The Strategy and Tactics of Henry II During the Defence of Normandy in 1173–1174

Wojciech Lorek

Abstract


In 1173, the King of England Henry II Plantagenet was confronted with a strategically difficult task, as a result of dangerous military situation. He was forced to fight on several fronts against expected hostile actions in the Northern and the Middle England, as well as in Normandy, because his sons: Henry, known as the “Young King”, Richard, and Geoffrey had rebelled against him as the Sovereign. They were supported by a strong coalition led by the King Louis VII of France. Their primary objective was to capture the Duchy of Normandy with its heart – Rouen. For this reason, the city was the main target for attacks directed from the South, North-East and West. Henry II treated the defence of that strategically and economically important region as the pivotal task during the war. The purpose of the article is to analyse Henry II Plantagenet’s innovative strategy and tactics during the defence of Normandy in 1173–1174. The other important task is to point the “Old King’s” warfare skills that permitted him to repulse not only the individual attacks of his enemies, but also enabled him to win the war.


Keywords


strategy and tactics, Plantagenets, Angevin Empire, The Great Revolt 1173–1174, Normandy, Henry II of England, medieval warfare

Full Text:

PDF (Język Polski)

References


Źródła

Acta of Henry II and Richard I, eds. J.C. Holt, R. Mortimer, „List & Index Society Special Series”, t. 21, Richmond 1986.

Acta of Henry II and Richard I, part 2, ed. N. Vincent, „List & Index Society Special Series”, t. 27, Richmond 1996.

Fantosme J., Chronicle of the War between the English and the Scots in 1173 and 1174, tłum. wstęp i red. F. Michel, Londyn–Edynburg 1840.

Gervase of Canterbury, The Historical Works of Gervase of Canterbury, t. 1–2, ed. W. Stubbs, London–Oxford–Cambridge–Edinburgh–Dublin 1879–1880.

Gesta Regis Henrici, w: The Chronicle of Henry II and Richard I AD 1169–1192, ed. W. Stubbs, London 1867.

Ralph de Diceto, Ymagines Historianum, w: The Historical Works of Master Ralph of Diceto, Dean of London, ed. W. Stubbs, London 1876.

Robert de Torigny, The Chronicle of Robert of Torigny, w: Chronicles of Reigns of Stephen. Henry II and Richard I, t. 2, ed. R. Howlett, 13 Rolls Series, London–Oxford–Cambridge–Edinburgh–Dublin 1884–1889.

Roger of Hoveden, The Annals of Roger de Hoveden, 2 vols, tłum. H.T. Riley, London–Bohn 1853.

The Chronicle of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II, and Richard I, by Gervase, the Monk of Canterbury, ed. W. Stubbs, 2 vols. (RS 73, London 1879–1880).

William of Newburgh, Historia Rerum Anglicarum, ed. R. Howlett, w: Chronicles and Memorials of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II, and Richard, t. 1 i 2, London 1888–1890.

William of Newburgh, The History of England (c. 1196), w: English Historical Documents online, t. 2: 1042–1189, eds. D.C. Douglas, G.W. Greenaway, Routledge 2015.

William of Newburgh, The History of English Affairs, w: The Church Historians of England, t. 4, cz. 2, tłum. J. Stevenson, London 1861 (słownictwo poprawione w 1999 r. przez S. McLetchie).

Opracowania

Aurell M., L’Empire des Plantagenêt 1154–1224, Paris 2003.

Aurell M., Révolte nobiliaire et lutte dynastique dans l’Empire angevin (1154–1224), w: Anglo-Norman Studies, t. 24: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 2000, ed. G. Gillingham, Woodbridge 2001.

Bachrach B.S., Henry II and the Angevin Tradition of Family Hostility, „Albion” 1984, 16.

Barlett R., England under the Norman and Angevin Kings 1075–1225, Oxford 2000.

Bates D., The Rise and Fall of Normandy, c. 911–1204, w: England and Normandy in the Middle Ages, eds. D. Bates, A. Curry, London 1994, s. 19–36.

Beeler J., Warfare in England 1066–1189, New York 1966.

Boussard J., Les mercenaires au XIIe siècle: Henri II Plantagenêt et les origins de l’armée de métier, w: Bibliothèque de l’école des Chartes, t. 106 (Paris 1945–1946).

Dunbabin J., France in the Making, 843–1180, Oxford 2000.

Gillingham J., Ryszard Lwie Serce, tłum. N. Rataj, M. Józefowicz, Kraków 2016.

Gillingham J., The Angevin Empire, second edition, London–New York 2001.

Henry II. New Interpretations, eds. Ch. Harper-Bill, N. Vincent, Woodbrigde 2007.

Hoolister C.W., The Military Organization of Norman England, Oxford 1965.

Hosler J.D., Henry II. A Medieval Soldier at War, Leiden–Boston 2007.

Hosler J.D., Revisiting Merceneries under Henry Fitz Empress 1167–1188, w: Merceneries and Paid Men. The Mercenary Identity in the Middle Ages, Proceedings of a Conference held at University of Wales, Swansea, 7th–9th July 2005, ed. J. France, Leiden–Boston 2008.

Hosler J.D., The Warfare of Henry II, 1149–1189, praca doktorska, Ann Arbor 2005.

Isaac S., Cowardice and Fear Management: The 1173–74 Conflict as a Case Study, w: The Journal of Medieval Military History, t. 4, eds. C.J. Rogers, K. DeVries, J. France, Woodbridge 2006.

Jones T.M., The Generation Gap of 1173–74: The War between the Two Henrys, „Albion” 1973, 5, s. 24–40.

Jones T.M., War of the Generations: The Revolt of 1173–4, Ann Arbor 1980.

La Normandie entre Plantagenêts et Capétiens, eds. A.M. Flambard Héricher, V. Gazeau, Caen 2007.

McLynn F., Lionheart and Lackland. King Richard, King John and the Wars of Conquest, London 2006.

Norgate K., England under The Angevin Kings, t. 1 i 2, London 1887.

Power D., The Norman Frontier in the Twelth and Early Thirteenth Centuries, Cambridge 2008.

Power D., What Did the Frontier of Angevin Normandy Comprise?, w: Anglo-Norman Studies, Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1994, t. 17, Woodbridge 1995, s. 181–202.

Powicke M., Utrata Normandii 1189–1204. Studia nad Historią Imperium Andegaweńskiego, tłum. I. Smoczyk-Jackowiak, Oświęcim 2016.

Prestwich J.O., The Place of War in English History, 1066–1214, Woodbridge 2004.

Schlight J., Medieval Merceneries: Their Importance to Eleventh and Twelfth Century English Kings, praca doktorska, Ann Arbor 1965.

Strickland M.J., Henry the Young King, 1155–1183, New Heaven–London 2016.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/rh.2018.46.115-139
Date of publication: 2019-04-25 10:00:29
Date of submission: 2017-10-14 14:18:24


Statistics


Total abstract view - 1325
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF (Język Polski) - 578

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2019 Wojciech Lorek

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.