Here’s a rough assemblage of dates/events of military importance to The First Part of Henry the Sixth…
Tomorrow, we’ll play a game of mix-and-match with the events from this timeline (as well as yesterday‘s) and the major plot points in the play.
spoiler alert: don’t expect one-to-one correspondence!
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1337 | Philip III of France reclaims Gascon Edward III states he is rightful King of France Hundred Years War begins |
| 1337-1360 | England invasion/occupation France |
| 1360-1369 | First Peace (with England in relative control) |
| 1369-1389 | Charles V of France regains control of French territories |
| 1389-1415 | Second Peace English internal troubles keep them from resuming war Charles VI descends into madness Henry V becomes king in 1413 then invades France in 1414 |
| 1415 | Battle of Agincourt |
| 1419 | English take Rouen |
| 1420 | Treaty of Troyes (Henry V to inherit throne of France upon death of Charles VI; arranged marriage) Henry V marries Catherine (daughter of Charles VI) |
| 1421 | Battle of Bauge (Scottish army helps French stop English incursion) |
| 1422 | Henry V dies; war continues in central France |
| 1424 | Gloucester marries Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut; Gloucester invades Holland to regain her former lands, putting him (and England) into conflict with Burgundy (Bedford mediates to maintain Burgundy as an ally) |
| 1428 | English begin siege of Orleans Salisbury is killed at Meung-sur-Loire |
| 1429 | Fastolfe defeats French at the Battle of the Herrings Joan la Pucelle (age 17) convinces Dauphin Charles (age 26) to send her to Orleans Joan defeats Fastolfe and Talbot at Patay; Talbot taken hostage Charles VII crowns self King of France |
| 1430 | English crown Henry VI King of France Burgundy’s troops capture Joan and sells her to British |
| 1431 | Joan is tried, convicted, and executed for heresy |
| 1433 | Talbot is ransomed in exchange for Jean Poton |
| 1435 | Bedford dies Burgundy sides with the French |
| 1436 | Henry VI names York (Plantagenet) named Lieutenant (Regent) of France French take Paris Talbot wins Battle of Ry near Rouen |
| 1437 | York asks to be recalled from France Warwick is named as Lieutenant (Regent) of France Talbot wins Battle of Crotoy |
| 1439 | Warwick dies Talbot retakes Harfleur |
| 1440 | York is renamed as Lieutenant (Regent) of France |
| 1441 | Talbot wins, chasing French army across the Seine |
| 1445 | Talbot is named by Henry VI as Constable of France |
| 1447 | Somerset is renamed as Lieutenant of France |
| 1449 | Talbot is taken hostage at Rouen, promises never to wear armor against France French retake Rouen |
| 1450 | French defeat English at Formigny |
| 1451 | French take Bordeaux |
| 1453 | Talbot and son (ages 63 and 30, respectively) are defeated and killed at Battle of Castillion (Bordeaux), ending English rule of Gascony, effectively ending the Hundred Years War French generals raise monument to Talbot |