Early Conflict: Normandy and Beyond
Soon after John’s accession, Philip II launched campaigns to seize Angevin lands.
- In 1202, Philip declared John’s continental fiefs forfeit, using John’s failure to appear at a French court as a pretext.
- French forces captured Normandy by 1204, dealing a severe blow to English holdings.
The Fall of Anjou and Maine
Following Normandy’s loss, Philip continued to press on Anjou and Maine, which fell by 1204–1205.
These defeats undermined John’s power base and angered the English nobility, many of whom had lands on both sides of the Channel.
Loss of Other Territories
- Brittany, Poitou, and other regions also slipped from English control during this period.
- By 1214, English continental possessions had shrunk significantly.
French Invasion Attempts of England
The Context of Invasions
King John’s political difficulties and military setbacks emboldened his enemies.
In particular, rebellious English barons invited Prince Louis of France, son of Philip II, to press his claim to the English throne.
The French Invasion of 1216
In 1216, during the First Barons' War (a civil war in England sparked by dissatisfaction with John’s rule and the Magna Carta crisis), Prince Louis launched a major invasion.
- Louis landed in England with a sizable force, supported by disaffected English nobles.
- He captured London and was proclaimed “King of England” by his supporters.
The Course of the Invasion
- Louis’s advance met resistance, but many barons switched allegiance.
- However, the situation shifted dramatically after John’s death in October 1216. shutdown123