John and loss of Normandy

• When did Richard die?

  6 April 1199 - crossbow wound whilst besieging the Castle of Chalus becoming infected (gangrene)
• Who did Richard name his successor on his deathbed and who had he named before (in the treaty of Messina)?

  Since Richard had not produced an heir, there was two people with a strong claim to the throne. On his deathbed, he named his younger brother (a cadet) John successor. However, in the Treaty of Messina (1191) he named Arthur of Brittany (the child of his dead older brother - a representative) successor.
• How old was John and Arthur in 1199?

  John = 33 years old

  Arthur = 12 years old

  John's age was a clear advantage for him.
• Who was John Visiting when he found out Richard was dead?

  Arthur in Brittany
• Who did John immediately send to England for him?

  William Marshall (Earl of Pembroke) and Hubert Walter (archbishop of Canterbury)

  they were sent to preserve the peace? to make sure the barons still support John.
• What places immediately declared to support arthur?

  Anjou, Maine and Touraine quickly declared to support Arthur
• where did John head straight to ? why?

  Chinon. To seize the angevin treasury (use it to pay for expenses such as mercenaries)

  'was a prudent move for anyone who wishes to control the springs of government' - W.L Warren
• which castles did John secure straight away?

  Castles at Loches and Chinon, which were strategic importance in terms of control over the Loire Valley.
• What did Arthur, his mother and Philip do in 1199?

  20 April: Arthur payed homage to philip

  John was driven back to Normandy by forces loyal to Arthur. Arthur and his mother (Constance) descended upon Angers leading an army of Bretons , whilst Philip (acting on the pretext that as an overlord he had the right to intervene in a succession dispute) attached Evreux and simultaneously lent support to assaults on Le Mans and Tours.
• Regarding the actions of Arthur, Constance and Phillip in 1199, what was the threat?

  A real threat that the Angevin 'empire' would be snapped in two, fracturing along the line of Loire Valley
• What was John's response? where did he go?

  Realising he needed stronger authority to fight off the threats, John had himself invested as the Duke of Normandy at Rouen, 25 April 1199
• What town did John destroy as it had let in Philip?

  Raised the castle and city walls of Le Mans for switching allegiance to Arthur.

  
  

  - gave an example

  - showed that John = strong king
• Where did John go once he sorted Normandy? how did this help him?

  John went to England to be crowned King on 27 May 1199, this also helped him gain stronger authority.

  
  

  - now secured normandy and England rejoin battle with support +money
• what was Eleanor Of Aquitaine (John's mother) do to help?

  She sent a force to Anjou led by the mercenary, Mercadier. In July, she renewed her homage to Philip (' a diplomatic masterstroke') - it removed Justification for Philip's intervention in Aquitaine. she Ceded Poitou to John and later received it back from him - for as long as she live Poitou = Loyal to John.

  These actions were sufficient enough to bring Philip into negotiating 24 June 1199 = truce/ lasts until Aug 16 providing John 2 months to mature his plans + increase forces.

  when fighting renewed advantage was to John
• How did John dominate Philip?


  John had an advantage over Philip in August 1199 because of the unreasonable harsh demands made by Philip in the negotiation encouraged counts and barons of France (who were loyal to Richard) to transfer their allegiance to John.

  
  

  - Flanders and Boulogne had switched to John's side and defended Normandy for John which allowed him to focus on attacking Phillip
• What did John and Philip do to make Christmas peaceful?

  William des Roches offered a settlement between Bretons and John. Deal was struck on 22 September 1199, it was short lived until January 1200
• Who switched sides? why? How did this help John?

  William Des Roches was supposedly angered by Philip's unreasonable attack on the Castle of Ballon and defected to John. Probably not the real reason as William was pragmatic, he understood the extent of John's recent success and believed that his own authrouity to be strengthened by alligniing himself with the angevin soverign.

  William is the most powerful baron in Anjou and the commander-in-chief of the Authurian forces
• How did John benefit from the treaty of Le Goulet?


  - Philip acknowledged John's succession to all Angevin territories (Arthur only has Brittany holding it as John's vassal)

  - Won the war of succession

  - still kept Les Andels, where Chateau Gaillard was sitrf
• How did John lose from the Treaty of Le Goulet?

  - John acknowledged Phillip as his overlord

  - Agreed to pay 20,000 marks in relief

  - Recognised the French court as having supreme jurisdiction to resolve disputes between vassals

  - Agreed that Flounders and Boulogne are vassals of Philip (John could no longer mobilize them)

  - Agreed to significant territorial changes (Philip claimed Norman border region, Evereux and Vexin)
• Who was John's first wife?

  Isabelle of Gloucester
• Who was John's second wife and when did they marry?

  Isabella of Angouleme on the 24th August 1200
• How many brothers and sisters did John's second wife have?


  She is a sole heir
• what is the county the second wife is from and why is it wealthy?

  Angouleme

  a substantial province, form which the counts had grown wealthy due to the trade routes crossing their land
• Which English Kings struggled to keep the Father of John's second wife under control?

  Henry II and Richard III
• Who was John's second wife already betrothed to ?

  Hugh de Lusignan for the first 6 months of 1200
• If John had not married his second wife, which three areas would have been united?

  Angouleme, Le Marche, Lusignan

  - this would have been a threat because Hugh would have been a master of most if Poitou (a territory of key importance to the integrity of the Plantagenet dominions in France

  - Turner : 'an astute diplomatic move', however Roger of Wendover : 'the marriage was afterwards very injurious to the king
• Who bought an appeal to John's court as a result of the marriage and John being their overlord?

  Hugh appealed to Angevin court in 1201
• Wat was John's reaction to the appeal?

  Denied redress in court and instead invited the Lusignans to a judicial duel with royal champions.
• what did John order royal officials to do and to who/where?

  To do all the harm they could to Ralph, Count of Eu Hugh's broski
• Who did the Lusignans appeal to and what Treaty gave them the right?

  Philip, supreme overlord, john is a vassal to him due to Le Goulet
• What was John's ground for refusal and what was Philips's response?

  As duke of Normandy he was not obliged to appear (was summoned to French court shortly after Easter 1200) as he was not obliged to fulfill his demands anywhere other than the Franco-Norman border

  philip stated John was being summoned as Lord of Aquitaine and Anjou
• What was John declared, meaning his Land was forfeit?

  John was declared a contumacious vassal
• After his invasion, which castles near Dippe was Phillip attacking?

  End of July 1202, the castle of Arques - important castlein Normandy
• What adavanatage did Phillip have?

  - Phillip no longer had a bigamous marriage so had no quarrel with the pope

  - Count of Flanders and Boulogne (potential allies for John) were on crusade

  - The Holy Roman Emperor (Otto IV) was John's nephew but in no position to give any useful assistance as Germany torn apart by internal strife

  - Had the help of the Lusignans and acted quickly to secure the loyalty of Arthu
• What were John's hit and run tactics that showed he was good military commander when Phillip was invading normandy?

  - Phillip would take a castle

  -John's army would hold it for a while before retreating

  -When Phillip moved on, John would later come back and take the first castle again

  
  

  This showed that John was a competent military commander, capable of picking and choosing battles that he knew he could win
• Where did Arthur and supporters trap Eleanor of Aquitaine?


  Arthur and his supporters (rebels in Poitou/Maine) had invaded Loire Valley region. End of July, trapped Eleanor in Mirebeau castle
• How long did it take for John to get to rescue his mother? What was the distance?

  John was in Le Mans when he got the news. Within 48 hours, John covered 80 miles. This gave John the element of surprise
• Who was captured by John?

  Arthur and his adherents

  - Geoffer des Lusignan, Hugh etc and al other Poiteven enemies
• How did John anger William des Roches?

  John had promised he would control the fate of Arthur, which carried diplomatic clout and a prospect of of a substantial amount of cash made through Ransom demands. John did not keep this promise and he removed Arthur to Falaise.
• Why did John anger william des Roches?

  Perhaps: (according to historians)

  - the aftermaths of Mirebeau revealed self-destructive tendencies

  - warren: John suffering from over-confidence born of success and his inveterate distrust of powerful subjects

  - William was increasingly a threat to John, summer 1201 he married Marguerite de Sable acquiring a vast landholding becoming one of the greatest barons of Anjou and Maine. To have granted William control of Arthur, it would have provided him a means to destroy Angevin dominions.

  - As long as John had Arthur = a powerful means to coerce the Bretons into loyalty