Anglo-Gascon victory at Bergerac in 1345 shifted military balance in south-west France and began Henry of Grosmont's celebrated campaign.
Key Facts
- Date
- August 1345
- War
- Hundred Years' War
- Anglo-Gascon commander
- Henry of Grosmont, Earl of Derby
- French commanders
- Bertrand I of L'Isle-Jourdain and Henri de Montigny
- Strategic outcome
- French lost the town of Bergerac with heavy casualties
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In early 1345, Edward III planned a multi-front offensive against France, dispatching Henry of Grosmont to Gascony, a region economically vital to England and a root cause of the war. France concentrated its forces in the north, leaving comparatively weak forces in the south-west, creating an opportunity for a bold English strike.
Henry of Grosmont arrived in Gascony in August 1345 and, abandoning the previous cautious strategy, launched a direct assault on the largest French concentration at Bergerac. He surprised and defeated the French forces under Bertrand I of L'Isle-Jourdain and Henri de Montigny, inflicting heavy casualties and capturing the town.
The fall of Bergerac was a significant strategic setback for France in the south-west. Combined with the subsequent Battle of Auberoche later that year, it shifted the military balance of power in the region and inaugurated a string of victories that earned Henry of Grosmont the contemporary accolade of 'one of the best warriors in the world'.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Henry of Grosmont, Earl of Derby.
Side B
1 belligerent
Bertrand I of L'Isle-Jourdain, Henri de Montigny.