Treaty of Brétigny

A 1360 agreement between England and France that ended a phase of the Hundred Years’ War, granting Edward III extensive French territories in exchange for renouncing his claim to the French throne.

Battle of Poitiers: A 1356 English victory in which the French king John II was captured. John II’s capture created the ransom crisis that negotiations at Brétigny addressed.
Ransom of John II of France: The payment demanded for the release of John II after his capture by England. The treaty set a large ransom and linked the king’s release to its payment.
Edward, the Black Prince’s campaign in Castile: The Black Prince’s 1367 military intervention in the Castilian civil war on behalf of Peter of Castile. Its costs helped undermine the finances and political standing of English rule in Aquitaine.
Treaty of Troyes: A 1420 agreement that recognized Henry V of England as heir to the French throne. Troyes pursued dynastic succession, while Brétigny exchanged Edward III’s crown claim for land.
Edward III: King of England from 1327 to 1377 and a central combatant in the Hundred Years’ War. His territorial demands and claim to the French crown shaped the settlement.
Hostage: A person held as security for another party’s promise or payment. Hostages were used to guarantee French compliance with ransom obligations.
Charles V of France: King of France from 1364 to 1380, who strengthened royal authority and renewed war against England. He exploited the treaty’s fragile implementation to recover territory from England.
Treaty of Picquigny: A 1475 agreement between Edward IV of England and Louis XI of France that ended an English invasion. It offers a later example of English and French rulers buying peace through negotiated terms.
John II of France: King of France from 1350 to 1364, captured by the English at Poitiers. His captivity and ransom were central to the treaty’s terms.
Duchy of Aquitaine: A historically shifting duchy in southwestern France, held by English rulers for much of the later Middle Ages. The agreement enlarged English holdings around Aquitaine into a substantial territorial domain.

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