Battle of Saint-Omer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Saint-Omer
Part of the Hundred Years' War
Date 26 July 1340 Location Saint-Omer, Artois, France Result French victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	County of Flanders Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Eudes IV of Burgundy Jean I of Armagnac	Robert III of Artois
Strength
3,000 (mostly mounted men-at-arms)	11,000–16,000 men 10,000–15,000 Flemings 1,000 English archers Unknown number of English men-at-arms
Casualties and losses
Light	8,000 dead Unknown wounded

The Battle of Saint-Omer happened on July 26, 1340. It was a big fight early in the Hundred Years' War. This war was a long conflict between England and France. King Edward III of England launched a summer attack from Flanders in 1340.

This attack followed a big English navy win at the Battle of Sluys. But the land campaign did not go as well as Edward hoped. At Saint-Omer, French soldiers were defending the city. They were greatly outnumbered. Yet, they surprisingly defeated the English and Flemish forces.

The English and Flemish armies lost many soldiers. The French captured their entire camp. They took many warhorses, other animals, and carts. They also got all the tents, lots of supplies, and most of the Flemish flags. This was a bad start for Edward's 1340 campaign. Luckily, most of the skilled English longbowmen survived. They later rejoined King Edward at Tournai.

This defeat had serious effects. It left southern Flanders open to attack from King Philip VI. It also allowed the French to focus their forces. They could then fight the main English army during the siege of Tournai.

Why the Battle Happened

Flanders and France in 1340

For many years, Flanders was under French control. There were often rebellions and wars for freedom. In the late 1330s, Flanders tried again to become independent. Louis I of Flanders, who was friendly with France, was removed from power. He then fled to France.

Jacob van Artevelde took control of this uprising. He became a powerful leader in Ghent, a major city in Flanders. King Edward III of England wanted allies against France. He made a deal with Artevelde. Edward promised to fund the Flemish government. He also promised to supply wool, which was vital for Flanders. In return, Flanders would support Edward's war. They would also let England use Flanders as a base to invade France.

Edward's Plan for Invasion

Artevelde agreed to the deal. But he secretly did not want to use all his resources for the war. Also, he did not fully control all the trading cities in Flanders. So, when Edward arrived in 1340, he expected 150,000 Flemish troops. He was surprised to find only a small number had gathered.

Edward had just won a great naval battle at Sluys. Feeling confident, he wanted to push his advantage on land. He ordered Robert III of Artois to lead an attack. Robert was a claimant to the title of Count of Artois. He took 1,000 English archers and 10,000 to 15,000 Flemish troops. These troops had gathered in Artois. Their mission was to raid the area around Saint-Omer. This was meant to provoke the French. Perhaps they could even capture an important town like Saint-Omer. Meanwhile, Edward stayed in Flanders. He was raising another army to attack Tournai.

French Preparations

The French knew about Edward's plans. They began to strengthen their forts in Northern France. By July, King Philip VI had an army of 24,000 men. They set up strong defenses. They placed large garrisons along the borders of Flanders and Hainaut. Also, Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy, who ruled Artois, had his own garrisons. These were in the western and coastal parts of the border.

Robert's Campaign Moves Towards Saint-Omer

The French did not expect an attack on Saint-Omer. But Edward III's slow preparations gave them plenty of warning. On July 13, King Philip sent several thousand soldiers to Saint-Omer. These troops were led by Eudes of Burgundy. They started tearing down the outer parts of the city.

Robert of Artois was still 15 miles away. He was arguing with his own troops. Robert believed there were people in Saint-Omer who supported Flanders. He thought he could just march to the gates and be let in. But this was not true. Still, he kept moving closer to the town. On July 25, he burned the nearby town of Arques. Then, he spread his forces around the eastern edges of Saint-Omer.

Robert Faces a Trap

Behind Robert, King Philip VI's army was moving fast. It quickly became clear to the English and Flemish commanders that there was no time for a siege. In just a few days, their army would be caught. They would be trapped between the French Royal army and the soldiers inside Saint-Omer.

Robert knew he might have to retreat. So, he lined up his forces in front of Saint-Omer. He offered the French soldiers inside the chance to fight. Robert put his best troops in the front. These were the English soldiers and longbowmen, and the troops from Bruges. Behind them were three groups. The men of Ypres were on the left. The men of Veurne and Bergues were in the center. On the right was a group from the area around Bruges. Finally, in the back, were other Flemings. They were a reserve and guarded the Allied camp.

Robert built ditches and barriers in front of his army. He also put them along his left side. These had hidden obstacles to stop enemy horsemen. Protected like this, he waited for the French.

The Battle Begins

Burgundy and Armagnac knew King Philip VI was coming. They decided to wait for him without fighting. But their plan failed. Some French knights were eager to fight. They ignored their commanders' orders to wait. They charged out of the town. They attacked the protected barriers on the allied left side. They were pushed back.

However, the men of Ypres, who were defending the barrier, jumped over it. They rushed into the open field after the French knights. The rest of the second line followed them. The French saw that the Flemings no longer had their protection. So, they turned and attacked back. This started a fierce fight that lasted most of the afternoon.

Burgundy could see all this from the city wall. He could not wait any longer. He and Armagnac led their groups of about 850 men out of the town gates. This included 300 heavy cavalry. Armagnac and his men rode around to the southern edge of the battlefield. They joined the fight that had been going on since midday.

Flemish Retreat and French Victory

The men of Ypres and other Flemings who were in the second line were pushed back. They suffered heavy losses and eventually ran away. They fled through the open camp of the English and Flemish army. This caused panic among the soldiers waiting in the rear. The French crashed into the camp after them. They trapped the fleeing Flemings in a bend of the river Aa. Thousands of them were killed there.

Meanwhile, Burgundy did not go with Armagnac to the southern flank. He rode straight towards the front lines of the English and Flemish army. Robert of Artois and the English and Bruges soldiers had stood there all afternoon. They were behind their defenses. When they saw Burgundy's flags, they charged. The duke's horsemen were not ready. They were overwhelmed by the large number of attackers. They fell back into the southeastern parts of Saint-Omer.

A fierce fight by French townspeople and archers stopped Robert's men from breaking into the town. It took some time before the gates could finally be closed behind the remaining French forces. No one in the town or in Robert's army knew that the French controlled the field a mile behind them. As darkness fell, Robert and Armagnac returned to their positions on the same road. This led to some quick fights in the dark, but no major battles.

Aftermath of the Battle

When morning came, Robert saw the full disaster that had happened to his troops on the southern side. The Flemings with Robert did not wait for the French to return. They fled to Cassel and Ypres. Robert himself hesitated for a moment, then followed them.

He had failed to capture the town. He also failed to defeat the French army in an open battle. He knew he had no choice but to stop the campaign. Otherwise, King Philip's larger army would cut him off from Flanders. Robert left behind everything that could not be carried quickly. He returned to Edward with the rest of his army. He had left about 8,000 Flemish soldiers dead on the field.

Both sides could still fight. Robert's first line, which had his best troops, mostly survived. These were the English longbowmen. However, there were still important effects. The morale among the Flemish soldiers in Edward's army collapsed. This hurt the reputation of the alliance. It also weakened its unity. Southern Flanders was now unprotected. The men meant to defend it were dead outside Saint-Omer.

Within a few days, representatives from towns like Ypres and Bruges made peace offers to King Philip. Even van Artevelde's enemies in Ghent did this. This weakened English support in the area. Despite this, Edward continued his campaign. He left Ghent to besiege Tournai.