Battle of Mello facts for kids

The Battle of Mello was a very important and large fight during the Jacquerie of 1358. The Jacquerie was a big rebellion by peasants in the Beauvais region of France. This area was very rich, but the rebellion caused a lot of damage. This happened in the middle of the Hundred Years' War with England.

The Battle of Mello happened at almost the same time as another big battle. This second battle was fought in Meaux. In Meaux, the peasant rebels, also called Jacques Bonhommes, joined with soldiers from Paris. They attacked a royal stronghold, which was like a strong castle or fort.

How the Rebellion Started

The Jacquerie rebellion began on May 28, 1358. It started in a village called Saint-Leu d'Esserent in the Beauvais region. This area was the main center of the uprising.

The rebellion was connected to a revolt led by Étienne Marcel in Paris. However, the Jacquerie was mostly a movement led by peasants. It spread from Beauvaisis to other areas. These included Picardy, parts of Normandy, Champagne, and the southern Île-de-France.

These groups of peasants attacked noble homes. Many of these homes were only occupied by women and children. The men were away with an army trying to take back Paris from Marcel's rebellion. The main goal of the peasants was to destroy noble houses and forts. They also looted or ruined everything inside them.

Nobles Fight Back

The nobles were very angry about the rebellion. Nobles from all over northern France asked for help. They got support from King Charles II of Navarre in Normandy. Some of his soldiers were English mercenaries.

This army moved into the Beauvais region. They got ready to attack the peasants. The peasants had set up a camp near Mello.

Another army of 800 soldiers was sent from Paris to Meaux. This army was led by Jean Vaillant and Pierre Gilles. They surrounded the castle of Marché. Inside the castle were Lady Jeanne de Bourbon, who was the wife of the Dauphin Charles, and his daughter Jeanne. Many other nobles were also there.

According to a writer named Froissart, Count Gaston Phoebus and Lord Jean III de Grailly joined them. They were returning from a crusade with the Teutonic Knights.

The Armies at Mello

The two armies were very different. The peasant army was led by Guillaume Cale. Reports say it had about 4,000 peasants. It seems no soldiers from Paris joined them.

The army at Meaux was different. It had about 1,000 soldiers from Paris. These were sent by Etienne Marcel. It also had many Jacques and other villagers. These villagers had been forced to join by the Parisian commanders. Some of them later said they only joined because they had to.

The Battle of Mello

On the morning of June 10, 1358, the peasant army was ready. They stood on a hillside near Mello. Their archers were in the front. The foot soldiers were behind them. A small group of cavalry was kept as a backup.

Their position was strong. The noble army had fewer soldiers. It would have been hard for them to break through the peasant lines. But Charles of Navarre had a plan. He wanted to deal with the peasant leader, Guillaume Cale, before the fight began. This would weaken the peasant army greatly.

A message was sent to Cale. It invited him to talk about a peace treaty. The message said the rebels could leave unharmed. Cale was offered safe passage through the noble army for these talks. He foolishly agreed.

Once Cale entered the noble lines, he was captured. He was put in chains. That evening, he was killed in a cruel way. The rest of his army was left without a leader. The old rules of chivalry, which were about knightly honor, did not seem to apply to peasant leaders.

With their leader gone, the peasant army lost hope. Their battle lines broke apart. This allowed the noble cavalry to charge right through the middle. The peasants became a confused crowd. Charles of Navarre led the charge. The noble army then systematically killed many of them.

Even against this weaker enemy, the main French noble army fought on foot. This showed they had learned a lesson. Twelve years before, at the Battle of Crécy, cavalry had been ineffective against archers in strong positions. Many peasants were hunted down and killed on the spot. Others were later killed in large groups by beheading or hanging.

The Battle of Meaux

A second battle happened at the same time in the town of Meaux. The soldiers in the castle of Marché were getting ready for an attack. They realized the peasant army was not ready for a street fight. So, about two dozen soldiers from the castle rode out on horseback.

The peasant army had been celebrating with the townspeople the night before. They were still tired from their celebrations when the cavalry attacked their crowded ranks. The Parisian soldiers fought hard at first. But within minutes, the entire army became a panicked mob. They blocked every street trying to get away from the castle.

The townspeople also joined the panic. They feared revenge for supporting the peasants. The cavalry simply cut their way through the crowds. They killed many people, losing only one of their own soldiers. After the peasants were driven out, the entire town was burned to the ground. This was punishment for their disloyalty.

What Happened Next

People who escaped from the Jacquerie army and Meaux spread across the countryside. They were hunted down and killed. Thousands of other peasants were also killed. Many of them were innocent and had not been part of the rebellion. This was done by the angry nobles and their hired soldiers.

Villages were burned. Crops were destroyed. Families were executed. A valuable farming area became a wasteland. This was revenge for the peasants trying to change the social order. The Beauvais region and many nearby areas suffered for decades.

The Paris Jacquerie rebellion failed without the support of the peasants. These peasants produced the food in the countryside. By the end of the year, the entire area was back under noble control.