Truce of Espléchin
The Truce of Espléchin (1340) was a truce between the English and French crowns during the early phases of the Hundred Years' War.
Background
The Hundred Years' War had started in 1337. After a naval defeat at the hands of the French at the
At the battle of Sluys the dispatched French naval force was almost completely destroyed. Edward III attempted to capitalize on the victory with a Battle of Saint-Omer, which resulted in a resounding defeat for the 11–16,000 strong English and Flemings army at the hands of some 3000 French men-at-arms. The subsequent siege of the town of Tournai, equally ended in a failure for the Anglo-Flemish besiegers, despite all their attempts to dislodge a heavily outnumbered and outsupplied French garrison. Edward had been well aware of his enemy's precarious position as a French messenger had been intercepted.[1][2]
The truce
Following major setbacks at Saint-Omer and Tournai, Edward's ability to continue the siege and campaign in France came to an abrupt end. The defeats sustained by the Anglo-Flemish armies resulted in bickering within his alliance but also in his own parliament withholding much-needed funds to enable him to continue the war.
Notes
References
- DeVries, Kelly; Smith, Robert Douglas (2007). Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85109-526-1.
- ISBN 978-0-09-952709-1.
- Rogers, Clifford J, ed. (2010). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology. Vol. 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533403-6.