Featured Article Summary #125

The First Treaty of London, also called the Treaty of Windsor, was agreed on 8 May 1358 at Windsor Castle. It was meant to end the conflict between England and France known as the Hundred Years’ War, which had been going on for about 21 years. The treaty was sealed by King Edward III of England and King John II of France, who was held as a prisoner in England after being captured at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. John’s ransom was set at four million écus, worth about £667,000, and France was also required to give England about a quarter of its territory. Although the first ransom payment was due on 1 November, France could not collect the money because its government broke down, so the treaty failed and Edward refused to accept delays. Talks later led to a second treaty in 1359, but France rejected it, and fighting restarted when Edward invaded again in October. After the Norman Conquest, English kings controlled land in France and were technically vassals to the French king. By 1337 only Gascony remained significant for the English, and its wine taxes made it a major source of income; when disputes between Philip VI and Edward III led Philip to take Edward’s French lands back, the Hundred Years’ War began. Fighting paused in 1347 as both countries suffered heavy financial strain and the Black Death, but attempts to end the war failed when King John II refused to ratify a treaty and full fighting resumed in 1355. Edward III’s son, the Black Prince, led devastating raids in Gascony and southern France until the English defeated a larger French force at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, capturing the French king; after widespread raids and France falling into disorder, John and the Black Prince agreed a truce in 1357. Negotiations to end the war and set a ransom for the French king began in October 1357, based on the draft Treaty of Guînes, but they stalled until the escape of Charles “the Bad” from prison and growing disorder in France made an agreement more urgent. By early 1358, England and France agreed John’s ransom would be four million écus, with part paid immediately, and England would take about a quarter of French territory; France would also change key alliances and settle internal issues. The treaty was kept secret at first, then promoted in France, and was formally sealed on 8 May 1358 at Windsor, with John and Edward visibly marking the agreement with a kiss and exchanged rings. French support for the treaty quickly collapsed as France descended into disorder, making it impossible to raise money or even bring the agreed hostages to London. With no progress by late 1358, Edward declared the treaty lapsed and ordered fighting to restart after the truce ended. In early 1359, John met Edward and agreed to a new deal that kept the same ransom but required England to gain almost half of France; it was sealed in March, but France rejected it and Edward prepared to invade again. In October 1359 Edward III campaigned in northern France, but although the English ravaged the countryside for months, they could not capture well-defended strongholds and both sides struggled to pay for the war. After a disastrous hailstorm in April 1360, Edward reopened negotiations, and by May the Treaty of Brétigny was agreed, repeating much of the earlier plan in the First Treaty of London. The treaty handed large parts of France to England (to be ruled by the Black Prince) and set John’s ransom at three million écus, but fighting soon resumed in 1369 and the war only ended in 1453 with France victorious and England keeping only Calais.