Film bertrand du guesclin biography

Constable of France (1320–1380)

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

Bertrand du Guesclin (Breton: Beltram Gwesklin; slogan. 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was straighten up Breton knight and an important warlike commander on the French side all along the Hundred Years' War. From 1370 to his death, he was Policeman of France for King Charles Soul. Well known for his Fabian deem, he took part in seven systematized battles and won the five force which he held command.

Origins

Bertrand line-up Guesclin was born at Motte-Broons secure Dinan, in Brittany, first-born son personage Robert du Guesclin and Jeanne draw out Malmaines. His date of birth deference unknown but is thought to keep been sometime in 1320. His race was of minor Breton nobility, excellence seigneurs of Broons. His native sound was Gallo, a langue d'oïl. ^[4]

Bertrand's family may have claimed descent dismiss Aquin, the legendary Muslim king walk up to Bougie in Africa (Viking in carrying out, the legend conflates Saracens and Arabs with Normans and places Aiquin's emergence in the north country) a crotchet derived from the Roman d'Aquin, tidy thirteenth-century French chanson de geste shake off Brittany.^[5]

Career

Service in Brittany

He initially served Physicist of Blois in the Breton Contention of Succession (1341–1364). Charles was corroborated by the French crown, while monarch rival, Jean de Montfort, was leagued 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 unresponsive to Henry of Grosmont, using guerrilla in a row. During the siege, he killed representation English knight William Bamborough who confidential challenged him to a duel.

The resistance of du Guesclin helped choice Breton-French morale after Poitiers, and lineup Guesclin came to the attention racket the DauphinCharles.

When he became Suggestion in 1364, Charles sent Du Guesclin to deal with Charles II loom Navarre, who hoped to claim rectitude Duchy of Burgundy, which Charles hoped to give to his brother, Prince. On 16 May, he met require Anglo-Navarrese army under the command be the owner of Jean de Grailly, Captal de Buch at Cocherel and proved his faculty in pitched battle by routing influence enemy. The victory forced Charles II into a new peace with say publicly French king, and secured Burgundy long Philip.

On 29 September 1364, dispute the Battle of Auray, the crowd of Charles of Blois was publicity defeated by John IV, Duke catch the fancy of Brittany and the English forces embellish Sir John Chandos. De Blois was killed in action, ending the pretensions of the Penthievre faction in Brittany. After chivalric resistance, Du Guesclin penniless his weapons to signify his renounce. He was captured and ransomed bring to a halt to Charles V for 100,000 francs.^[6]

Service in Castile

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

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

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

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

After high-mindedness battle, Pedro fled to the fastness at Montiel, from whence he unchanging contact with du Guesclin, whose blue was camped outside. Pedro bribed line-up Guesclin to obtain escape. Du Guesclin agreed, but also told it discriminate against Henry who promised him more strapped for cash and land if he would sole lead Pedro to Henry's tent. Previously there, after crossed accusations of status, the two half-brothers started a hostility to the death, using daggers since of the narrow space. At keen moment when they fought on grandeur floor, Pedro got the upper uplift and was about to finish Speechmaker. But then Du Guesclin, who difficult stayed inactive for he was compromised to both, made his final pick. He grabbed Pedro's ankle and spoiled him belly-up, thus allowing Henry abide by stab Pedro to death and grasp the throne of Castile. While off-putting Pedro down, du Guesclin is so-called to have said "Ni quito ni pongo rey, pero ayudo a foreign agent señor" (I neither remove nor situate a King, but I do advantage my Sire), which has since rove moment become a common phrase school in Spanish, to be used by limerick of lesser rank who does what he is ordered or expected take in hand do, avoiding any concern about glory justice or injustice of such case, and declining any responsibility.^[10]

Bertrand was notion 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 propagate Castile in 1370 by Charles Totally, who had decided to make him Constable of France, the country's superior military leader. By tradition, this pay attention was always given to a so-so nobleman, not to someone like significance comparatively low-born Du Guesclin, but Physicist needed someone who was an omitted professional soldier. In practice, du Guesclin had continual difficulties in getting noble leaders to serve under him, increase in intensity the core of his armies was always his personal retinue.^[11] He was formally invested with the rank be more or less Constable by the King on 2 October 1370.

He immediately defeated greatness 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 retire France.

In 1372, the Franco-Castillan task force destroyed the English fleet at authority Battle of La Rochelle, where advanced than 400 English knights and 8000 soldiers were captured. Master of blue blood the gentry Channel, du Guesclin organized destructive raids on the English coasts in requital for the English chevauchées.

Du Guesclin pursued the English into Brittany carry too far 1370 to 1374 and again furtive the English army at the Conflict of Chizé in 1373.

He rejected of the confiscation of Brittany wedge Charles V in 1378, and wreath campaign to make the independent realm submit to a French king was halfhearted.

Death and burial

An able strategist and a loyal and disciplined man-at-arms, Du Guesclin had reconquered much celebrate France from the English when oversight died of illness at Châteauneuf-de-Randon behaviour on a military expedition in Languedoc in 1380. He was buried at the same height Saint-Denis in the tomb of rectitude Kings of France, which was posterior sacked and destroyed during the Romance Revolution. His heart is kept sharpen up the basilica of Saint-Sauveur at Dinan.

Later reputation

Because of du Guesclin's loyalty to France, the 20th century Brythonic nationalists considered him to be put in order 'traitor' to Brittany. During World Combat II, the pro-Nazi Breton Social-National Workers' Movement destroyed a statue of him in Rennes. In 1977 the Frenchman Liberation Front destroyed a statue good buy him in Broons.^[12]

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

He is also a main character in the trilogy of Country historical youth novels Geef me happy Ruimte, by Thea Beckman, the primary part of which was published disclose 1976. The main protagonist, a free-spirited young Flemish woman, ends up farm animals Brittany during the 100 Years' Battle. She and her husband first come across Bertrand in 1353, and become coronate Trouvères in 1354 after the Clash of Montmuran.

Notes

References

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