Edward III's Breton campaign

Edward III's Breton campaign, 1342–1343
Part of the Breton Civil War and the Hundred Years' War
Edward III outside a walled town
Date 6 October 1342 – 1 March 1343 Location Brittany Result Inconclusive (Truce of Malestroit)
Belligerents
France House of Blois	England House of Montfort
Commanders and leaders
Charles of Blois John, Duke of Normandy	Edward III
Strength
Unknown but large	English: fewer than 5,500 Bretons: unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

King Edward III of England led a campaign in the Duchy of Brittany in 1342 and 1343. England, at war with France since 1337 in the Hundred Years' War, had sided with John of Montfort's faction in the Breton Civil War soon after it broke out in 1341. The French supported Charles of Blois, a nephew of the French king. By August 1342 Charles had captured John and reduced his partisans back to just one fortification, Brest in western Brittany. An English fleet broke the blockade of Brest on 18 August. On 30 September a numerically much inferior English army inflicted a heavy defeat on the French at the battle of Morlaix.

Edward was supposed to arrive with the next contingent of his army shortly after the first, but had severe difficulties gathering sufficient shipping. On 6 October he abandoned his siege train and set sail with those troops he was able to embark onto the available ships. They reached Brittany after a storm-wracked three-week passage and Edward advanced on the major Breton town of Vannes. The naval component went ahead, was mauled by a force of mercenary galleys and then failed in an attempt to take Vannes by a coup de main. The land component was delayed building siege engines before attempting to storm the town on 29 November. The newly reinforced French garrison repelled this assault and a regular siege began.

English raiding parties devastated large parts of eastern Brittany, but attempts to reinforce or supply Edward from England failed. A large French army was raised with difficulty and advanced to Malestroit, 18 miles (29 km) from the English camp. The French king, Philip VI, moved his court to Brittany and entered into negotiations with Edward. The Truce of Malestroit, which was supposed to pause hostilities for three-and-a-half years, was agreed on 19 January 1343. It is widely seen as favouring the English. Edward arrived back in England on 1 March.