Medieval France at War: A Military History of the French Monarchy, 885–1305 (War and Conflict in Premodern Societies)

This book provides an overarching, comprehensive analysis of the French military in the medieval period. The focus is on the armies of the French monarchy and the lands close around them, extending from the Low Countries to Provence. Central themes include recruitment and payment; military organisation; leadership, strategy, and tactics; weapons and arms; chivalry, military culture, and the rise of military professionalism. Front Cover 1 Front matter 3 Half-title 3 Title page 5 Copyright information 6 Table of contents 7 List of Illustrations 8 Preface 10 Body 11 Introduction 11 Purpose and Range of This Book 11 Historiography 13 Chapter 1. Technology and Warfare 17 Preliminary Remarks 17 Cavalry 18 Infantry 21 Castles and Sieges 24 Military Organization and Tactics 30 Chapter 2. The Emergence of France 35 The “Frankish” Roots of Kingship 35 The Parting of the Ways 39 Rival Royal Houses 41 Summary 43 Chapter 3. French Monarchical Power in Context 45 The “Princes” 47 A Feudal Revolution? 49 Princes, Kings, and Military Power 51 Castles 54 Chapter 4. Warfare in France to 1066 59 The Siege of Paris 60 Two Threads of Warfare 63 The Ascent of the Capetians 72 A New Dynasty, a New Start? 74 Chapter 5. A Clash of Dynasties 1066–1180 83 The French Monarchy and the Anglo-Norman State 83 Louis the Fat 87 France and Crusading 92 Battle of Brémule 97 The Murder of Charles the Good of Flanders 101 The Second Crusade 104 Louis VII and the Angevin “Empire” 112 Louis and the Great Revolt 117 Chapter 6. Philip II and the Rise of France 123 The Early Reign 123 The Third Crusade 129 The War with Richard Lionheart 132 The Seizure of Normandy 134 King John’s War of Recovery 141 The Campaign of Bouvines 143 The Battle of Bouvines 145 Chapter 7. The Expansion of France 157 The Invasion of England 157 The Battle of Lincoln 162 Battle at Sea: Sandwich and the Endgame 165 The South and the French Monarchy 169 The Albigensian Crusade 170 Battle of Muret 172 Louis VIII Intervenes 173 Chapter 8. Louis IX and the Apogee of French Power 175 The Early Reign 175 The Angevin Problem 176 The Crusades of Louis IX 178 The Fourth Crusade and the Context of Enthusiasm 178 Louis IX’s Crusade to Egypt 180 Battle at Mansourah 183 Defeat 184 France and Europe 185 Sicily: the French Intervention 186 Battle of Benevento 188 The Battle of Tagliacozzo 189 Charles of Anjou and the Mediterranean World 194 Louis IX and the Crusade to Tunis 195 Chapter 9. The Problems of Power 199 The War of the Vespers 199 The Development of the French Army 200 France and the War of the Vespers 204 Naval Warfare 205 One Problem Leads to Another 206 The Flemish Revolt 209 The Battle of Courtrai 210 The Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle 215 Chapter 10. Perspectives on the Army of the Kings of France 219 The Influence of the Crusades? 220 Back matter 225 Bibliography 225 A. Sources 225 B. Secondary Works 229 Works of Reference 245 Abbreviations 246 Appendix A Note on Sources 247 Index 251