Battle of Cadzand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Cadzand |
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| Part of the Hundred Years' War | |||||||
 Battle of Cadzand (Jean Froissart, 14th century) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of England | County of Flanders | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Sir Walter Manny | Sir Guy de Rickenbourg | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3,500 | Several thousand | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown, light | Almost total | ||||||
The Battle of Cadzand was an early fight in the Hundred Years' War. It happened in 1337. This battle was a quick raid on the island of Cadzand. This island was part of Flanders at the time.
The main goal of the raid was to make the local soldiers react. This would give England an easy victory. It was hoped this win would make English people feel better. It would also impress King Edward III's allies in Europe. On November 9, Sir Walter Manny led the English troops. They tried to capture the city of Sluys but were pushed back.
Why the Battle Happened
King Edward III of England needed a victory. His plans for the war were not going well. His allies in places like the Netherlands and Germany were slow to act. This stopped his planned invasion of France. Also, fighting in the Gascony region was not successful.
Edward's navy was not ready to carry his main army across the sea. He also had money problems. He had to pay a lot of money to his European allies. So, he needed a clear sign of his power. He wanted to show what his army could do.
Because of this, he ordered Sir Walter Manny to act. Sir Walter Manny was leading Edward's first group of soldiers. They were already in Hainaut. Edward told him to take a small fleet of ships. Their mission was to raid the island of Cadzand. Cadzand is now part of the Netherlands. Back then, it was part of Flanders. Flanders was a region of France that had some self-rule.
The Island of Cadzand
Cadzand was a small, marshy island. It had mostly fishing villages. There wasn't much valuable treasure there. Its main importance was being very close to the rich Flemish port of Sluys. This made Cadzand a good "bait" to draw out the soldiers from Sluys.
The soldiers guarding Sluys were led by Sir Guy de Rickenbourg. He was the son of Louis, Count of Nevers. They could not let the English raid so close to them without fighting back. So, a few days later, they crossed the water to the island. They tried to fight Sir Walter Manny.
The English commander, Manny, was ready for them. His soldiers were set up in a strong defensive spot on the island. This allowed them to attack the Flemish force. The English quickly defeated them. They likely used longbows to help win the fight.
Only a few Flemish soldiers managed to escape back across the water. Guy of Flanders was captured along with other noblemen. Most of the regular Flemish soldiers were defeated. The English had very few losses.
What Happened After
The Battle of Cadzand did not have many long-term effects. Sir Walter Manny left the island soon after his victory. He left it to the people who lived there.
However, Edward's allies were impressed by this show of strength. The areas of Flanders near the border were also scared. King Philip VI of France was also greatly affected. He thought that traitors among the Flemish people had caused the defeat. In response, he started a period of fear and executions. This continued for the rest of his time as king. This made many of his allies and supporters turn against him.
Ten years after this battle, England and Flanders became allies. This happened after an uprising in Flanders. Edward III had to apologize for ordering the raid on Cadzand. He also made some symbolic payments to make up for it. The town of Sluys later became famous for a very important naval battle in 1340.
