The siege delayed French forces from confronting the Black Prince, contributing directly to the French defeat and capture of King John II at Poitiers.
Key Facts
- Duration
- April to ~20 August 1356
- Relief date
- 5 July 1356 by Earl of Lancaster
- Siege tower assault
- Repulsed; tower destroyed by defenders
- Garrison exit terms
- Free passage to Cotentin plus large bribe
- Subsequent battle
- Battle of Poitiers, French defeated
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Breteuil was held by supporters of Charles II of Navarre, a rival claimant hostile to French King John II. French forces besieged the town to reduce this Navarrese stronghold in Normandy, while England maintained an interest in defending it as part of broader Anglo-Navarrese alignment against the French crown.
French forces besieged Breteuil from April 1356. On 5 July, Henry, Earl of Lancaster, briefly relieved the town with an English army, leaving it provisioned for a year. John II renewed the siege, attempted mining and a large mobile siege tower assault, both of which failed. Around 20 August, John paid the garrison to vacate peacefully.
With Breteuil finally surrendered, French forces concentrated at Chartres to confront the Black Prince's Anglo-Gascon army. John II pursued and cornered that force, but the resulting Battle of Poitiers ended in French defeat and the capture of John II himself, with severe political consequences for France.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
John II of France.
Side B
1 belligerent
Henry, Earl of Lancaster.