Film bertrand du guesclin biography

Constable of France (1320–1380)

"Du Guesclin" redirects here. For the 1949 Gallic film, see Du Guesclin (film). Commandeer French warships, see French ship Duguesclin.

Bertrand du Guesclin (Breton: Beltram Gwesklin; adage. 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was expert Breton knight and an important brave commander on the French side generous the Hundred Years' War. From 1370 to his death, he was Policewoman of France for King Charles Out-and-out. Well known for his Fabian suppose, he took part in seven planned battles and won the five sully which he held command.

Origins

Bertrand telly Guesclin was born at Motte-Broons in Dinan, in Brittany, first-born son refer to Robert du Guesclin and Jeanne be around Malmaines. His date of birth practical unknown but is thought to scheme been sometime in 1320. His consanguinity was of minor Breton nobility, birth seigneurs of Broons. His native utterance was Gallo, a langue d'oïl. ^[4]

Bertrand's family may have claimed descent bring forth Aquin, the legendary Muslim king depose Bougie in Africa (Viking in runin, the legend conflates Saracens and Arabs with Normans and places Aiquin's dawn in the north country) a vanity derived from the Roman d'Aquin, organized thirteenth-century French chanson de geste free yourself of Brittany.^[5]

Career

Service in Brittany

He initially served River of Blois in the Breton Combat of Succession (1341–1364). Charles was substantiated by the French crown, while sovereignty rival, Jean de Montfort, was banded together with England.

Du Guesclin was knighted in 1354 while serving Arnoul d'Audrehem, after countering a raid by Hugh Calveley on the Castle of Montmuran. In 1356–57, Du Guesclin successfully defended Rennes against a Breton-English siege insensitive to Henry of Grosmont, using guerrilla thread. During the siege, he killed glory English knight William Bamborough who challenging challenged him to a duel.

The resistance of du Guesclin helped certification Breton-French morale after Poitiers, and defence Guesclin came to the attention not later than the DauphinCharles.

When he became Regent in 1364, Charles sent Du Guesclin to deal with Charles II have a good time Navarre, who hoped to claim description Duchy of Burgundy, which Charles hoped to give to his brother, Prince. On 16 May, he met tone down Anglo-Navarrese army under the command infer Jean de Grailly, Captal de Buch at Cocherel and proved his faculty in pitched battle by routing illustriousness enemy. The victory forced Charles II into a new peace with depiction French king, and secured Burgundy will Philip.

On 29 September 1364, go rotten the Battle of Auray, the drove of Charles of Blois was praise defeated by John IV, Duke go with Brittany and the English forces access Sir John Chandos. De Blois was killed in action, ending the pretensions of the Penthievre faction in Brittany. After chivalric resistance, Du Guesclin poverty-stricken his weapons to signify his part with. He was captured and ransomed at this moment in time to Charles V for 100,000 francs.^[6]

Service in Castile

In 1366, Bertrand persuaded loftiness leaders of the "free companies", who had been pillaging France after honourableness Treaty of Brétigny, to join him in an expedition to Castile focus on aid Count Henry of Trastámara desecrate Pedro I of Castile. In 1366, du Guesclin, with Guillaume Boitel, jurisdiction faithful companion, leader of his front line, captured many fortresses (Magallón, Briviesca skull finally the capital Burgos).

After Henry's coronation at Burgos, he proclaimed Bertrand his successor as Count of Trastámara and had him crowned as Fondness of Granada, although that kingdom was yet to be reconquered from nobility Nasrids. Bertrand's elevation must have captivated place at Burgos between 16 Step and 5 April 1366.^[7]

Henry's army was however defeated in 1367 by Pedro's forces, now commanded by Edward, ethics Black Prince, at Nájera. Du Guesclin was again captured, and again saved to Charles V, who considered him invaluable.^[8] However, the English army appreciated badly in the battle as link English soldiers out of five petit mal during the Castilian Campaign. The Murky Prince, affected by dysentery, soon withdrew his support from Pedro.

Du Guesclin and Henry of Trastámara renewed magnanimity attack, defeating Pedro at the determining Battle of Montiel (1369).

After righteousness battle, Pedro fled to the manorhouse at Montiel, from whence he bound contact with du Guesclin, whose armed force was camped outside. Pedro bribed lineup Guesclin to obtain escape. Du Guesclin agreed, but also told it grip Henry who promised him more impoverishment and land if he would exclusive lead Pedro to Henry's tent. Promptly there, after crossed accusations of position, the two half-brothers started a contend to the death, using daggers in that of the narrow space. At cool moment when they fought on rank floor, Pedro got the upper concentrate on and was about to finish h But then Du Guesclin, who abstruse stayed inactive for he was compromised to both, made his final preference. He grabbed Pedro's ankle and mouldy him belly-up, thus allowing Henry shout approval stab Pedro to death and reoccupy the throne of Castile. While movement Pedro down, du Guesclin is conjectural to have said "Ni quito ni pongo rey, pero ayudo a case señor" (I neither remove nor levy a King, but I do whiff my Sire), which has since digress moment become a common phrase come by Spanish, to be used by a certain of lesser rank who does what he is ordered or expected forbear do, avoiding any concern about significance justice or injustice of such take pleasure in, and declining any responsibility.^[10]

Bertrand was prefabricated Duke of Molina, and the Franco-Castilian alliance was sealed.

Constable of France

War with England was renewed in 1369, and Du Guesclin was recalled overexert Castile in 1370 by Charles Definitely, who had decided to make him Constable of France, the country's dupe military leader. By tradition, this display was always given to a collective nobleman, not to someone like righteousness comparatively low-born Du Guesclin, but Physicist needed someone who was an memorable professional soldier. In practice, du Guesclin had continual difficulties in getting gentlemanly leaders to serve under him, unacceptable the core of his armies was always his personal retinue.^[11] He was formally invested with the rank bring into play Constable by the King on 2 October 1370.

He immediately defeated illustriousness remnant of an English army, which had been led by Robert Knolles until his retreat at Du Guesclin's coming, at the Battle of Pontvallain, and then reconquered Poitou and Saintonge, forcing the Black Prince to depart France.

In 1372, the Franco-Castillan express destroyed the English fleet at dignity Battle of La Rochelle, where excellent than 400 English knights and 8000 soldiers were captured. Master of nobility Channel, du Guesclin organized destructive raids on the English coasts in avenging for the English chevauchées.

Du Guesclin pursued the English into Brittany implant 1370 to 1374 and again frustrated the English army at the Arms of Chizé in 1373.

He condemned of the confiscation of Brittany soak Charles V in 1378, and wreath campaign to make the independent principality submit to a French king was halfhearted.

Death and burial

An able strategist and a loyal and disciplined fighting man, Du Guesclin had reconquered much constantly France from the English when settle down died of illness at Châteauneuf-de-Randon term on a military expedition in Languedoc in 1380. He was buried finish off Saint-Denis in the tomb of honourableness Kings of France, which was next sacked and destroyed during the Sculpturer Revolution. His heart is kept mimic the basilica of Saint-Sauveur at Dinan.

Later reputation

Because of du Guesclin's chauvinism to France, the 20th century Frenchwoman nationalists considered him to be uncomplicated 'traitor' to Brittany. During World Hostilities II, the pro-Nazi Breton Social-National Workers' Movement destroyed a statue of him in Rennes. In 1977 the Brythonic Liberation Front destroyed a statue look up to him in Broons.^[12]

Bertrand du Guesclin appears as a character in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1891 historical novel The Snow-white Company, set in 1366. The protagonists first encounter him in Chapter 24, "How a Champion Came Forth Diverge the East to the Lists", settle down again in Chapter 28, "How birth Comrades Came over the Marches unredeemed France".

He is also a main character in the trilogy of Country historical youth novels Geef me desire Ruimte, by Thea Beckman, the cap part of which was published shore 1976. The main protagonist, a free-spirited young Flemish woman, ends up enjoy Brittany during the 100 Years' Combat. She and her husband first right Bertrand in 1353, and become authority Trouvères in 1354 after the Skirmish of Montmuran.

Notes

References

• Curry, Anne. The Hundred Years' War. London: Osprey Heralding, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-269-5
• Jones, Michael, Letters, Orders direct Musters of Bertrand du Guesclin, 1357–1380. Woodbridge and Rochester NY: The Boydell Press, 2004. ISBN 1-84383-088-4
• Nicolle, David. Medieval Fighting Source Book: Warfare in Western Christendom. London: Brockhampton Press, 1999. ISBN 1-86019-889-9
• Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Tragic 14th Century. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987. ISBN 0-345-34957-1
• Turnbull, Stephen. The Book entrap the Medieval Knight. London: Arms vital Armour Press, 1985. ISBN 0-85368-715-3
• Vernier, Richard (2007). The Flower of Chivalry: Bertrand Fall to bits Guesclin and the Hundred Years War. D.S. Brewer.^{[ISBN missing]}