Siege of Tournai (1340) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Tournai
Part of the Hundred Years' War
Miniature of the siege from The Chronicle of St. Albans by Thomas Walsingham . 1460
Date 23 July – 25 September 1340 Location Tournai, France 50°36′20″N 03°23′17″E / 50.60556°N 3.38806°E / 50.60556; 3.38806 Result French victory Truce of Espléchin
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	Kingdom of England County of Flanders Duchy of Brabant County of Hainaut Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
King Philip VI Enguerrand VI de Coucy Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu Gaston II, Count of Foix	King Edward III Jacob van Artevelde John III William II John Chandos
Strength
5800 • 2/3 men-at-arms • 1/3 foot soldiers	~23,000 men
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Siege of Tournai was a big battle that happened from July 23 to September 25, 1340. It was part of the Hundred Years' War, a long conflict between England and France. During this siege, King Edward III of England led a large group of armies from England, Flanders, Hainaut, Brabant, and the Holy Roman Empire. They tried to capture the French city of Tournai. The siege ended with a peace agreement called the Truce of Espléchin, which meant the French kept control of Tournai.

Why the Siege Happened

After a huge naval win at the Battle of Sluys, King Edward III of England could finally land his army in northern France. When he arrived, he was joined by Jacob van Artevelde, a powerful leader from Flanders.

By 1340, the war was costing England a lot of money. King Edward was almost broke. He tried to raise money by taxing grain and wool, but it didn't bring in enough.

Soon after landing, Edward split his army. About 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers from Flanders and 1,000 English archers went on a chevauchée (a raiding trip) led by Robert III of Artois. The rest of Edward's forces went to besiege Tournai.

The Siege Begins

Inside Tournai, there were about 5,800 French soldiers ready to defend the city. These included the regular city guards and a group of 2,500 to 3,000 soldiers sent by the French King Philip VI.

King Edward's armies reached Tournai on July 23. They were joined by soldiers from Flanders, Hainaut, and the Holy Roman Empire. Later, more troops from Brabant also arrived.

The attacking armies surrounded Tournai and built large machines to attack the city walls. They even used some of the earliest cannons in European warfare! However, Tournai's walls were very strong, so the cannons didn't do much damage. Edward then decided to try and starve the city instead. Tournai didn't have much food stored up, and with so many soldiers inside, it was hard to feed everyone for a long time.

Fighting and Problems

As the siege went on, the attackers grew impatient. On August 26, about 2,000 soldiers from Flanders tried to attack the walls, but they were pushed back and lost many men. On September 2, they tried again with a giant battering ram, but they still couldn't break through. These failed attacks made the different groups in Edward's army argue, especially because the German and Brabant soldiers didn't join in the attacks.

King Edward's money problems got worse. By September, no money had arrived from England, and he had to borrow even more to feed his soldiers. He knew his allies would leave if they weren't paid. The soldiers from Brabant and Hainaut even threatened to stop fighting if they didn't get their money.

Edward realized he couldn't win and started looking for a way to make peace. On September 22, his mother-in-law, Joan of Valois, visited him and begged him to stop the fighting. She had also asked her brother, King Philip of France, for peace. These talks led to the Truce of Espléchin on September 25, and the siege of Tournai finally ended.

What Happened Next

The Truce of Espléchin was a big setback for England in northern France. Edward's allies were unhappy about not winning and not getting paid, so their armies quickly broke apart. Edward went back to England with no money, blaming his government officials for not sending him funds. When he arrived in London, he fired many of his ministers and judges. This caused a lot of problems for the English government for several months.

The truce also affected the French king, Philip. Flanders remained under the control of Jacob van Artevelde, which meant it was more allied with England. The war had also cost France a lot of money. King Philip had to reduce the value of his money five times between 1337 and 1340. Many towns in northern France, like Aire and Orchies, were also destroyed during the English campaigns.