| Gascon campaign of 1450-1453 | |||||||
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| Part of theHundred Years' War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
.svg) Kingdom of France Duchy of Brittany | .svg) Kingdom of England Duchy of Gascony | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles VII of France Jean Bureau Peter II, Duke of Brittany Jacques de Chabannes Jean de Dunois Jean II de Bourbon Olivier de Coëtivy Gaston IV de Foix-Béarn | Gadifer Shorthose Thomas Gassiot John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury † John Talbot, Viscount Lisle † John de Foix, Earl of Kendal (POW) Pierre de Montferrand Gaillard IV de Durfort | ||||||
TheGascon campaign of 1450–1453 took place during theHundred Years' War when thekingdom of France undertook a military campaign to invade and cede theDuchy of Gascony from the English. Following the decisive victory of the French at thebattle of Castillion and after thefall of Bordeaux, the last English stronghold in Gascony, English control of Gascony was removed.
After thefall of Normandy, Charles VII concentrated his efforts onGascony, the last remaining English province which had been English since 1154, some 300 years.
On 1 November 1450, French forces defeated an English army at theBattle of Blanquefort. By 30 June 1451Bordeaux had fallen to the French leaving only thePale of Calais and theChannel Islands in British authority.
However, on 17 October 1452John Talbot landed in Gascony. Six days later, the city usurped the garrison and Talbot entered the city. By December, most of Western Gascony was under English control, despite a small defeat at thefr:Battle of Martignas on 25 June 1453, where 500 archers were ambushed by theDuke of Brabant and theCount of Foix. Charles had been expecting a campaign in Normandy, so he assembled his forces in winter and by early 1453, he was ready. Meanwhile, Talbot had received 3,000 troops from his fourth sonJohn, Lord Lisle and 2,000 from Gascony, under the command ofJean de Foix, Earl of Kendal, assembling an army of around 8,000. French forces numbered 10,000.French forces laid siege toCastillon-la-Bataille and Talbot moved to meet them, with a force of just 500men-at-arms and 800archers, expecting the rest of his army, underthe Earl of Kendal to reinforce him.After beating a French detachment of archers near the Castillon Church, Talbot advanced towards the French camp, believing they were retreating ( In fact, the camp followers were leaving for the upcoming battle).Jean Bureau, the French artillery commander had laid out a camp of three hundredcannons.Talbot, according to an earlier ransom agreement, was the only Englishman mounted and he did not wear armour. As his troops advanced, they were massacred by French cannon. Even though his reinforcements continued to arrive under Kendal, they too suffered the same fate. Despite the odds against the English, the battle lasted over an hour untilthe Duke of Brittany led cavalry against their rear and flank. Talbot was killed, possibly after his horse had been killed, a French archer finished him off with a battle axe. Talbot's son Lisle was also killed. Kendal was captured. This battle, theBattle of Castillon and the followingFall of Bordeaux mark the effective end of the war.