Battle of Kravan

The city of Kravan stands at the confluence of two rivers - the Yonne and the Kyura ; Here is the Nyverne Canal . It is located 189 km south of Paris ^[2] , and 18.9 km south of Auxerre ^{[3]. The} first mention of the "village of Crevennus" dates back to Roman time. Through the city passed the “Agrippa road”, along which amber was transported from the Baltic lands to Gaul . However, the port, the first on Yonne, and the road connecting Paris with Burgundy brought great fame and fame to Kravan. To protect merchants and their goods in 1384, King Charles VI gave permission to surround the city with a defensive wall, the remains of which are still preserved. ^[four]

The capture and retention of the Cravan was necessary for England to strengthen its influence in the north-east of France , which until then was very fragile. The French Caravan and other cities, as it was customary to write in the chronicles of that time, "holding the king's side", constantly threatened Paris. This threat was only partially eliminated by the capture of Moe , Moulan , and the victory of the Burgundians at Mont-en-Vimeux .

For his part, Jean d'Arcourt, Count d'Omale in Picardy continued to resist, the Dauphin troops also managed to capture Compiegne on the Oise , so the victory of the British was not unconditional. ^[five]

In the spring of 1423, the Duke of Bedford invited the Dukes of Burgundy and Breton to meet in Amiens to work out a unified plan of war against the Dauphin. An agreement was reached, both dukes recognized the English regent as "regent of France." They discussed the conditions under which the allies were to help each other. Feeling more confident, the British were ready to continue expansion.

The caravan halfway between Picardy, where Count d'Omal continued to fight on one side, and Orleans, Blois and Bourges, where the main forces of the “Dofinists” concentrated on the other, was an important connecting point through which reinforcements went to d'Omal, money and provisions. Trying to block this road, thus breaking the connection between Picardy and the main Dauphin forces and defending Paris, which was still threatened from the south, the Dukes of Bedford, Burgundy, and Breton decided to capture this city. The French, for their part, considered him the "key to Burgundy " and prepared for defense. ^[6]

The city was already changing hands. Originally belonging to the bourguignons , it was captured by betrayal by the bastard Guillaume de la Beaum , a Savoyard by birth. At first he “was so friendly with the lords de Chastelle and Le Vaux de Barre” that they “trusted him with their estates”, but later turned over to Charles VII. Jean de Warren explains this betrayal as follows: in 1423 another truce was concluded between the opponents, but de la Beaumot, “who loved only war,” offered his services to the king, seducing him with the possibility of capturing the Caravan.

Carl, accepting his assurances of loyalty and rewarding a new ally, allocated 800 people for the implementation of the plan. Agreeing with certain “traitors” among the townspeople, de la Beaum and his detachment secretly approached the city, whose gates were warningly open, and shouting “Long live the king! The city is taken! ”Burst inside ^[7] . Having occupied the city, the bastard de la Bom became his new captain.

For their part, the Burgundians, led by the seigneur de Chatelet, le Vaux de Bara and the seigneur de Varanbon, in July 1423 gathered about 500-600 mercenaries "experienced in military affairs" near the city of Avallon (according to the French side, the Burgundians had 800 people) . Then, secretly moving to Vaud , they managed to negotiate with supporters of the Burgundian party in the city (the name of one of them, Cologon de Tire, was preserved in history), which the next night carried guards on the walls ^[7] .

The next day, at 7 o’clock in the morning, they managed to sneak up to Kravan and give a signal to accomplices who managed to lower the fortress bridge despite the alarm that arose in the city. Burgundians burst inside with the cry "Theotokos, Burgundy!", And after a fierce battle, they ousted the French from the city ^[5] . Tannegi du Châtel , the commander of the French king, approached the city too late to prevent this ^[6] .

According to the chronicle of the military herald Berry , the stableable John Stewart, Earl of Buchan , who had recently arrived in France and wanted to join the battle, arbitrarily decided to besiege the city and return it to the French. The connetable nevertheless informed Charles VII of his intentions and asked him for an additional supply of guns, bombards and shells for them, but was refused. Neglecting the royal order to go to Champagne , in order to then try to take the Reims and join the forces of d'Omale ^[8] , he went under Cravan. Upon learning of this, Karl hastily sent to him Amory de Severac , Marshal of France , led by "400 armored men , Spaniards and mercenaries." Also with the detachment came Count de Ventadour, sire de Fontaine, sire de Belle and sire de Gamache.

Other documents of that time contradict this information. Thus, the author of the anonymous Chronicle of the Virgin, describing the events from the death of Charles VI to the failed attempt to capture Paris, claims that the Connable and Severac went near Cravan on the direct orders of the Dauphin (despite the fact that he clearly mistakenly claimed that the city belonged to the French at that time, and the Burgundians and the British were besieging it) ^[9] - the chronicler adheres to the same conception Jean Raoul. ^[10] ).

The chronicler Warren writes that the bastard de la Baume himself informed Karl about the fall of the city, having managed to escape from the English and cross the Loire , after which he came to Bourges , the temporary capital of the Dauphin Karl. He assured the Dauphin that it would not be difficult to recapture the city, “for they have neither bread, nor flour, (nor) wagons, nor other provisions, which is why they will not be able to withstand or eat for a month if help does not come to them, which I I doubt it; for they are the chief captains of the border, and with them all their people. ” De la Baume proposed storming the city immediately while the Duke of Burgundy was in Flanders , and the British troops were diverted to military operations on the Norman border and near Crotoy ^[7] .

The Royal Council called for an attempt to recapture the Caravan, and then the necessary number of people, artillery and food were discussed. Judging by the records of Karl, who was somewhat cynical about the defeat at Kravan, the army that left was “very few and almost none of the nobility of our kingdom, but only Scots , Spaniards and other foreign warriors who are used to living in the country, so the damage is not so great” . The Chronicleer of Saint-Remy confirms that Buchan’s and Severac’s army “included Frenchmen, Lombards , Aragonese , Scots and Spaniards” (probably mercenaries) —there were three thousand Scots under Buchan’s command, and another nine thousand brought Severac with them ^[6] . According to other sources, the French army had about ten thousand soldiers of all nationalities, while the British had about four ^[11] (“500 English soldiers, 2000 archers, with them also 1000 Burgundian soldiers, crossbowmen and soldiers of auxiliary units - without accounts "). In addition, Salisbury had at its disposal about thirty or forty Burgundy kulevrin exported from Auxerre and accompanied by the Osserian gunners ^[1] .

The French besieged the city, and the besieged soon found themselves in a desperate situation. Hunger made them eat their own horses, then switch to cats and rats. Several times they tried to make sorties, but these attempts were successfully repulsed. In total, the siege lasted about five weeks, and the fall of the Kravan seemed inevitable.

Despite the blockade, several pages and servants sent by the lord de Shuttle managed to get through the camp of the besiegers. They brought the news of the desperate situation in the city to the Dowager Duchess of Burgundy. She began urgently to assemble an army from the ducal vassals to lift the siege, vowing, if necessary, to sell all her horses in order to get enough money for that ^[1] . Among others, the Burgundians Guy de la Tremuy, Count de Joyany, joined the army; Antoine de Vergie , Count de Dammartin, Senior de Champlite, Marshal of France since January 1421 ; Guillaume de Vienne and Jean de Vienne, Senior de Bussy; Jean II de Montagu, seigneur de Conche; Pierre de Beaufremont (since 1435, Count de Charney ); Rainier Poe, Senor de la Roche and de Nole; Guillaume de Rochefort, Chevalier de Nivernoy; Jean de Tintville, seigneur de Chenet; Jean de Villiers, Senior de Lilles-Adan; of the Savoyans — Ame de Verry, Giget and Gig, Senor de Salnov, shortly before being the right-hand man of Heracle de Rochebaron , who had ravaged Auvergne , in attempts to subjugate her to the Duke of Burgundy, but who, unlike his captain, managed to escape from punishment.

The army was placed under the command of Jean de Toulonjon, senor de Sansay , nicknamed le Born, that is, "Curve". Burgallians were designated Avallon and Montbar .

On the other hand, the Earl of Salisbury went to the Cravan, to whom an additional 1,000 soldiers of Earl-Marshal Willoughby were assigned to the Duke of Bedford. At the end of the same month, Earl Suffolk , Lords Willogby and Skales came to the rescue to the city.

Both forces joined in Auxerre on July 29 , with Salisbury choosing the episcopal palace as his residence. On the same evening, a military council was held in the local cathedral, at which it was decided:

1. Go to Kravan as a single army, for which to develop a strict disciplinary charter. In particular, the British and Burgundians were instructed to treat each other as allies, "to be in harmony and friends together in good union, without argument and strife, in fear of being punished by the will of the captains."

2. Assign marshals to monitor troop movements. From the English side they were Gilbert de Helsal; Captain Evreux since 1424 , and from Burgundy - Senor de Vergie.

3. To order each soldier to bring provisions for two days' journey. This provision was planned to be purchased here in Auxerre, and merchants were guaranteed a "decent payment."

4. Using English tactics, make a portable palisade to protect archers from the cavalry of the enemy. Each archer was instructed to make a stake pointed at both ends, as the chronicler Saint-Remy notes: “a count of eight [French] feet long”, so that, if necessary, sticking it into the ground, protecting itself “against the horseback attack of enemies” ^[12] ;

5. To order the soldiers during movement and battle everyone to know their place in the ranks and not to leave it without order, under pain of punishment.

6. Allocate 120 armored men - 60 British and as many Burgundians, from which to form a flying detachment for reconnaissance along with archers.

7. To dismount for two leagues from enemy positions (the death penalty was supposed to be for disobedience), and take the horses half a league back - again, in case of disobedience, the horses were ordered to be confiscated.

8. Do not take prisoners without a special order or permission (those who violated the order together with their captive should have been put to death) ^[13] .

If you believe the chronicle of Saint-Remy, the army was also ordered to spend the night "in prayer and heartbreak, with as much reverence as possible, expecting tomorrow the mercy of the Lord to live (or) die."

The next day, after listening to the Mass and taking communion, the combined army left the city. July 30 was a march from Auxerre to Kravan, the movement was carried out on the right bank of the Yonne. This day there was a great heat, and "some were forced, due to the heat, to lie face down on the ground in order to freshen up a bit" ^[5] . The enemy was spotted about 6.5 km from the city where the siege positions were located. However, on the same day, the British, tired after the transition, avoided the battle and retreated to Vinsel , where they camped.

On July 31, at about 10 a.m., the British left Vinsel and continued moving in a different direction, choosing the most convenient approach to the city. According to the Chronicle of Angerran Montrelet, French positions were located "on the mountain." ^[13] A modern researcher M. Nechitailov identifies this “mountain” with a rather high ridge, located about 2.5 km from Kravan, on the east bank of the Yonna, downstream. This ridge is interrupted by a narrow gorge, to the left of which there is a swampy area of ​​the floodplain. Probably, it was precisely in these places that the French positions were located that blocked the way for the English troops ^[5] . Therefore, Salisbury decided in Vinsel to cross to the west bank of the river and continue to move south in order to choose the best position for the battle.

French troops moved parallel to the English on the opposite (eastern) bank of the river. The armies approached the narrow bridge held by the French and Scots. Staying close to him, Salisbury rebuilt his army in battle formation. The British had to dismount and line up along the coast, with the horses placed in the rear. The command of the right flank took over Lord Willogby, the left - Salisbury. Before the battle, they were knighted by Guillaume de Vienne, the son of the lord de Saint-Georges, Jean, lord d'Oxy, Philippe, lord de Trenon, Copen de la Vieville and others. According to the annals, Salisbury alone produced at least 80 men of knighthood. In the place where the English army stopped, the depth of the river is small. Water reaches the belt, the width of the river does not exceed 50 feet ^[11] , the current is quite fast.

For three hours, the armies stood motionless on opposite sides of the river, until Salisbury shouted “ St. George !” Ordered the standard bearer to move forward, and after him entered the river. Following Salisbury, the rest of the army rushed, so that "the enemy saw in front of him in the river about 1,500 people, or more ... the ephesuses of their swords and spears" ^[1] . At the same time, archers did not allow the French to prevent the crossing. According to the “Book of betrayals and insults caused by France to the Burgundy house”, during the crossing of the English troops, Scottish archers showered him with arrows rain, after which the Burgundian gunners answered with fire, which led to “considerable victims”. The British, under the command of Lord Willoughby, tried to break through the defenses of the Scots, who barricaded the bridge, but all their attacks failed. ^[14] By that time, the British had reached the east coast, where a fierce hand-to-hand battle had begun, swords and axes had come into play .

Initially, neither side could achieve a decisive advantage. In such a situation, the commandant of the fortress, señor de Shuttle, ordered the gates to be opened, and the soldiers who were in the garrison of Caravan hit the besiegers in the back. Caught in the grip between the British and the city, the French retreated, with the mercenaries - the Spaniards, Lombards and Gascons - being the first to leave the battlefield. The anonymous author of The Chronicles of the Virgin also noted that “ Marshal Severac, sir Robert de Ler, and others shamefully fled to great damage to the king of France; and if they remained on the ground and fulfilled their duty, it is very likely that everything could have turned out differently ” ^[9] . The Scots, who continued to hold the bridge and stubbornly refused to retreat, suffered the greatest losses.

The detachment of Captain Perrine Grasse for some time pursued the fleeing, inflicting additional damage to them, while the English army entered the Cravan.

The losses of the French troops are estimated at 3-4 thousand Scottish riflemen and about 1200 of the French proper, of which 300-400 are noblemen. “ The Chronicle of the Military Herald of Berry ” gives a different, lower figure - about 800-1000 people.

Among others, Buchanan's nephew of the Scottish Connable was killed by Thomas Seton, Bastard de la Baume, William Hamilton and his son Andrew, Captain John Pollock, Bastard de la Beaulieu, Cir de Fontaine d'Anjou. About 400 people, according to the Chronicle of Monsterale, or about 2000 (Saint-Rémy refers to this figure) were captured, with the Connable Buchan being captured (in this battle, who lost his eyes and surrendered to Senor de Chatelet), Count Ventadour, Stephen and John Fernierhurst , Scottish knights, seigneur de Belle and Guillaume, seigneur de Gamache. The damage was especially great, because for the retreat there was, in fact, a narrow corridor between the advancing British and Kravans - which the winners took full advantage of ^[15] .

As the Parisian bourgeois Georges Schüffard notes in his “Diary”, by the evening of August 3 rumors about the victory of the British and the death of “3000 or more Armagnacs” reached Paris. On the occasion of the victory (which coincided with the day of the transfer of the relics of St. Stephen ), a big celebration was organized. Schuffar also claims that 1,500 people drowned in the river ^[16] , but the facts in his Diary are exaggerated. The next day, the Burgundian troops went back to Burgundy, at the same time Salisbury went to besiege Mont-Aguillon , and Suffolk went to Kushi .

As a result of the defeat of the French troops, the connection between Picardy and the south of France was interrupted. The territory, which still supported the "legitimate king", was "cut" in half. Both parts were henceforth forced to fight separately, unable to come to the aid of each other, which inflicted brutal damage on the case of Charles VII. The defeat at Kravan entailed several more lost battles. The reason for this, as the researchers note, was a decline in morale and Karl’s attempts to evade direct clashes with the enemy ^[14] .

• Chronique de Jean Lefèvre, seigneur de Saint-Rémy см. также перевод Хроника Жана Лефевра, сеньора де Сен-Реми
• Chronique de la Pucelle 4 — Bataille à Cravent — 31 juillet 1423 см. также перевод Хроника Девы. Глава IV. О битве при Краване.
• Chronique Jehan Raoulet ou Chronique anonyme du roi Charles VII см. также перевод Хроника Жана Рауле. Отрывок из главы XIV (1423 г.) Битва при Краване
• Journal d'un Bourgeouis de Paris 387 (1423) см. также перевод Дневник парижского горожанина. 387 (1423 г.)

• Военное дело. Сражение при Краване 31 июля 1423 г.
• М.Нечитайлов. Бой при Краване (31 Июля 1423 г.)
• Bataille de Cravant (недоступная ссылка)
• Jeanne d'Arc — Joanne of Arc, battle of Cravant
• The tripple alliance of England, Burundy and Brettany
• The artillery of the Dukes of Burundy 1363—1477
• Albert Laponneraye Histoire des rivalités et des luttes de la France et de l'Angleterre
• Encyclopedia of the Hundred years war
• World History 1400—1500
• Anthony Tuck Crown and Nobility: 1272—1461
• La Victoire
• Сhronique de Jean Lefèvre, seigneur de Saint-Rémy
• Chronique de Charles VII, roi de France