Battle of Mirebeau

Battle of Mirebeau
Part of the Normandy campaigns of 1200–1204
Movement of Arthur of Brittany and Hugh de Lusignan's alliances, Philip II's French army, and John of England's forces, culminating in the Battle of Mirebeau.
Date August 1, 1202 Location Mirebeau, Normandy Result English victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	Kingdom of England	House of Lusignan Arthur's Forces
Commanders and leaders
Philip II of France	John of England William des Roches	Hugh de Lusignan Arthur of Brittany
Strength
French Army under Philip II	Mercenary Army	Rebels
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown	heavy

The Battle of Mirebeau was a battle in 1202 between the House of Lusignan-Breton alliance, the Kingdom of France, and the Kingdom of England. John of England successfully smashed the Lusignan army by surprise.

After Richard I's death on 6 April 1199 there were two potential claimants to the Angevin throne: John, whose claim rested on being the sole surviving son of Henry II, and Arthur I of Brittany, who held a claim as the son of Geoffrey, John's elder brother. Richard appeared to have started to recognise John as his legitimate heir in the final years before his death, but the matter was not clear-cut and medieval law gave little guidance as to how the competing claims should be decided. With Norman law favouring John as the only surviving son of Henry II and Angevin law favouring Arthur as the heir of Henry's elder son, the matter rapidly became an open conflict. John was supported by the bulk of the English and Norman nobility and was crowned at Westminster Abbey, backed by his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Arthur was supported by the majority of the Breton, Maine and Anjou nobles, and received the support of Philip II of France, who remained committed to breaking up the Angevin territories on the continent. With Arthur's army pressing up the Loire valley towards Angers and Philip's forces moving down the valley towards Tours, John's continental empire was in danger of being cut in two.

Warfare in Normandy at the time was shaped by the defensive potential of castles and the increasing costs of conducting campaigns. The Norman frontiers had limited natural defences but were heavily reinforced with castles, such as Château Gaillard, at strategic points, built and maintained at considerable expense. It was difficult for a commander to advance far into fresh territory without having secured his lines of communication by capturing these fortifications, which slowed the progress of any attack. Armies of the period could be formed from either feudal or mercenary forces. Feudal levies could only be raised for a fixed length of time before they returned home, forcing an end to a campaign; mercenary forces, often called Brabançons after the Duchy of Brabant but actually recruited from across northern Europe, could operate all year long and provide a commander with more strategic options to pursue a campaign, but cost much more than equivalent feudal forces. As a result, commanders of the period were increasing drawing on larger numbers of mercenaries.

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