The Congress of Arras was a diplomatic congregation established at

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

in the summer of 1435 during the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French Crown, ...

, between representatives of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, and

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...

. It was the first negotiation since the

Treaty of Troyes The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that King Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the French throne upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was formally signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of ...

and replaced the 15 year agreement between Burgundy and England that would have seen the dynasty of

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

inherit the French crown. Toward the close of the Hundred Years' War, both the Congress and the subsequent Treaty of Arras represented diplomatic failures for England and major successes for France and led to the expulsion of the English from France.

Congregation

English negotiators entered the congress believing it was a peace negotiation between England and France only. They proposed an extended

truce A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

and a marriage between adolescent King

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English thron ...

and a daughter of French king Charles VII of France. The English were unwilling to renounce their claim to the crown of France. This position prevented meaningful negotiation. The English delegation broke off from the congress in mid-session to put down a raid by French captains Xaintrailles and

La Hire Étienne de Vignolles, Sieur de Montmorillon, Chatelain de Longueville (), also known as La Hire (; 1390 – 11 January 1443), was a French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. Nickname One explanation for his nickname of La ...

. Meanwhile, the French delegation and leading clergy urged

Philip the Good Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...

of Burgundy to reconcile with Charles VII. Burgundy was an

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...

at the time, virtually an independent state, and had been allied with England since the murder of Philip's father in 1419. Charles VII had been complicit in that crime. Philip despised the French king but believed he would gain an advantage in a French government ruled by a weak French king instead of the English regent John, Duke of Bedford. Philip's sister

Anne of Burgundy Anne of Burgundy, Duchess of Bedford (french: Anne de Bourgogne) (30 September 1404 – 13 November 1432) was a daughter of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy (1371–1419), and his wife Margaret of Bavaria (1363–1423). Duchess of Bedford In ...

had been married to the English duke. Relations between the two men deteriorated following her death in 1432. When the English delegation returned to the congress they too found their Burgundian ally had switched sides. The Duke of Bedford, at this point the only man keeping the Anglo-Burgundian alliance standing, died on 14 September 1435, one week before the congress concluded.

Participants

For the English

John Kemp John Kemp ( – 22 March 1454, surname also spelled Kempe) was a medieval English cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor of England. Biography Kemp was the son of Thomas Kempe, a gentleman of Ollantigh, in the parish ...

, Archbishop of York *

Henry Beaufort Cardinal Henry Beaufort (c. 1375 – 11 April 1447), Bishop of Winchester, was an English prelate and statesman who held the offices of Bishop of Lincoln (1398) then Bishop of Winchester (1404) and was from 1426 a Cardinal of the Church of Ro ...

, Cardinal * John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon *

William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, (16 October 1396 – 2 May 1450), nicknamed Jackanapes, was an English magnate, statesman, and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He became a favourite of the weak king Henry VI of Engl ...

* Walter Hungerford *

William Alnwick William Alnwick (died 1449) was an English Catholic clergyman. He was Bishop of Norwich (1426–1436) and Bishop of Lincoln (1436–1449). Educated at Cambridge, Alnwick was an ecclesiastic priest. He was probably the same hermit who lived in ...

, Bishop of Norwich * Thomas Rodborne, Bishop of St David's *

William Lyndwood William Lyndwood (c. 1375 – 21/22 October 1446) was an English bishop of St. David's, diplomat and canonist, most notable for the publication of the ''Provinciale''. Early life Lyndwood was born in Linwood, Lincolnshire, one of seven children. ...

, keeper of the privy seal * Sir John Radcliff, seneschal of Aquitaine * John Popham, knight * Robert Shotesbrook, knight * William Sprever, doctor of laws *

Pierre Cauchon Pierre Cauchon (1371 – 18 December 1442) was Bishop of Beauvais from 1420 to 1432. He was a strong partisan of English interests in France during the latter years of the Hundred Years' War. He was the judge in the trial of Joan of Arc an ...

, Bishop of Lisieux * Jean de Rinel, royal secretary * Nicolas de Mailly, bailli of Vermandois * Robert le Jeune, bailli of Amiens * Guillaume Erard, doctor of theology * Nicolas Fraillon, Archdeacon of Paris *

Raoul Roussel Raoul Roussel (1389–1452) was a French churchman, who played a part in the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431, and was archbishop of Rouen from 1443 to 1452. He was born at Saultchevreuil in the diocese of Coutances, and became a doctor of canon law ...

, doctor of laws, treasurer of Rouen * Thomas de Courcelles, Parisian ambassador and their prisoners,

Duke of Orleans Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

Count of Eu Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

For the French

Representing Charles VII: * Charles I, Duke of Bourbon (titular head of embassy and Duke of Burgundy's brother-in-law) *

Regnault de Chartres Regnault de Chartres ( in Ons-en-Bray - 4 April 1444 in Tours) was a French cardinal, archbishop of Rheims, peer of France (as Archbishop-Duke of Rheims) and chancellor of France during the reign of King Charles VII of France. In 1429 during ...

Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

, chancellor of France *

Arthur de Richemont Arthur III ( br, Arzhur), more commonly known as Arthur de Richemont (24 August 139326 December 1458), was briefly Duke of Brittany from 1457 until his death. He is noted primarily, however, for his role as a leading military commander during ...

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...

Arnold, Duke of Guelders Arnold of Egmond (14 July 1410 – 23 February 1473) was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen. Life Arnold was born in Egmond-Binnen, North Holland, the son of John II of Egmond and Maria van Arkel. On 11 July 1423, Arnold, still a boy, su ...

Charles I, Count of Nevers Charles I, Count of Nevers (1414 – 25 May 1464), Count of Nevers and Rethel, was the son of Philip II, Count of Nevers, and Bonne of Artois.Jules Michelet, ''Louis XI Et Charles Le Téméraire'', ed. E. Renault, (Clarendon Press, 1907), 104. ...

Richard, Count of Étampes Richard, Count of Montfort, Vertus and Étampes (c. 1396 – 2 June 1438) was the eighth child and youngest son of John IV, Duke of Brittany, and his third wife, Joan of Navarre.Hereford Brooke George, ''Genealogical Tables Illustrative of Modern ...

Antoine, Count of Vaudémont Antoine of Vaudémont ( – 22 March 1458) was Count of Vaudémont and Sieur de Joinville from 1418 to 1458. By marriage, he was also Count of Harcourt, Count of Aumale, and Baron of Elbeuf from 1452 to 1458. Life His uncle Charles II, Duke ...

* Engelbert I, Count of Nassau * Catherine, Damoiseau of Cleves * John, Bishop of Liége * Jan van Gavere, Bishop of Cambrai * Bishop of Arras * Bishop of Auxerre * Seigneur de Crévecoeur * Seigneur de Charny For Burgundy: * Duke Philip of Burgundy * Chancellor Nicolas Rolin * Antoine I, Seigneur de Croy *

Hugues de Lannoy Hugo van Lannoy (French: 'Hue' or 'Hugues de Lannoy'; 1384 – 1 May 1456), Lord of Santes, was a Flemish statesman in the service of the Dukes of Burgundy, most notably Philip III who founded the Order of the Golden Fleece. Biography He was a ...

, Seigneur de Santes *

Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, of Brienne, de Ligny, and Conversano (1418 – 19 December 1475) belonged to the Ligny branch of the House of Luxemburg and was Constable of France. Life Saint-Pol was the eldest son of Peter of Luxembou ...

* Jean II de Luxembourg, Count of Ligny * Seigneur de Roubaix Among the possibly as many as 58 who attended for the French, Guidon VII, seigneur de la Roche Guyon, and Gilles de Duremont, Abbot of Fécamp, may also have been present.

Mediating

Niccolò Albergati, Bishop of Bologna, papal

legate Legate may refer to: *Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class :*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period *A member of a legation *A representative, ...

Treaty of Arras

The congress gave rise to the second Treaty of Arras, which was signed on 20/21 September 1435 and became an important diplomatic achievement for the French in the closing years of the Hundred Years' War. Overall, it reconciled a longstanding feud between

King Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of ...

and Duke Philip III of Burgundy (Philip the Good). Philip recognized Charles VII as

king of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...

and, in return, Philip was exempted from homage to the crown, and Charles agreed to punish the murderers of Philip's father Duke John I of Burgundy (John the Fearless). By breaking the alliance between Burgundy and England, Charles VII consolidated his position as King of France against a rival claim by

. The political distinction between

Armagnacs The Armagnac faction was prominent in French politics and warfare during the Hundred Years' War. It was allied with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans against John the Fearless after Charles' father Louis of Orléans was killed on a ...

and Burgundians ceased to be significant from this time onward. France already had

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

as an ally and England was left isolated. From 1435 onward, English rule in France underwent steady decline. The congress' limited success was facilitated by representatives of

Pope Eugene IV Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...

and the

Council of Basel The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1449. It was convoked as the Council of Basel by Pope Martin V shortly before his death in February 1431 and took place in ...

. Members of each of these delegations wrote legal opinions absolving Duke Philip of Burgundy from his former obligations to England.

Provisions

Charles VII disavowed participation in the assassination of Duke John of Burgundy (John the Fearless) of the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; la, Ducatus Burgundiae; french: Duché de Bourgogne, ) emerged in the 9th century as one of the successors of the ancient Kingdom of the Burgundians, which after its conquest in 532 had formed a constituent part of the ...

, father of Duke Philip of Burgundy (Philip the Good), and condemned the act and promised to punish the perpetrators. Furthermore, the following domains became vassal states of the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

: *The

County of Auxerre The County of Auxerre is a former state of current central France, with capital in Auxerre. History The first count attested by the sources is one Ermenaud, a companion of Charlemagne who reigned around 770. In 859 Charles the Bald handed over t ...

and the

County of Boulogne The County of Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France during the 9th to 15th centuries, centred on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was ruled by the counts of Flanders in the 10th century, but a separate House of Boulogne emerged durin ...

, *The cities on the Somme and Péronne. *

Ponthieu Ponthieu (, ) was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France.Dunbabin.France in the Making. Ch.4. The Principalities 888-987 Its chief town is Abbeville. History Ponthieu play ...

*The

Vermandois Vermandois was a French county that appeared in the Merovingian period. Its name derives from that of an ancient tribe, the Viromandui. In the 10th century, it was organised around two castellan domains: St Quentin ( Aisne) and Péronne ( Som ...

, with its capital Saint-Quentin. In return, the Duchy of Burgundy recognized Charles VII as King of France and returned the

County of Tonnerre The county of Tonnerre (Latin ''pagus Tornodorensis'') was east of Auxerre and south of Troyes, centred on the town of Tonnerre, Yonne, Tonnerre in the Yonne region of France. It was set up in the 8th century as a fiefdom of the bishop of Langres ...

. Also, Philip the Good was exempted from rendering homage, fealty, or service to Charles VII, as he still believed that the king may have been complicit in his father's murder. Upon the death of either the king or the duke the homage would be resumed.

References

* * *

External links

WarsoftheRoses.co.uk: A book excerpt covering the era

Gutenberg.org: ''A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 3''
– ''by

François Pierre Guillaume Guizot François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, Kin ...

.'' Hundred Years' War 1430s in law 1435 in England 1430s in France Arras 1430s treaties Henry VI of England Philip the Good (Duke of Burgundy)