Anglo-French War (1475)

Anglo-French War (1475)

PRINCIPAL COMBATANTS: England vs. France

PRINCIPAL THEATER(S): France (despite invasion, no
battles were fought)

DECLARATION: None
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MAJOR ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES: England’s King Edward IV,
of the house of Lancaster, took revenge on France for
backing the house of York, Edward’s opponents in the
40-year struggle for the English Crown.

OUTCOME: Inconclusive; Louis XI of France paid Edward
to withdraw.

APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEN UNDER ARMS:
Unknown

CASUALTIES: None

TREATIES: Truce concluded at Picquigny, 1475

The end of the HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR (1337–1457)
between England and France gave way to a long civil war
in England. Called the Wars of the ROSES (1455–1485), it
pitted the rival houses of York and Lancaster in a struggle
for possession of the English throne. Because the French
supported Henry VI (1421–71) of the house of Lancaster
during the war, Edward IV (1442–83) of the house of York,
who twice deposed Henry, in 1461 and 1470, invaded
France in 1475.
Although Edward’s army crossed the English Channel
and landed at Calais, no battles were fought. Edward’s
alliance with Charles the Bold (1433–77) of Burgundy,
rival to French king Louis XI (1423–83), greatly concerned
the French monarch, who had made plans to invade Burgundy
and did not wish to meet combined Burgundian and
English resistance. Therefore, to forestall a coalition
against him, Louis XI met with Edward at Picquigny, where
they negotiated an end to the bloodless war. Louis XI’s
truce provided a large sum of money to Edward in return
for the complete withdrawal of English forces. The truce
had effects on both sides of the Channel. Using the French
funds, Edward was able to secure his rule and leave a sizable
trust to his sons, Edward V (1470–83) and Richard
(1472–83), who shortly after their father’s death in 1483,
were placed in the Tower of London by their uncle, the
duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III (1452–85). For
his part, Louis XI invaded Burgundy in 1477 without
English interference and killed Charles the Bold.

Further reading: Paul Murray Kendall, Louis XI: The
Universal Spider (London: Phoenix, 2001); Charles Roos,
Edward IV (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1997).