Treaty of Arras (1435)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the Treaty of Arras (1435) on September 21, 1435, the French King Charles VII and the Burgundian Duke Philip the Good agreed on a settlement of their long-lasting conflict, the civil war of the Armagnacs and Bourguignons . With England , however, at this peace-oriented meeting, which is counted among the most important peace conferences in the Middle Ages , no agreement was reached.

prehistory

Duke Johann Ohnefurcht had become ruler of Burgundy in 1404. He headed the Bourguignons' party in the political controversy in France and gained dominant influence at the French court. The constant quarrel with the Armagnacs led to his having their leader, Duke Louis of Orléans , killed in 1407. This made the hostilities even deeper. When Johann wanted to reconcile himself with the Dauphin , who later became King Charles VII, in 1419 , the Duke was murdered on the bridge of Montereau by companions of the Dauphin.

The murder caused John's son and heir Philip III. the good after the Treaty of Troyes on May 21, 1420 decidedly on the side of the English, who penetrated victoriously into France under King Henry V. France's King Charles VI. the madman , influenced by his wife Isabeau , agreed in this treaty with the English ruler that Henry V of England should marry Charles' daughter Catherine and rule England and France in personal union after the death of the king. The Dauphin, Katharina's brother, was excluded from the line of succession and banned because he was involved in the murder of Duke Johann. In the following years, Burgundy fought on the side of England against Charles VII, who was classified as a culprit, who had formed an opposing government. This alliance lasted until the Arras Peace Conference.

Peace conference

On August 5, 1435, a peace conference at the European level was opened under ecclesiastical direction in the Abbey of Saint-Vaast near Arras, which dealt with the conflicts between France, England and Burgundy. The chairmanship was chaired by the Cardinals Niccolo d'Albergati as the representative of the Pope and Hugo von Lusignan as the representative of the Council of Basel .

The negotiating delegation for Charles VII was headed by Duke Charles de Bourbon , Archbishop Regnault de Chartres of Reims and the Connétable of France , Arthur de Richemont . The interests of Henry VI. represented the Cardinal Bishop of Winchester, Henry Beaufort , the Bishop of Lisieux, Pierre Cauchon , and William, Earl of Suffolk . Philip the Good negotiated personally for Burgundy.

Envoys from the King of Naples , the Dukes of Brittany , Orléans and Alençon , the University of Paris and the most important cities of France, each with a rich retinue, came as observers. Emperor Sigismund von Luxemburg also gave the conference the honor.

Amadeus VIII of Savoy , who later became the antipope Felix V , also took part in the peace negotiations ; his moderation skills led Burgundy to approach France.

Agreements between France and Burgundy

In the contract of September 21, 1435, Charles VII confirmed the donations of 1424, completed them by ceding royal enclaves within the ducal territory and promised to punish the murderers of Duke Johann. In it he formally apologized to Philip the Good for the murder of his father.

With the loss of feudal duties and homage, Burgundy was given complete independence in real terms (with formal affiliation to France) and the following territorial increase:

In return, Burgundy recognized Charles VII as King of France. Philip renounced the Tonnerre county, which he had acquired from his father .

Negotiations with England

The English negotiators had arrived in the expectation that a peace brokerage would only be between England and France. They struck an extended armistice and a bond between the juvenile King Henry VI. of England and the daughter of the French King Charles VII. Under no circumstances did the English side want to renounce their claim to the French crown. This position prevented a meaningful mediation. The British delegation withdrew from the negotiations in the middle of the congress because there had been French raids on continental property. Meanwhile, the French delegation and the leading clergy urged Philip the Good to reconcile with Charles VII. When the British delegation returned, they learned that their ally had changed sides. The English regent, Duke John of Bedford, died in Rouen on September 14, 1435 , a week before the Congress ended.

After the end of the congress

Philip III the good man was now at war with England. His military ventures failed and after an uprising in Bruges (1437) he was forced to negotiate with the English and guarantee them free trade with Flanders . However, he achieved the release of Duke Charles of Orléans, who had been imprisoned in England after the Battle of Azincourt, and thus successfully buried the old enmity between Bourguignons and Armagnacs .

The county of Vermandois, with its capital Saint-Quentin, ceded to Burgundy from the possession of the French crown in the Treaty of Arras, became French again in 1477.

evaluation

The Treaty of Arras was a major diplomatic success for the French and ushered in the final years of the Hundred Years War . He put an end to the long quarrel between King Charles VII of France and Duke Philip III. of Burgundy. By breaking the alliance between Burgundy and England, Charles VII strengthened his position as monarch of France against the rival claims of Henry VI. from England. The internal political dispute between Armagnacs and Bourguignons dissolved. France had been allied with Scotland for a long time, so England was isolated. From 1435 on, English ownership in France gradually declined.

literature

  • Friedrich Schneider: The European Peace Congress of Arras 1435 and the peace policy of Pope Eugen IV and the Basel Council . Henning, 1919.

Web links