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History of France - the Hundred Years War

French victories in the Hundred Years War, 1370-1400

Not surprisingly, Charles V of France was not happy with this state of affairs. He was keen to reverse the situation, and during his reign he captured much of the lost territory, and won the leading Brittany lords back to the side of France. Most notable among these was Du Guesclin, a Breton leader who became a Frech General and won many victories for the French in the years ahead.

The Black Prince was occupied in Spain for part of this period, with heritary problems of a different nature, and the French recaptured several important towns, including Poitiers and Bergerac in the south of France.

The English did succeed in launching several significant attacks, but the French managed to avoid them, and piece by piece succeeded in continuing to expand their victories. Then in 1372 the English naval fleet suffered a defeat at La Rochelle which further weakened their position.

In 1376 the Black Prince died, followed by his father Edward III a year later. The young Richard II took the throne, but was subsequently deposed by his cousin, Henry Bolingbrooke, who became Henry IV, King of England. 

The absence from the battlefield of the Black Prince  - dismissed for brutality and overspending, among other things - and the disputes over the English throne, gave the French a significant advantage during these years. The alternative commanders sent to battle for the English included John of Gaunt and others, but none were able to stem the flow of piecemeal French victories.

Despite the absence of major 'flagship' victories, these years were successful for the French forces. But this position was not to continue, and would not be seen again for several decades.