Armagnac (party) facts for kids
The Armagnac group was very important in French politics and wars during the Hundred Years' War. This group was friends with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans. They were against John the Fearless after Charles' father, Louis of Orléans, was killed in Paris. This happened on November 23, 1407, because the Duke of Burgundy ordered it.
The Armagnac group got its name from Charles' father-in-law, Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (1360–1418). Bernard helped the young Duke Charles when he was a teenager. He also provided a lot of money and some experienced soldiers from Gascony. These soldiers tried to attack Paris but were defeated at Saint-Cloud.
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How the Armagnac Group Started
In 1407, Louis of Orléans was killed because John the Fearless wanted him dead. Other powerful dukes and counts worried about John the Fearless's plans. So, in 1410, the dukes of Berry, Brittany, and Orléans joined forces. The counts of Alençon, Clermont, and Armagnac also joined them. They formed a group against the Duke of Burgundy.
Charles of Orléans, Louis's son, married Bonne d'Armagnac. She was the daughter of Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac. Because of this marriage, Bernard became the main leader of Charles's family group. That is why Charles's supporters became known as the Armagnacs.
Struggle for Paris
People in Paris who supported the nobles also started calling themselves "Armagnac." They fought to control the city against the Burgundians. The Armagnac group was made of two parts: the Orleanists and those who followed Count Bernard. Bernard slowly became a strong voice for the Orleanist side in the royal court.
His soldiers from Gascony wore white sashes on their shoulders. They were hired to bring order to Paris. But Bernard's methods were very harsh, and many Parisians did not like his rule. In February, the citizens asked John the Fearless, who had left Paris, to come back. The next month, John presented a long paper called The Justification of the Duke of Burgundy. It claimed to show proof of the Armagnacs' secret plans.
The Duke of Orléans asked the king for help. But King Charles wanted a meeting in Chartres to make peace. By the end of December 1409, Burgundians had taken over all the city government jobs in Paris.
The League of Gien
The Armagnacs completely left city politics. They formed a new group called the League of Gien. Other unhappy royal family members joined them. These included John, Duke of Berry, Louis II, Duke of Anjou, John I, Duke of Bourbon, John I, Duke of Alençon, John V, Duke of Brittany, Charles d'Albret, and John, Count of Clermont. These nobles were the main political and military leaders of the Armagnac group.
The Burgundians met the Armagnacs at the Peace of Bicetres. This was an attempt to make a truce and solve their problems. But it mostly failed. While the Armagnacs were attacking Paris, a small English army landed at Calais. They came to help the Burgundian government. In October 1411, the English marched towards Paris.
Seeking English Help
Both sides in the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War asked King Henry IV of England for help. In May 1412, the Armagnacs faced another setback at the Treaty of Bourges. The Armagnacs offered Henry IV full control over Gascony if he sent an army of 4,000 men. Thomas, Duke of Clarence, a strong cavalry general, asked for a lot of land, including Normandy, to help Burgundy.
The Armagnacs were desperate to protect France's honor. So, they asked England to help settle their internal fight. At the Treaty of Buzancais, the English demanded a very large payment from the Armagnacs. Their main general, Louis, Duke of Guyenne (who was then the Dauphin), was outsmarted and defeated. He was forced to sign the Treaty of Auxerre.
Later Events and Reconciliation Attempts
Later, John the Fearless went back to his lands. Bernard of Armagnac stayed in Paris. Burgundy gained control of Paris in 1419. The Count of Armagnac was killed in the same year. Also in 1419, Henry V of England conquered Normandy.
Both the Armagnacs and Burgundians realized that England was the biggest threat. They tried to make peace between themselves. However, in September 1419, at a meeting on a bridge in Montereau, followers of the Dauphin Charles killed John the Fearless. The Dauphin Charles had become the new leader in 1417. Because of this, John's son, Philip the Good, became friends with England. Henry V then moved into Paris without any resistance.
The Armagnac group, along with the Dauphin Charles, set up their own government in central and southern France. Meanwhile, the English and Burgundians controlled the north, including Paris. Small wars continued between the Armagnacs and Burgundians for several years. Since the Burgundians were allied with the English from 1419, the rivalry between the two French groups became part of the bigger war between France and England.
The terms "Armagnac" and "Burgundian" were used until King Charles VII made them illegal. This happened near the end of the Hundred Years' War. It was part of his efforts to heal the divisions in France.
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