Verneuil
Philip had not been idle during Richard’s return. He had consolidated the territories he had taken, and now controlled much of Normandy east of the Seine River. He was in striking distance of Rouen. In Touraine and Berry, Philip’s allies had made considerable gains, and in Aquitaine the counts of Angoulème and Perigueux, the viscount of Brosse and Geoffrey de Rancon were all in open revolt against Richard’s authority. A desperate Count John was also making promises to Philip for the latter’s continuing support now that Richard was on the loose.

The French king opened his 1194 campaign by besieging the strong castle of Verneuil. The garrison had withstood a siege in 1193, and as a second besieging force approached, its confident defenders defiantly drew a rather unflattering caricature of Philip on the gates. By then, Philip was aware that Richard was preparing to return to France and that it was important he take Verneuil before the war proper began.

Once Richard arrived at Barfleur, he was soon on the move toward Verneuil. On the way, John arrived and groveled for forgiveness. Richard, who viewed his brother’s treacherous efforts as contemptible, told him, Don’t be afraid, you are a child. To prove his worth, the 28-year-old John then went with men to Evreux, pretending still to support Philip. Once inside, he had the French garrison rounded up and massacred.

In the meantime, Richard’s forces neared Verneuil. Philip had struck camp, moving off toward Evreux, which he would retake and then sack. He had left the bulk of his forces to continue the siege, but without their king they made a general withdrawal the next day. On May 30, Richard entered the town unopposed. He was reportedly so grateful for the defenders’ lack of resistance that he lined them up and kissed each one in thanks. (Historian Jim Bradbury would later ponder whether they appreciated their reward.)

While Philip centered his energies on the north without making much headway, Richard focused on the south, taking a series of fortresses, including Loches in Touraine. Following those successes, he turned his attention to restoring order to Aquitaine.

By now, Philip was concerned enough to gather and march his army south to relieve pressure on his allies there and to unstitch Richard’s recent victories. By early July, Richard, aware that Philip’s forces were nearing, confidently decided to commit his forces to a set-piece battle in the Vêndome, across the road that Philip would have to travel on his way into the Loire Valley.

Philip sent Richard word that he would do battle, but in reality he had ordered a retreat back the way his army had come. Richard pursued, and on July 4 caught up with the French rear guard at Fréteval. Philip’s army was put to flight after a sharp skirmish, and the French king only narrowly avoided capture. As it was, Philip’s baggage train fell into Angevin hands. It contained the royal archives, including a list of those willing to aid him against Richard within the Angevin camp. But although he was forced to leave Richard to his own devices in the south, Philip was far from finished.

Subscribe Today

• Did you enjoy our article?
• Read more in Military History magazine
• Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!!
 

Ups and Downs
Philip rushed back to Normandy and, in a reversal of his recent defeat, pounced on the forces of Count John and William d’Aubigny, Earl of Arundel, and seized their baggage train. Despite that last-minute success, the pace of campaigning at such a fast and furious rate was stretching Philip’s resources to the extreme. The same could be said for Richard, who was now sending out peace feelers, a move that culminated in the temporary Truce of Tillières. There was also the prospect of a more permanent peace, to be sealed with Richard’s niece’s marrying Philip’s son Louis, with the Vexin, the castellanies of Ivry, Pacy and Vernon, and 20,000 marks as a dowry. That last point was put aside until more detailed talks could be arranged.

Major conflict resumed in 1195, when Philip besieged Vaudreuil and then received a visit from Richard for further discussion. Etiquette at the time demanded that Philip halt the siege and deal with Richard, but the French king was keen to knock out Vaudreuil as a defensible position and urged his sappers to continue undermining its fortifications. It was therefore most embarrassing for Philip that one of the mighty walls collapsed prematurely while face-to-face negotiations were underway. Along with a good number of oaths, Richard swore he would have his revenge and stormed off.

Philip retired to attack northeastern Normandy. That campaign culminated in a memorable raid on Dieppe, in which Philip’s forces employed a substance like Greek fire to burn the English ships in the harbor. Richard tried to attack the French rear guard, but this time was driven off.

Following his Normandy successes, Philip aimed his efforts southward in the Berry region. Richard’s top mercenary commander, Mercadier, had captured Issoudun, and Philip wanted it back. The French king took the town and was besieging the castle when Richard and his vanguard stormed through French lines and made their way in to reinforce the garrison. Philip may have thought he now had Richard trapped, but the English king had given specific instructions before making his daring break-in to have his main forces close in and cut Philip’s supply lines. The French king realized his predicament at the last moment and was forced to agree to terms for a new truce at the start of 1196.

Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to