1369-1375: French Reconquest and the Decline of England's 'Great War' Model

In 1369, full war resumed, but conditions had changed. Charles V had altered French strategy, while England faced sharper financial constraints.

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⚖️ 1368-1369: Political Shift and Defections

Aquitanian lords challenged the Black Prince’s taxation and appealed to the French king. Charles V used procedure, diplomacy, and legal framing to trigger political realignment before major fighting intensified.

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🧩 Reconquest by Gradual Erosion

Royal strategy favored:

• retaking isolated strongholds;
• consolidating garrisons;
• harassing English expeditions;
• reducing enclaves step by step.

The aim was to make English rule expensive and unstable.

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🔥 1370: Brutality and Political Blowback

English reprisals, including the sack of Limoges (1370), were meant to deter defections but often intensified local hostility and accelerated shifts toward the French crown.

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🏇 Chevauchees Without Durable Control

English chevauchees still devastated territory, but Charles V avoided decisive confrontation. With Du Guesclin as constable, French forces used endurance, fortified resistance, and targeted counterstrikes. Pontvallain (1370) showed that large raids could be broken without offering a pitched battle on English terms.

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🌊 Maritime Leverage

Sea routes shaped outcomes: reinforcement, provisioning, and finance all depended on maritime security. Allied naval power increasingly constrained English operations.

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🧠 To Remember

• Charles V’s reconquest relied on strategic coherence and duration.
• War became a full system: finance, ports, garrisons, sieges, and administration.