Siege of Château Gaillard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Château Gaillard |
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| Part of Normandy campaigns of 1202–1204 | |||||||||
 The ruins of Château Gaillard fortress today. The outer bailey is shown at the front of the Château, while the inner bailey is the tower far to the right. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Kingdom of France | Kingdom of England Duchy of Normandy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Philip II of France | King John Roger de Lacy |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| 6,500-8,500 | Garrison: 100-200 Relieving force: 8,000-10,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| unknown | unknown | ||||||||
The Siege of Château Gaillard was a major battle in the Middle Ages. It was part of King Philip II's plan to take over lands in Europe that belonged to King John. The French king surrounded and attacked Château Gaillard, a strong Norman castle, for six months. In the end, the French won, and this led to France taking control of Normandy.
Contents
Planning the Attack
King Philip wanted to control Normandy. The castle at Château Gaillard was very important for this goal. Instead of attacking it right away, Philip first captured smaller castles nearby. This helped him cut off Château Gaillard and made sure no other armies could threaten his plans.
Once the castle was isolated, Philip began his siege. It was a slow process because Château Gaillard was a very powerful fortress. The defenders had to stay inside the castle. They could make small counterattacks, but mostly they had to defend against Philip's moves.
The Anglo-Normans destroyed a bridge to make it hard for the French to cross the river. But Philip's soldiers first filled the castle's ditch and broke through a wooden fence. This allowed them to get closer to the main castle. The French then built a bridge of boats across the river. This bridge was protected by clever floating towers on boats. This made sure the French army could move easily and safely. With his supply lines secure, Philip started to weaken the castle's defenses.
Attempts to Help the Castle
King John sent two groups to help the castle. One group was supposed to row up the river at night. Their job was to destroy the French bridge of boats. This would split the French army in two. At the same time, a land army led by William the Marshal would attack one part of the French army. This part would be trapped with their backs to the river.
But the rescue plan went wrong. The land attack started well, but the French managed to retreat over their boat bridge. The river attack had not arrived on time. The boats carrying supplies for the castle defenders were very heavy. They took much longer than planned to row upstream against the river's current.
Because of this delay, the French were able to regroup. They counter-attacked and pushed back King John's land forces. By the time the boats reached the bridge, the French were ready. They fought off the boats, causing many losses. After this, King John gave up trying to help the castle. One writer from that time said King John was twenty miles away before his army even realized he had left.
Getting Ready for the Big Fight
Even a long time ago, new technology could help a small group achieve big results. One such tool was Greek fire. This was a mix of oil and other things that would burst into flames when it touched air. A brave Frenchman named Galbert strapped containers of this flammable material to himself. He swam to an island behind the castle and placed his charges. The huge fire that followed allowed the French to capture the island. This completely cut off the castle from any outside help.
The siege was going to be long, so Philip built simple huts for his soldiers. He ordered trenches to be dug to protect his camp. He also had a "covered way" built. This allowed his men to approach the castle safely. Philip set up his siege engines in good spots. He ordered the tops of hills to be flattened to make perfect places for them. These machines threw heavy rocks at the Anglo-Normans.
Meanwhile, Roger de Lacy, the castle's commander, worried about his supplies. He wasn't sure if they would last until new help arrived. So, he sent all the people who couldn't fight out of the castle. This was a kind act, but it also meant fewer people to feed. At first, the French let these refugees pass through their lines. But after a while, they stopped letting them through. This left hundreds of people trapped between the French army and the castle. Siege engines and archers fired over their heads. They stayed there, starving, until Philip finally felt sorry for them. He gave them food and let them pass through his lines.
King John tried one more time to break the siege. He raided Brittany to try and make the French leave. But Philip did not want to give up his hard work. He stayed where he was. King John became disheartened and sailed back to England. He never returned.
Throughout the winter of 1203 and 1204, the castle defenders had to make do with what they had. Philip's men, however, received more supplies. The French built belfries. These were tall, mobile structures that protected soldiers as they used rams or other tools to attack walls and gates. By February, the first big attack was ready.
The Siege Begins
The Outer Wall Falls
To get into the castle's outer area, called the bailey, the French needed to either break through the walls or open a gate. Opening a gate was unlikely, though they could try to batter one down. Philip's attack came from several directions.
While siege engines and archers shot at the walls, other engines and archers targeted the defenders on the walls. They were protected by belfries with thick, sloped roofs. Miners also worked to dig tunnels under the walls. This was dangerous work. Tunnels could collapse early, or the enemy might dig their own tunnels to meet them. If that happened, there would be a fierce fight in the dark tunnels.
Philip's attack on the outer bailey also used a very old method: climbing ladders. Foot soldiers ran up to the walls with ladders and started to climb. But the ladders were too short. Men were attacked by the guards on the wall and couldn't move because of the people behind them. Some attackers managed to find footholds in the stone. A few even made it onto the wall. There was intense hand-to-hand fighting. More French soldiers climbed up. As more Frenchmen got into the outer bailey, it became clear it could not be held. The defenders who could escape ran back to the inner bailey. They prepared for the next attack.
The Inner Castle Falls
Capturing the outer bailey took a lot of time and lives, but Philip was ready for this. He decided to attack the last part of the castle, the inner bailey. Philip's men found a garderobe (a toilet chute) and climbed up it. They entered the chapel above. From there, they let their fellow soldiers into the central bailey, which was then captured.
The inner bailey was surrounded by a moat. A natural rock bridge crossed this moat. Using the bridge for cover, the French took the inner bailey. The soldiers of King John surrendered on March 6, 1204.
What Happened Next
After capturing Château Gaillard, Philip launched more attacks into lands held by England. The reputation and confidence of the English royal family (the Plantagenets) were badly hurt. They had lost their strong castles, and their attempts to help had failed completely. Normandy did not put up much of a fight after this. Philip then took the city of Rouen and pushed all the way to the coast.
His campaign helped him gain control of several important areas, including Anjou and Touraine. The lands that the Plantagenets held in France were shrinking. Château Gaillard's commander, Roger de Lacy, went back to England. He started working on making his own castle at Pontefract stronger.
In England, King John was already not very popular. The fall of Château Gaillard made him lose even more respect. A king who couldn't even keep his own castles and failed to help his loyal lords was seen as a weak ruler. It is likely that the shame of losing Château Gaillard played a part in the decision of English nobles to challenge King John. That challenge later led to one of the most important events in English history: the signing of the Magna Carta.
