The Filling of the Valley of Judas
To fill the Valley of Judas, Geoffrey ordered the annual fair normally held at Saumur to be transferred to Montreuil.…
Louis VII’s Campaign Against the Norman Duchy
Having returned from Palestine, Louis VII was so angered by Geoffrey’s treatment of his favourite Gerald that he joined Eustace in an attack on the Norman duchy.…
The Use of Vegetius’s De Re Militari
While seeking counsel in his books for a method of breaking the defenders’ nightly repairs, Geoffrey took up Vegetius Renatus’s De Re Militari, the standard work on military eng…
Gerald’s Surrender and the Reduction of Montreuil
Gerald’s spirit broken at last, he came forth with his family and garrison “like serpents crawling out of a cave,” as a hostile chronicler recorded, and surrendered unconditionall…
The Truce Along the Seine
The count of Anjou now moved northward to aid his son against the French king. With the help of a brother of his old ally William Talvas, Geoffrey gained possession of La Nue, a c…
Suger’s Mediation for an Angevin Alliance
The ostensible cause of the dispute was Geoffrey’s treatment of Gerald of Montreuil, whose harsh imprisonment of Gerald and his entire family drew the Pope’s anathema upon him, th…
CAPÍTULO VIII.
CHAPTER VIII. This chapter covers the period surrounding Geoffrey of Anjou’s death, Henry’s securing of Normandy through his father’s peace with Louis VII, the divorce of Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry’s marriage to Eleanor, and the subsequent military and political c…
The Paris Peace Assembly and Geoffrey’s Change of Heart
A peace assembly was held in Paris once Louis VII had sufficiently recovered from his illness.…
Geoffrey’s Final Days and Death
Geoffrey, just entering his thirty-ninth year, reflected that there was no brilliant opening for him now that his work in the west was done.…
Stephen’s Attempt to Crown Eustace
Stephen could not emulate Geoffrey’s example of abdication, since his kingdom was not a mere fief to be transferred by ceremony and the anointed king of England could not easily y…
Henry’s Summons from England
Henry’s partisans in England thought the time had come for him to intervene and sent his uncle Reginald, earl of Cornwall, to urge his immediate crossing.…
The Divorce of Louis VII and Eleanor
King Louis VII had long been meditating a divorce from Eleanor of Aquitaine, but the chief obstacle had been his old friend and minister Suger, who saw the political danger and op…
Eleanor’s Flight and Marriage to Henry
Eleanor set out for her own dominions but had difficulty reaching them, as her youth, beauty, and the attraction of her duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony made her a prize sought by…
The French Response to Henry’s Marriage
Suger’s worst fears were realized: Aquitaine was lost to the French crown, swelling the forces of the already mightiest feudatary of the realm, who would probably soon be king of…
Geoffrey’s Rebellion and the Norman Campaign
Geoffrey had inherited Chinon, Loudun, and Mirebeau by his father’s will and used them as a base to challenge Henry’s authority in Anjou, while the other four princes crossed the…
CAPÍTULO VIII.
Chapter VIII traces the concluding phase of the civil war between King Stephen and the young Duke Henry of Anjou, from Stephen’s stalemate against the baronial castles—especially Wallingford—through Henry’s landing in England in January 1153, the dramatic standoff at Malmesbury…
Stephen’s Stagnation and the Siege of Wallingford
Stephen’s Stagnation and the Siege of Wallingford Since the Empress’s departure, Stephen had made little progress in reducing baronial castles.…
Henry’s Landing and the Standoff at Malmesbury and Wallingford
Henry’s Landing and the Standoff at Malmesbury and Wallingford Henry did not send help—he came in person.…
Theobald’s Peace Efforts and the Death of Eustace
Theobald’s Peace Efforts and the Death of Eustace Genuine peace efforts were led by Archbishop Theobald, in constant communication with both king and duke through trusted envoys.…
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