Treaty of Tours facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Treaty of Tours
The Château de Plessis-lez-Tours, where the treaty was signed
Type	Truce and marriage agreement
Context	Hundred Years' War
Signed	28 May 1444 Château de Plessis-lez-Tours
Expiry	31 July 1449 (1449-07-31)
Parties	Kingdom of England Kingdom of France
Negotiators	For England: William de la Pole For France: Jean de Dunois Louis de Beaumont

The Treaty of Tours was an attempt to make peace between Henry VI of England and Charles VII of France. Their representatives agreed to it on May 28, 1444. This happened near the end of the Hundred Years' War.

The agreement said that Charles VII's niece, Margaret of Anjou, would marry Henry VI. It also created a two-year break in fighting, called a truce. This truce was later made longer. In return for the marriage, Charles wanted England to give up the area of Maine in northern France. Maine was just south of Normandy.

Henry VI married Margaret, who was fifteen, in April 1445. But he did not give up Maine right away. This part of the deal was kept secret at first. Giving up this important area would likely make people in England very angry. Charles threatened Henry VI and sent people to pressure him. Even Margaret tried to convince Henry to give Maine up. Henry finally agreed in 1448. This was after Charles VII threatened English soldiers with a large army.

Many people in England saw the treaty as a big failure. Margaret was not a close relative of Charles VII. She was only his niece through marriage. Her own family was not rich, so she brought no dowry (money or property) with her marriage. Henry also had to pay for the wedding. Henry believed the treaty would lead to lasting peace. But Charles only wanted to use it to help his army. The truce ended in 1449. England quickly lost the rest of its lands in France. This brought the Hundred Years' War to an end.

The failure of the Treaty of Tours and the return to war caused problems for the English government. It made disagreements worse between important families. These problems may have helped start the Wars of the Roses.

Why the Treaty Happened

The Hundred Years' War had been going on for over a century by 1444. It was a long fight between the English and French royal families. They were fighting for control of the French throne. The French, led by King Charles VII, had gained a lot of land. This happened after Joan of Arc helped them in 1429. Also, England's alliance with the Duchy of Burgundy ended in 1435.

The English king, Henry VI, became an adult in 1437. He was not a strong ruler or war leader. The French were winning the war. By 1444, England only controlled Normandy in the north of France. They also held a small area in Gascony in the southwest. Charles VII ruled Paris and most of France. Most French nobles supported him.

England's lands in France could not pay more taxes. The English government was almost out of money. Most English leaders felt they needed to make a deal with the French. They knew they would have to give up some things. However, the king's uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, disagreed. He was next in line for the throne. He wanted England to keep fighting to hold onto its lands. A truce would give England a much-needed break from the fighting. For the French, it would give them time to make their armies stronger. They could get ready for the war to start again. It would also stop England from making new alliances.

Making the Treaty

It is not clear who first suggested talking about peace. But by January 1444, the English council decided to start talks with the French. In 1444, King Henry VI, King Charles VII, and Duke Philip of Burgundy agreed to meet. Their representatives would meet at Tours. They would discuss peace terms and a possible marriage alliance.

The English group was led by William de la Pole. He was sent to France on February 1. The French group was led by Jean de Dunois. Suffolk arrived in France in March 1444. He met with the French in April.

The English offered to give up Henry VI's claim to the French throne. In return, they wanted to keep Normandy without French control. But the French said no. The English also said no to French demands. The French wanted landowners who had fled English rule to get their lands back. The talks got stuck because the French would not give up much.

Suffolk then formally asked for the hand of Margaret of Anjou in marriage for Henry. Margaret was the daughter of René of Anjou. René was Charles VII's brother-in-law. René agreed, but said he had no money for a dowry. A dowry of 20,000 livres was usually given. He demanded that England return the lands of Maine and Anjou to France. This would be in exchange for the marriage and a 21-month truce.

Suffolk knew this would not be popular in England. But Henry insisted on the truce. He had heard that the Count of Nevers was also trying to marry Margaret. The marriage was not good for England. Margaret was not closely related to Charles VII. Her only connection was through her father's marriage to the King's sister.

The English had hoped the marriage would make René of Anjou push for peace. But for Charles VII, a marriage between his niece and the English King was useful. It would stop England from marrying into other powerful French noble families. An alliance with Margaret's poor family was less helpful to England. England made all the big concessions in the treaty. France got the better deal from the truce. Henry thought it was a first step to lasting peace. Charles only wanted to use it to help his army.

Suffolk was blamed for the unpopular demand to return Maine and Anjou. But he said he had not promised this in the treaty. Suffolk brought the new queen back to England later that year. The King dressed as a squire to secretly watch Margaret. He brought a letter that was supposedly from the King. When Suffolk later asked what she thought of the squire, the queen said she did not notice him. Suffolk then told her she had been with the King. She was upset, realizing she had kept him kneeling the whole time he read the letter.

The Treaty of Tours was supposed to end in April 1446. England wanted to extend it to find a longer peace with France. But Henry VI refused to give up Maine and Anjou until 1448. He only did so when Charles VII threatened to use his army.

What Happened Next in England

In England, giving up Maine was expected to cause problems. Two powerful men were likely to oppose it. One was the Earl of Somerset. He owned the most land in Maine and was its governor. The other was the Duke of Gloucester. He was against giving up land to the French.

Gloucester congratulated Suffolk in parliament in June 1445. But he soon caused trouble. He sent a gift to the King of Aragon. This king was an enemy of Henry VI's new father-in-law, René of Anjou. A few days later, Suffolk and Henry VI embarrassed Gloucester. Henry showed his dislike for his uncle's ideas. Suffolk told French ambassadors that Gloucester had no say in government.

Suffolk worried that Gloucester could become a leader for those against the government. So, he had Gloucester arrested for treason in early 1447. The duke died soon after. People rumored he was murdered, but he likely died from a stroke.

The Earl of Somerset was convinced to agree to give up Maine. He was offered the job of governor of Normandy. But it was expected that Richard, Duke of York would get that job. Suffolk wanted to get York out of the way. So, he tried to make York look bad. In late 1446, there was a fight in parliament. Suffolk's friend, bishop Adam Moleyns, and the Duke of York argued. York was accused of bad behavior as a military leader. This made York look bad and led to his removal. York was given the job of governor of Ireland. But he was very angry about how he was treated. This made him an enemy of Suffolk's government.

The truce of Tours ended in 1449. The French then easily took over Normandy. The Duke of Suffolk lost his power. He was blamed for the treaty's failure. He was removed from office and died in 1450. After this, Somerset became the king's favorite. In the years that followed, York was still angry. He saw England losing France under Somerset's leadership. He believed it hurt his honor. York constantly tried to get Somerset removed from power. He accused him of being bad at his job and stealing money. Their fight was a key reason why tensions grew. These tensions led to the Wars of the Roses.