Statue of Bertrand du Guesclin in Dinan

Bertrand du Guesclin at the Saint-Denis Basilica, near Paris

Bertrand du Guesclin (c. 1320 – 13 July 1380), known as the Eagle of Brittany, was a Breton knight and French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was Constable of France from 1370 to his death. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (795x1200, 156 KB) Statue de: Statue von Bertrand du Guesclin in Dinan en: Statue of Bertrand du Guesclin in Dinan fr: Statue de Bertrand du Guesclin à Dinan Photograph of the statue de: Eigenes Photo vom August 2004 vom französischen Nutzer... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (795x1200, 156 KB) Statue de: Statue von Bertrand du Guesclin in Dinan en: Statue of Bertrand du Guesclin in Dinan fr: Statue de Bertrand du Guesclin à Dinan Photograph of the statue de: Eigenes Photo vom August 2004 vom französischen Nutzer... Steep street from Dinan to the river Dinan is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-dArmor département, France. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Basilica of Saint Denis (in French, la Basilique de Saint-Denis), a famous burial site for French monarchs, is located in Saint Denis (near Paris). ... Events January 20 - Dante - Quaestio de Aqua et Terra January 20 - Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes king of Poland April 6 - The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath. ... July 13 is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... September 8 - Battle of Kulikovo - Russian forces under Grand Prince Dmitri Donskoi of Moscow resist a large invasion by the Blue Horde, Lithuania and Ryazan, stopping their advance at Kulikovo. ... Breton can refer to: Brittany, as an adjective for this historical province of France The Breton language, a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany and Loire-Atlantique A Breton person, part of a Brythonic ethnic group inhabiting the region of Brittany André Breton (1896-1966), French... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... The Constable of France (French connétable de France, from Latin comes stabulari for count of the stables), as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and chancellor) and Commander in Chief of... Events Beginning of the rule of Poland by Capet-Anjou family. ...

His strategy of wearing down the English while avoiding major battles allowed the French to recapture most of what they had lost earlier in the war ^[1] .

Biography

Bertrand du Guesclin was born in Broons, near Dinan, in Bretagne. His family was of minor Breton nobility, the seigneurs of Broons. For the long running scottish comic strip, see The Broons Broons (Breton: Bronn) is a town and commune in the Côtes-dArmor département, Brittany, France. ... Steep street from Dinan to the river Dinan is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-dArmor département, France. ... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Rennes Regional President Jean-Yves Le Drian (PS) (since 2004) Departments Côtes-dArmor Ille-et-Vilaine Morbihan Finistère Arrondissements 15 Cantons 201 Communes 1,268 Statistics Land area1 27,208 km² Population (Ranked 7th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Seigneur means, in French, lord. The term is often used in the Medieval system of Feudalism and Manorialism where it means the possessor of a seigneurie or fief. ... For the long running scottish comic strip, see The Broons Broons (Breton: Bronn) is a town and commune in the Côtes-dArmor département, Brittany, France. ...

He initially served Charles of Blois in the Breton War of Succession (1341-1364). Charles was supported by the French crown, while his rival was allied with England. He was knighted in 1354 while serving Arnoul d'Audrehem, after countering a raid by Hugh Calveley. In 1356-1357, Du Guesclin defended Rennes against an English siege by Henry of Grosmont, using the guerrila tactics that were to become his trademark. Though the siege was ended by payment of 100,000 crowns, the brave resistance helped restore French pride after Poitiers, and du Guesclin came to the attention of the Dauphin Charles. Charles of Blois (died September 29, 1364), was duke of Brittany, from 1341 to his death. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Events The Queens College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is founded. ... Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s - 1360s - 1370s 1380s 1390s 1400s 1410s Years: 1359 1360 1361 1362 1363 - 1364 - 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 See also: 1364 state leaders Events Charles V becomes King of France. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... Events End of reign of John VI Cantacuzenus, as Byzantine emperor. ... Arnoul dAudrehem (ca. ... Sir Hugh Calveley (died 23 April 1394) was an English soldier and commander, who took part in the Hundred Years War. ... Events January 20 - Edward Balliol surrenders title as King of Scotland to Edward III of England April 16 — the King of the Serbian Kingdom of RaÅ¡ka Stefan DuÅ¡an is proclaimed Tsar (Emperor) of all Serbs, Arbanasses and Greeks in Skopje by the Serbian Orthodox Christian Patriarch of a... // May 28 - Peter I becomes King of Portugal after the death of his father, Alfonso IV. July 9 - Charles Bridge in Prague is founded King David II of Scotland is released by the English in return for a ransom. ... Some medieval houses, such as these at Champ-Jacquet, can still be found in the center of Rennes. ... Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster (c. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Gascony France Commanders Edward, the Black Prince Captal de Buch John II of France Strength 9,000 12,000 Casualties Minimal 2,500 killed or wounded The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdom of England and France on September 19, 1356, resulting in the... Coat of Arms of the Dauphins of France. ... Charles V the Wise (French: Charles V le Sage) (January 21, 1338 – September 16, 1380) was king of France from 1364 to 1380 and a member of the Valois Dynasty. ...

When he became King in 1364, Charles sent Du Guesclin to deal with Charles II of Navarre, who hoped to claim the Duchy of Burgundy, which Charles hope to give to his brother, Philip. On 16 May, he met Navarrese forces under the command of Jean de Grailly, Captal de Buch at Cocherel and proved his ability in pitched battle by routing the enemy. The victory forced Charles II into a new peace with the French king, and secured Burgundy for Philip. Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s - 1360s - 1370s 1380s 1390s 1400s 1410s Years: 1359 1360 1361 1362 1363 - 1364 - 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 See also: 1364 state leaders Events Charles V becomes King of France. ... Charles II (1332–1387), called Charles the Bad, was King of Navarre 1349–1387 and Count of Évreux 1343–1387. ... The Duchy of Burgundy, today Bourgogne, has its origin in the small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Balds kingdom of West Franks. ... Philip II, Duke of Burgundy Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, known as the Bold (Philippe II de Bourgogne, le Hardi in French) (January 15, 1342, Pontoise – April 27, 1404, Halle), was the fourth son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne (Judith), daughter of the king and... Jean III de Grailly, captal de Buch (1343 - 1377), was a cousin of the Count of Foix and a renowned military leader in the Hundred Years War who was praised by the chronicler Jean Froissart as an ideal of chivalry. ... The Battle of Cocherel was fought on May 16, 1364 between the French and the forces of Charles II of Navarre. ...

On September 29, 1364, at the Battle of Auray, du Guesclin and Charles of Blois were heavily defeated by John V, Duke of Brittany and the English forces under Sir John Chandos. Charles was killed in action, ending the Blois pretensions in Brittany. Du Guesclin was captured and ransomed by Charles V for 100,000 francs^{[citation needed]}. September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s - 1360s - 1370s 1380s 1390s 1400s 1410s Years: 1359 1360 1361 1362 1363 - 1364 - 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 See also: 1364 state leaders Events Charles V becomes King of France. ... Combatants Bretons-England Bretons-France Commanders John de Montfort Charles of Blois Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Auray took place on September 29, 1364 at the French town of Auray. ... John V (in French Jean V) (1339 – November 1, 1399), known as the Conqueror, was duke of Brittany and count of Montfort, from 1345 to his death. ... Sir John Chandos (died 1369) was an English knight. ... Blois is a city in France, the préfecture (capital) city of the Loir-et-Cher département, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours. ... The term ransom refers to the practice of holding a prisoner to extort money or property extorted to secure their release, or to the sum of money involved. ...

In 1366, the King placed him at the head of the "free companies," the marauding soldiers who pillaged France after the Treaty of Brétigny, and sent him to Spain to aid Henry of Trastamara against Pedro the Cruel. Though successful in the campaign of 1366, Henry's army was defeated 1367 by Pedro's forces, now commanded by Edward, the Black Prince, at Nájera. Du Guesclin was again captured, and again ransomed by Charles V, who considered him invaluable. In 1369, Henry of Trastamara won the battle of Montiel, gaining him the throne of Castile. Events Births Anne of Bohemia, Queen consort of Richard II of England. ... The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty signed on May 8, 1360, between King Edward III of England and King John II (the Good) of France. ... Henry of Trastamara (January 13, 1334 Sevilla - May 29, 1379 Santo Domingo de la Calzada) (Enrique de Trastámara), was the illegitimate son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonora de Guzman, and half brother to Pedro I the Cruel (or the Lawful, depending on who wrote the history). ... Pedro of Castile (1290, Valladolid – 1319), Infante of Castile and Lord of Los Cameros, was the son of Sancho IV of Castile and his wife Maria de Molina. ... Events Births Anne of Bohemia, Queen consort of Richard II of England. ... Events Battle of Najera, Peter I of Castile restored as King. ... Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, KG (June 15, 1330 – June 8, 1376), popularly known as the Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, and father to King Richard II of England. ... The Battle of Nájera from a fifteenth-century manuscript. ... Events King Charles V of France renounces the treaty of Brétigny and war is declared between France and England. ... Combatants Franco-Castilians Portugal, Jews, Granadines, Marinids Commanders Henry II of Castile Pedro I the Cruel The Battle of Montiel was fought in 1369 between Franco-Castilian forces, and an alliance of pro-England forces led by the Portuguese. ... The starting point of Crown of Castile can be considered when the union of the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon in 1230 or the later fusion of their Cortes (their Parlaments). ...

Death of Bertrand du Guesclin, by Jean Fouquet

War with England was renewed in 1369, and Du Guesclin reconquered Poitou and Saintonge and pursued the English into Brittany from 1370 to 1374. He disapproved of the confiscation of Brittany by Charles V in 1378, and his campaign to make the duchy submit to the king was halfhearted. Image File history File links Mort_de_Bertrand_Du_Guesclin. ... Image File history File links Mort_de_Bertrand_Du_Guesclin. ... Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels (c. ... Events King Charles V of France renounces the treaty of Brétigny and war is declared between France and England. ... Coat of arms of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, Plantagenet claimant to the county of Poitou, now favored as the coat of arms of Poitou by people in Poitou Poitou is a province of France. ... Saintonge is a small region on the atlantic coast of France in the region of Poitou-Charentes (17- Charente-Maritime). ... Events Beginning of the rule of Poland by Capet-Anjou family. ... Events June 24 - Dancing mania begins in Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen), possibly due to ergotism King Gongmin is assassinated and King U ascends to the Goryeo throne Births April 11 - Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, heir to the throne of England (died 1398) Leonardo Bruni, Italian humanist (died 1444... Events March - John Wyclif tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before parliament, and then made them public in a tract. ... The Duke of Brittany (French: Duc de Bretagne) governed Brittany, a region with strong traditions of independence, including a language and a distinctive culture. ...

An able tactician and a loyal and disciplined warrior, Du Guesclin had reconquered much of France from the English when he died of dysentery at Chateauneuf-de-Randon while on a military expedition in Languedoc. He was buried at Saint-Denis in the tomb of the kings of France. His heart is kept at the basilica of Saint-Sauveur at Dinan. Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is the term for tenesmus (painful straining to pass stool), cramping, and frequent, small-volume severe diarrhea associated with blood in the feces. ... Châteauneuf-de-Randon is a commune of the Lozère département, in France. ... Coat of arms of the province of Languedoc, now being used as an official flag by the Midi-Pyrénees region as well as by the city of Toulouse Languedoc (pronounced ) (Lengadòc (pronounced ) in Occitan) is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions... Saint-Denis is a commune of France, in the Seine-Saint-Denis département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... West façade of Saint Denis Depiction of the Trinity over the main entrance The Basilica of Saint Denis (French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the famous burial site of the French monarchs, comparable to Westminster Abbey in England. ...

The family of du Guesclin remained in France until the revolution where a number of them were guillotined and the remainder fled for their lives to England and possibly the netherlands. Here they remained.

In media

In the video game Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, Bertrand is, alongside Joan of Arc, Jean Bureau, and La Hire, a playable character in the Joan of Arc campaign. Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (or simply Age of Kings) is a real-time strategy game set in the middle ages, released in 1999. ... It has been suggested that Name of Joan of Arc be merged into this article or section. ... Jean Bureau (died July 5, 1463) was Charles VII s master of artillery during the final years of the Hundred Years War. ... La Hire and Xaintrailles depicted in a 15th century illuminated book. ...

Bertrand du Guesclin appears as a secondary character in Arthur Conan Doyle's historical novel "The White Company"(1892) 1897-Portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Sidney Paget. ... The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle is a historical adventure set during the Hundred Years War. ...

Du Guesclin was one of the main characters in a trilogy of children's books ("Geef me de ruimte", 1976; "Triomf van de verschroeide aarde", 1977 and "Het rad van fortuin", 1978) by the Dutch author Thea Beckman. Thea Beckman (23 July 1923, Rotterdam – 5 May 2004, Bunnik) was a famous Dutch author of childrens books. ...

Notes

Duguesclin is the pseudonymn of a character in Albert Camus' classic work The Fall

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bertrand du Guesclin

• Curry, Anne. The Hundred Years' War. London: Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-269-5
• Nicolle, David. Medieval Warfare Source Book: Warfare in Western Christendom. London: Brockhampton Press, 1999. ISBN 1-86019-889-9
• Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987. ISBN 0-345-34957-1
• Turnbull, Stephen. The Book of the Medieval Knight. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1985. ISBN 0-85368-715-3