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 department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre 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 England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

, 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 ...

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. It was the first negotiation since the Treaty of Troyes 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 (121 ...

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 ac ...

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 throne ...

and a daughter of French 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 F ...

. 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. 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 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 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, 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 R ...

, 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 Engla ...

* Walter Hungerford * William Alnwick, Bishop of Norwich *

Thomas Rodborne Thomas Rodborne DD (also Rodeborne, Rodebourne, Rodbourne, Rudbourne, or Rodburn, died 1442) was an English medieval churchman and university chancellor. Rodborne was a fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford, where he taught Henry V mathematic ...

, Bishop of St David's * William Lyndwood, keeper of the privy seal * Sir John Radcliff, seneschal of Aquitaine * John Popham, knight * Robert Shotesbrook, knight * William Sprever, doctor of laws * Pierre Cauchon, 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, 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 ranke ...

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.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

For the French

Representing Charles VII: *

Charles I, Duke of Bourbon Charles de Bourbon (1401 – 4 December 1456) was the oldest son of John I, Duke of Bourbon and Marie, Duchess of Auvergne. Biography Charles was Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis from 1424, and Duke of Bourbon and Auvergne from 1434 to his death, a ...

(titular head of embassy and Duke of Burgundy's brother-in-law) * Regnault de Chartres,

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 * Charles I, Count of Nevers *

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 * 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, Seigneur de Santes * Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol * 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 Niccolò Albergati (1373 – 9 May 1443) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Carthusians. He became a cardinal and had served as a papal diplomat to France and England (1422–23) in addition to serving ...

, 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 French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

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 F ...

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 fir ...

and, in return, Philip was exempted from

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

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 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 ...

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 and the Council of Basel. 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, 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: *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 cities on the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...

and Péronne. * Ponthieu *The Vermandois, 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 in the Yonne region of France. It was set up in the 8th century as a fiefdom of the bishops of Langres, and first bec ...

. 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)