320: Hundred Years' War: The Black Prince (Part 3)

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode traces the Hundred Years’ War from the Black Death through the rise of chivalric orders and the campaigns of Edward III and the Black Prince, showing how English military success and French political instability reshaped medieval warfare. It culminates in the English victory at Poitiers, the capture of John II, and the restoration of Arthurian-style prestige to England.

Main Topics: Chivalry, spectacle, and the Hundred Years’ War (Priority: 5/5): The hosts frame the war as a chivalric contest shaped by honor, reputation, and knightly codes, while noting that these ideals are increasingly undermined by English military methods and the realities of war. The Black Death as backdrop, not endpoint (Priority: 5/5): The plague is presented as a catastrophic interruption that pauses fighting and devastates Europe, but does not end the war or fundamentally alter Edward III’s strategic ambitions. Edward III’s strategy and Arthurian self-fashioning (Priority: 5/5): Edward is portrayed as a strategic genius who uses his claim to the French throne as leverage, while cultivating an image as a new King Arthur through tournaments, symbolism, and the Order of the Garter. French attempts to match English chivalry (Priority: 4/5): Geoffrey de Charny and John II try to restore French prestige through the Order of the Star, but the order is weak, poorly supported, and unable to reverse English momentum. Political instability in France and Charles the Bad (Priority: 5/5): Charles of Navarre repeatedly shifts allegiance, destabilizing French politics, alienating nobles, and creating openings for English intervention in Normandy and elsewhere. The Black Prince’s chevauchées and the road to Poitiers (Priority: 5/5): The Black Prince’s devastating raids across southern France demonstrate English mobility and brutality, culminating in the strategic encirclement and defeat of the French at Poitiers. Poitiers and the capture of John II (Priority: 5/5): The battle is described as a decisive English triumph: French lines collapse, Geoffrey de Charny dies defending the Oriflamme, and John II is captured along with many nobles and the crown jewels.

Key Arguments: The Black Death was catastrophic for Europe but did not end the Hundred Years’ War; it merely paused it and left Edward III in a strong position. Edward III did not initially seek to conquer France outright; he used the French claim as leverage to secure sovereignty and prestige. Chivalric culture remained powerful, but English military success—especially the longbow and disciplined tactics—began to erode traditional knightly dominance. The Order of the Garter succeeded because it fused Arthurian spectacle with military victory, unlike the weaker French Order of the Star. John II’s reign is presented as politically disastrous because he alienates nobles, executes rivals, and mishandles internal dissent. Charles the Bad is a destabilizing opportunist whose shifting loyalties intensify French chaos and create openings for English campaigns. The Black Prince’s raids were strategically and psychologically devastating, proving English reach deep into France and undermining French confidence. Poitiers is framed as the culmination of English tactical superiority and French political fragmentation, producing a major symbolic and military victory.

Data Points: Black Death mortality: Up to one-third of Europe’s population - Described as the scale of the plague’s devastation across Europe. Timing of plague arrival: About a month after the capture of Calais - The plague reaches France that winter and England the following summer. Order of the Star first meeting: 6 January 1352 - The French chivalric order’s inaugural gathering is poorly attended. Order of the Garter founding date: St. George’s Day, 1349 - Edward III establishes the order during the Black Death. Black Prince expedition to Gascony: 9 September 1355 - Departure from Plymouth for the campaign that leads to Poitiers. Black Prince arrival in Bordeaux: 20 September 1355 - He lands with 2,220 men and Sir John Chandos. Loot from the chevauchée: 1,000 wagons - Reported amount of plunder brought back from the Black Prince’s raid. Villages destroyed: 500 - The Black Prince’s campaign devastates the French countryside. Towns burned: A dozen - Additional destruction caused during the chevauchée. French army at Poitiers: Largest force seen in France in the 14th century - John II leads a massive army, though the exact number is not given. Battle of Poitiers duration: 2 hours - The main fighting before the French line breaks. Prisoners taken: John II, his son Philip, and 2,000 other noblemen - The scale of the English victory at Poitiers. London procession duration: 3 hours - Time taken for the Black Prince and John II to cross the city amid crowds.

Pivotal Quotes: "we take no pleasure in the slaughter of men, but we rejoice in God's bounty" — Edward III: Edward’s response after the victory at Poitiers and capture of John II. "there was dancing, there was hunting, there was hawking. There were great jousts and banquets. And it was all as at the court of King Arthur" — Herald of Sir John Chandos: Description of the celebratory atmosphere in England after Poitiers. "courageous and cruel as lions" — A French chronicler: Characterization of the Black Prince and Sir John Chandos after the battle.

Implications: The episode shows how medieval warfare blended propaganda, prestige, and brutality. English success depended not just on battlefield tactics but on political cohesion and symbolic power, while French instability made defeat more likely.