1346

Political Events

The Battle of Crécy August 26 establishes England as a great military power, reorients English social values by its joint participation of yeomanry and aristocracy, and begins the end of the era of feudal chivalry (cavalry) that has dominated warfare since the barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire. England's Edward III has landed July 12 at La Hague near Cherbourg with 1,000 ships, 4,000 knights, and 5,500 English and Welsh longbowmen equipped with weapons acquired in the Welsh wars, and cannon (see Battle of Río Salado, 1340). Edward's army includes his son the Black Prince, who fights alongside his tutor Sir John Chandos when the king confronts France's Philippe VI near Abbeville, and Philippe meets with disaster: his 12,000 men-at-arms, 6,000 mercenary Genoese crossbowmen, 20,000 milice des communes, and assorted feudal vassals prove easy targets for the quick-shooting English archers (each man can release 15 to 20 armor-penetrating arrows per minute), spearmen, and cannoneers, who make short work of the heavily armored knights, massacring Europe's greatest army of horse soldiers. The French attack the English lines 16 times by midnight and are practically annihilated (Edward's heralds count 1,542 dead French knights on the battlefield plus 20,000 ordinary foot soldiers, while English casualties total little more than 50).

Edward III lays siege to Calais September 24. He has a wooden town built for his troops outside Calais, whose governor expels its noncombatants to conserve food (Edward lets the men, women, and children pass safely through his lines after feeding them), and the Flemish will keep the English victualed through the winter. Forces under the command of his lieutenant Henry of Grosmont, earl of Derby, sack Poitiers in October (see 1347).

Scottish allies of Philippe VI invade England under the command of David II, now 22, but are stopped at October 17 at Neville's Cross, one mile west of Durham, where a 15,000-man army under the command of Ralph Neville, Sir Henry Percy, and Sir Thomas Rokeby routs the 20,000-man Scottish army. David is captured, imprisoned in the Tower of London, and will not be ransomed for 11 years; the victory at Neville's Cross frees the English to pursue their war with France, but Edward III sends a commission that includes mathematician-clergyman Thomas of Bradwardine to open peace talks with Philippe VI.

Bohemia's one-eyed king Jan (John) of Luxembourg (Jan the Blind) is killed at age 50 while fighting in support of Philippe VI at Crécy and is succeeded after a 36-year reign by his 30-year-old son, who assumes the throne as Charles I to begin a "golden age" of Bohemian history. Elected by five out of seven electors, Charles is crowned German king at Bonn November 26, takes all the oaths demanded by Pope Clement VI, and prepares to attack the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria (see 1347).

Denmark's Valdemar IV Atterdag sells Estonia and raises taxes in order to extend his control over Zealand and large parts of Jutland (see 1340); he has gained sovereignty over northern Jutland by marrying Helvig, a sister of Valdemar, duke of Schleswig (Slesvig).

Venetian forces defeat young Louis I of Hungary's army at the Adriatic port of Zara in Croatia that has been under Hungarian protection. The patrician admiral Marino Faliero, 72, commands Venice's victorious fleet.

Serbia's Stefan Dusan, now 38, proclaims himself emperor of the Serbs, Greeks, Bulgars, and Albanians, establishes a court of Skoplye with elaborate Byzantine titles and ceremonies, and prepares to seize Constantinople with a view to replacing the Greek (Byzantine) dynasty there (but see Kosovo, 1389).

A Muslim dynasty is founded in Kashmir that will endure for 243 years. Shah Mirza will substitute a land tax of less than 17 percent for the extortionate taxes imposed by Hindu kings.

Commerce

France's Estates General at Langue d'Oil openly refuses to continue war levies in support of Philippe VI and demands reforms in the country's administration as her invaders pillage French cloth, gold and silver table services, jewelry, and other treasure for shipment to England.

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