Navarrese Civil War (1451–1455) facts for kids
The Navarrese Civil War was a big fight that happened in the Kingdom of Navarre between 1451 and 1455. It was unusual because it was a war between a father, King John II, and his own son, Prince Charles.
John II became King of Navarre in 1425 because he was married to Blanche I of Navarre, the queen. They had agreed that their oldest son would become king after Blanche died.
When Queen Blanche passed away in 1441, her son Charles was supposed to become king. But King John II decided to keep control of Navarre for himself. This meant he took away his son Charles's right to the throne. Charles had already been given the title of Prince of Viana by his grandfather in 1423, which meant he was the next in line.
King John tried to make things better by letting Charles govern Navarre for a while. However, Charles had grown up in France and had strong allies there called the Beaumonteses. King John had his own supporters, the Agramonteses. These different groups and Charles's French connections led to a big disagreement between father and son.
The War Begins (1451–1455)
The disagreement turned into an open war in Navarre from 1451 to 1455.
Key Events and Battles
In 1452, Prince Charles was defeated in a battle called the Battle of Aybar. He was captured by his father's forces but was later set free.
King John then tried to stop Charles from ever becoming king. He illegally named his daughter, Eleanor, as his successor instead. Eleanor was married to Gaston IV of Foix.
In 1451, King John's new wife, Juana Enríquez, gave birth to a son named Ferdinand. This made the situation even more complicated.
Charles Seeks Help
After his defeat, Charles left Navarre. He first went to France, hoping to find allies to help him, but he didn't succeed. Later, he went to Naples to visit his uncle, Alfonso V of Aragon, who was King John's older brother.
Charles was very popular among the people in Spain. King John, however, became less and less popular because he refused to accept Charles as his rightful heir. Many believed King John planned to make his younger son, Ferdinand, the next king instead of Charles.
This war in Navarre was an early sign of another big conflict that would happen later, the Catalan Civil War (1462–72). King John's poor treatment of Charles was one of the main reasons for that future war.
See also
In Spanish: Guerra civil de Navarra para niños
