Henry VI – Part One
War with France
John, Duke of Bedford
Miniature from Bedford Hours
With the death of Henry V England lost the main driving force behind the war with France. Fortunately, his brother John was a tactful and resourceful administrator and was skilled in the art of war. It was to him that the task fell of subduing the parts of France not yet under English control. Complaints from Parliaments about the cost of the conflict would come more often and would be louder.
Everywhere south of the Loire, except Gascony, was in the grip of forces loyal to the Dauphin. Even though Henry VI had been accepted as king in large areas held by the English, the population was often sullen and difficult to control. Moral amongst those loyal to the Dauphin received a boost with the appointment of a new constable, Bernard of Armagnac, and with the realisation the English-Burgundian alliance had been weakened with the death of Henry V.
However, the French did not have a military leader with the skill of Duke John .At Cravant in August 1423 an army composed of English and Burgundian soldiers scored a decisive victory. A year later, at Verneuil, a battle described by some as a second Agincourt took place on 17 August.
Events leading up to the Battle of Verneuil
Being unfriendly towards England, Scotland always sided with and assisted the French whenever possible. The first large contingent of Scots troops landed in France in 1419. This army was made up of 6,000 men under the command of James Stewart, Earl of Buchan. A battle fought at Bauge in 1421 witnessed the first English setback, when the Scots contingent played a large part in a French victory; Thomas, Duke of Clarence (brother of Duke John), was killed during this battle. However, many Scots fell at the Battle of Cravant in August of 1423. French spirits were raised by victories against the English at La Brossiniere in September of 1423 and against the Burgundians at La Buissiere during the same month. The English were still very strong but battles did not always end favourably.
In 1424 Buchan, together with Lord Archibald Douglas, returned to France with 6,500 men. After the victories of 1423 and with the fresh troops from Scotland, the Dauphin’s military leaders felt confident that they could defeat the English in battle.