Battle of Cocherel
Depiction of the battle around 1380–1392
| date | May 16, 1364 |
|---|---|
| place | Near Houlbec-Cocherel , Eure department |
| output | Decisive French victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
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| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 1500-3000 men | 5000–6000 men 300 long archers |
The Battle of Cocherel took place on May 16, 1364 between the armed forces of Charles V of France and Charles II of Navarre as a result of the War of Breton Succession , within the Hundred Years' War , on the plain of Cocherel .
prehistory
→ Main articles: War of the Breton Succession , Hundred Years War
The French army was led by Bertrand du Guesclin , although Jean III. von Auxerre was the higher-ranking nobleman there. The army consisted of knights from Burgundy , Brittany , Picardy , Gascony and Paris .
The armed forces of Navarre were led by Jean III. de Grailly and consisted mainly of 800–900 knights and 4,000–5,000 foot soldiers from Normandy , Gascon and England , including 300 English longbows . The troops from Gascony and England consisted mainly of routiers (mercenaries) who operated in western France and Brittany.
Course of the battle
The army of Navarre was formed in three battalions and took up a defensive position on a hill, which was an English tactic and thus imposed the initiative on the French. Du Guesclin attacked the defensive formation with the French army and feigned a retreat. The army of de Grailly left the position on the hill in pursuit of the apparently fleeing people and was wiped out by a flank attack by the French reserves held in readiness, whereby the battle was decided.
consequences
Charles II of Navarre was crushed. His territories in Normandy were confiscated, after which he dropped his claims to the French throne. Charles II's advisor, Pierre de Sacquenville, was captured and later beheaded in Rouen . The battle memorial is in the municipality of Hardencourt-Cocherel .
