[MR] Wikipedia: Treaty of Calais

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1360, King John II of France and King Edward III of 
England ratified the Treaty of Brétigny (later known as the Treaty of 
Calais in its final form), ending the first phase of the Hundred Years 
War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Brétigny .

King John and his 4th son Philip the Bold had been captured at the 
Battle of Potiers in 1356 ( 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Poitiers ). The treaty set down 
the terms of his ransom, 3 million gold crowns (truly a "king's 
ransom"!), and allowed King John to return to France in exchange for 
substitute hostages. It also recognized which territories in France were 
to be English (at least for a while), renounced Edward's claim on the 
French throne, and cleaned up several other matters of contention 
between the two countries.

A map of France after the treaty can be seen at 
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Map-_France_at_the_Treaty_of_Bretigny.jpg 
. Note the how French territory includes part of Flanders, including 
Bruges, and how Provence and the territories of Alcace and Lorraine are 
not yet part of France, but remain as parts of the Holy Roman Empire. 
The rise of the Dukes of Burgundy, beginning with Philip the Bold, were 
to greatly change the map of Europe in the late 14th century and 
throughout much of the following century.

Among the substitute hostages was the King's son, Prince Louis of Anjou. 
In 1362, Louis jumped aboard a ship, thumbed his nose at the English, 
and escaped back to France. When King John learned of his son's flight, 
he voluntarily returned to English custody as a matter of personal honor 
late in 1363. A few months into 1364, King John died. The likely cause 
is now thought to have been arsenic poisoning, which may have been going 
on since his release, and was likely done (IMHO) by his son-in-law and 
master poisoner Charles the Bad ( 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Navarre ).

The new French king, Charles V, tore up the treaty in 1369 and the 
Hundred Years War, which had really never ceased, entered the next 
bloody phase.

Most of King John's ransom was never paid, and this became one of Henry 
V's justifications for the invasion in the next century that led to the 
Battle of Agincourt.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot