The Formation of the Armagnac League and the Renewed Civil War (1410)

By 1410, Charles, Duke of Orléans, still seeking to avenge the assassination of his father, Louis of Orléans (murdered in 1407 on the orders of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy), had begun actively opposing Burgundian power. Although the Peace of Chartres (1409) had briefly halted hostilities, tensions quickly reignited following Charles’ marriage to Bonne d’Armagnac on April 15, 1410, at Gien.

The marriage solidified a powerful anti-Burgundian alliance, formally uniting Charles with his father-in-law, Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, who became the leader of the anti-Burgundian faction, now known as the Armagnac party.

I. The Formation of the Armagnac League (April 1410)

• At the wedding of Charles of Orléans and Bonne d’Armagnac, prominent noblemen gathered to form a league against John the Fearless and his Burgundian allies.
• This coalition provided the Orléanist faction with a new leader, as Bernard VII of Armagnac assumed the role of protector of Charles of Orléans and his mother, Valentina Visconti.
• With a new figurehead and a unified cause, the faction rebranded itself as the "Armagnac party."

II. Key Members of the Armagnac Alliance

• Charles, Duke of Orléans – The son of the murdered Louis, seeking revenge against Burgundy.
• Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac – The father-in-law of Charles, assuming leadership of the faction.
• John, Duke of Berry – The uncle of both Charles VI and Charles of Orléans, serving as a mediator turned ally of the Armagnacs.
• Louis II, Duke of Bourbon – A longtime opponent of Burgundian influence.
• John V, Duke of Brittany – Bringing Brittany’s considerable military strength to the faction.
• John I, Count of Alençon – Another key supporter opposing Burgundian control.
• Charles, Count of Clermont (later Charles I, Duke of Bourbon) – Son of the Duke of Bourbon, committed to resisting John the Fearless.

III. Renewed Civil War: The Armagnacs vs. the Burgundians

• With the formation of the Armagnac League, open war resumed between:
  • The Armagnacs, supporting Charles VI’s son, the Dauphin, and the Orléanist cause.
  • The Burgundians, led by John the Fearless, who controlled Paris and much of northern France.
• The conflict paralyzed France, leading to:
  • Further foreign intervention, particularly from England, which exploited French divisions during the Hundred Years' War.
  • A bloody civil war that would last until 1435, exacerbating the weakness of the French monarchy.

IV. Impact and Legacy

• The creation of the Armagnac party in 1410 ensured that the civil war would not be resolved peacefully.
• The feud between the Houses of Orléans and Burgundy would define French politics for the next 25 years, weakening the kingdom during a crucial period in the Hundred Years' War.
• The internal strife allowed England to advance, culminating in Henry V’s victory at Agincourt (1415) and the Treaty of Troyes (1420), which disinherited the Dauphin in favor of the English king.

The Armagnac-Burgundian conflict, which began in earnest with the marriage alliance of 1410, tore France apart, paving the way for English dominance and further political instability in the early 15th century.