PENGUIN STUDY GUIDE CH. 18

The Penguin History of Medieval Europe
Chapter 18: Politics and Political Society in an Age of Wars
1330-1460
Free Companies and the Influence of Chivalry
• “Without war you cannot live and do not know how to;” Sir John Chandos.
• 14th Century; France versus England wars create dramatic increase in armed forces, despite limited finances.
• ’free companies’ independent bands of soldiers; think of Robin Hood and his Merry Men!
• Had great draw due to the culture of chivalry inherent to the times; adventure and profit. Knights considered high social class worthy of even doing ‘combat with a king’, therefore something to aspire to and stick to—free companies moved on from one battle to another.
• would continue to influence the wars of 14th-15th centuries; as supply of soldiers often exceeded demand, battles would spill over. Even The 100 Year War (France vs. England) was seen as a series of battles of territory/lordship rather than a war of 2 nations.
Dynastic Wars and the Lords that Fought Them
• Most lordships/dominions were inherited. The right to own land and govern the inhabitants was not sovereign; it could be bought, sold, won or lost. Lords could make grants of land to others in their favor, or gain land through marriage. Competition resulted.
• All this combined with the surge of free companies equaled constant states of insecurity. The soldiers did not often leave with the lords until hired out again, adding to the confusing political landscape.
• Ex: King Edward III’s quest for the French crown and subsequent dukes’ invasions of Italy to win Naples from Duke Louis, who in turn was promised the kingdom of Adria, territory of the Pope of Rome—by the Pope of Avignon!
• Duke John of Lancaster’s efforts to win Castile and ‘to build castles in Spain’ due to inherent rights of his wife as daughter of a former king.
Battles of Spain
• Mid-13th Century; Castile and Aragon were the 2 main Christian kingdoms after the Reconquest from the Muslims. Andalusia was the only Moorish territory left. Castile largely fought over by nobility.
• Alfonso XI’s defeat of Moorish invaders in 1340 and son Pedro II’s reign of 1349-69 reinstated power of monarchy.
• Pedro’s brother Henry driven out of Castile to France, then returned in 1366 as head of French free companies. For 20 years on Castile and the Anglo-French war would be entangled.
• 1367 Battle of Najera Pedro and the Black Prince defeat Henry—but with no money to pay soldiers, Pedro is killed a year later by Henry and the French.
• Castilian efforts to appease French powers as well as continued competition over crown causes serious damage to Spain. However, Aragon manages to avoid war while serving Frederic, king of Sicily. This eventually leads to increased trading power amongst Mediterranean ports when the soldiers take over Aragonese Sicily for themselves.

Free Companies of Italy
• Free companies played an even larger role in Italy than in Spain, between native companies and German mercenaries intent on taking over. The Anglo-French War continued to complicate things.
• Soldiers referred to as ‘condotierres’.
• Only the richest Italian cities like Florence, Milan, and Venice were able to afford condotierres, then swallow up the small and poor cities.
• Condotierres could become despots, and vice versa. Money was the key. Ex: Cosimo de Medici of Florence, 1389-1464, obtained office and ruled the city by wealth. Condotierro Francesco Sforza, 1401-66, came to rule Milan by serving the Visconti and marrying a duke’s daughter.
• By 1401 all of central Italy could’ve been devastated by condotierre, but the deaths of Milanese Giangaleazzo Visconti (1402) and King Ladislas of Naples (1414) disorganized the soldiers. This lead to 5 main powers of Italy—Venice, Milan, Naples, Florence, and the Papacy. All were largely independent military states within Italy.
Burgundy and France
• By acquiring so many lordships, Burgundy became a near-independent power from France. Philip the Bold (1363-1404) and his son John the Fearless (1404-19) secured Burgundy’s power through marriage and English alliance, while still keeping influence in France.
• John would attract soldiers to fight for his lordship. However, his successor Philip the Good would prove too ambitious in his battles with France, Switzerland, and Lorraine, losing 2 armies then dying himself in 1477.
• After these defeats, Burgundy was weakened and divided between France’s Louis XI and Maximilian of Austria.
• Burgundy is yet another example of how free companies could both make and break a state. The influence of chivalry would leave its mark on the culture—look at the court life of Versailles and the emphasis on both aristocracy and militia. Everything from politics to arts and fashion would be affected by the romance of chivalry.