1372-1373: Occupation of Brittany and Rupture with Jean IV
p5Charles V the Wise: Reconquest, Statecraft, and the Western Schism (1364-1380) · HIGH MIDDLE AGES
The Treaty of Guerande had settled succession but not the underlying political question. Brittany sought neutrality; England sought an Atlantic foothold. For Charles V, renewed English access through Brittany was unacceptable.
🤝 Jean IV Between Two Loyalties
Jean IV faced competing pressures: old English ties, internal Breton opposition, and the strategic cost of appearing as England’s gateway.
⚓ 1369-1372: English Landings and French Reaction
English reinforcements landed through Saint-Malo and crossed the duchy toward southwestern fronts. France responded by sending Breton commanders, Du Guesclin and Clisson, to reframe intervention as protection rather than occupation.
🛡️ March 1373: Salisbury’s Landing and Royal Occupation
A new English landing in March 1373 under Salisbury triggered direct royal intervention. With support from important Breton nobles, French forces rapidly occupied most of the duchy; English control narrowed to a few fortified points, and Jean IV fled.
🧠 To Remember
- Guerande solved succession, not strategic alignment.
- English landings pushed Brittany from neutrality into renewed war.
- The 1373 campaign showed rapid French operational capacity.