. In March 1297 King Phillip IV arrested all partisans of Count Guy and seized all their property. Philip IV then occupied the castle of l’Ecluse near Douai. In June 1297, Philip IV gathered an army of about 3,000 knights at Compiegne. The French Army marched on Arras (6 June), Lens (12 June) and reached the Franco-Flemish border near Douai on 14 June 1297. The next day part of the French cavalry, led by the king's brother Charles of Valois and by Raoul de Nesle crossed the border near Râches and encountered part of the Flemish Army, consisting of German hired troops, which was beaten back. After the setback, Orchies surrendered to France. Valois' troops raided and burned the countryside up to Lille, but then returned to the French main army.
On 16 June 1297, the entire French Army entered Flanders, marching upon Lille and burning the towns of Seclin and Loos on the way. On 17 June, Lille was invested and a formal siege began, lasting ten weeks. During the siege, French raiding parties marched through the Flemish countryside, burning or conquering the towns of Komen, Waasten, and Kortrijk, which surrendered to Valois.
In August 1297, the French troops were reinforced when Robert of Artois returned from his successful campaign against Edward in Aquitaine. Artois's troops marched upon Cassel, which, except for the Flemish-occupied castle, was burned, and to Sint-Winoksbergen, which surrendered. By 20 August, Artois's troops had reached Veurne. The Flemish counter-attack on Artois ended in a French victory at the Battle of Furnes (20 August 1297). Five days later Lille surrendered to King Philip and the 3,000-man strong Flemish Army, led by Robert of Bethune, was allowed to march out to Roeselare.
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