1445–1448: Permanent army and free archers

To win durably, winning a battle was not enough: a stable military apparatus was needed. Under Charles VII, the State strengthened its control over armed force.

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🛡️ Companies of Ordinance (1445)

Taking advantage of a lull in the Hundred Years’ War, King Charles VII created, by the Ordinance of 1445, the first permanent military units at the disposal of the King of France, known as companies of ordinance.

These units aimed both at greater combat effectiveness of the royal army, and at reducing the damage caused by the army on the move. They would play a great role in France’s victory at the end of the Hundred Years’ War in 1453.

These reforms replaced dependence on companies and irregular levies with more disciplined troops, better integrated into royal power. This also limited the pillaging and violence associated with demobilisation.

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🏹 1448: The free archers

The “small ordinance” of 1448 organised local mobilisation: in numerous parishes, one archer was to be equipped, trained and available. This logic complemented the standing army: a permanent core, and a reinforcement capacity.

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🧠 Key points

• 1445: creation of the companies of ordinance — France’s first permanent army
• 1448: creation of the free archers — local mobilisation
• Military reform transformed the State: taxation, discipline, control of troops
• The army became a durable instrument of reconquest