After reading up on yet another thread devoted to the Hundred Years War and a possible English dominated France, I started looking up the short-lived Angevin Empire of Henry II for a more plausible union of the two lands, and decided to begin a rough TL on it. Any comments, opinions, and links to info are all welcome.
The POD comes in 1165 with the son of King Louis VII of France and his Queen, Adele, (the future Philippe II of OTL) being stillborn. This leaves the ageing King Louis with no male heirs, while in 1160, out of pressure from his nominal vassal Henry II of England, he married his daughter Margaret off to Henry the Younger, heir to the English throne.
By the early 1170s Louis, having moved on to his fourth wife in an attempt to gain a male heir, still has no luck though by now he has six daughters. His French vassals, in the form of Flanders, Burgundy and Champagne grow sceptical over the Capetian dynasty's future, while Henry II continues his hawkish harassment of Louis' borders.
Butterflies see Thomas Beckett survive OTL's fatal misunderstanding, although he is still a thorn in Henry II's side, with no murder the English King's prestige is in greater standing particularly with his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and his sons (in OTL the murder was the final straw, and quickly saw the King's sons begin plots to end his rule). This means no Civil War in 1173; however things aren't all that rosy either.
By the mid-1170s Louis VII is in a pickle, his ever mercurial Dukes are looking to the future and the dashing Henry Younger. Meanwhile now on his fourth marriage and in his fifties, Louis is in need of an heir. He attempts to come to an arrangement with English King's son [1], however he is very aware it is only a matter of years before he sits on the Frankish throne, not to mention heavily counselled by the far more level-headed William Marshal [2]. Instead Louis decides to name his brother Robert of Dreux as co-King in 1176, an anachronistic custom left over from the Caroligians, however it makes Robert the King's heir apparent [3].
The Two Henrys are outraged on hearing of the coronation, calling it an affront to the marriage of 1160. King Henry II starts to muster his troops at Chinon. However Louis, ever a capable schemer, anticipated this and has already organised his campaign. In the north the now co-King Robert leads raiding forces towards Rouen to create a distraction while King Louis advances with all speed into Greater Anjou towards Tours and ultimately the Angevin 'capital', Chinon. The French have also organised a third front in the south, where Raymond of Toulouse and the rebellious barons of Gascony are more than happy to march against their common enemy Richard (Lionheart), Duke of Aquitaine.
The war doesn't go well for brave King Louis however. Although Robert causes plenty of damage to Normandy, Duke Richard lays waste to Raymond and his allies smashing rebel castle after rebel castle before advancing into Toulouse itself in a blitzkreig campaign [4]. In Anjou, Louis and the Two Henrys meet at the Battle of Tours. Although having effectively launched a pre-emptive strike, Louis didn't count on Angevin buying-power and it doesn't take long for the royal household to be reinforced by hardened mercenaries [5]. The Battle is a bloody but decisive victory for the Two Henrys.
Soon things go down hill, Duke Geoffrey of Brittany retakes Rouen, forcing Robert to retreat back to Paris to join with his brother. The Angevins march first on Blois which gives up following only a weeklong seige and then onto Orleans. Louis begins to muster new troops in Paris but his ducal allies are already growing nervous. The Count of Flanders puts off sending additional forces, while after a month seige, Burgundian forces open the gates of Orleans to King Henry. It isn't known if the Duke of Burgundy was involved in the duplicity but he nonetheless sides with Henry as a vast army marches on Paris. Louis and (fatefully) Robert are persuaded to leave for the loyal County of Champagne to organise a relief force for Paris, and hopefully gain Papal support [6].
Unfortunately during the winter of 1178/79 the elderly Louis dies a broken man, ruined by two years of war. Paris is still under seige when news arrives and the Angevin camp hails Henry Younger as the new King of France. At first the Castellan of Paris believes it to be a trick but soon word reaches him from Champagne that Louis is indeed dead. None in the city are sure of Robert's situation and low on munitions and food, the Castellan wavers. Then 'King' Henry Younger, ever charismatic and generous, challenges the defenders to open the gates for their new ruler in return for fair treatment and food. The Castallan gives in and Henry is hailed by the Parisiens.
Robert Dreux claims the throne for himself but soon find himself isolated. Geoffrey of Brittany leads an army into Champagne, forcing the Count to accept Henri as King. Meanwhile the clergy, led by a vocal Thomas Beckett support the young Henry's claim [7], leading to a Papal blessing. Finally in 1180, Henry Younger is crowned Henri II, King of the Franks.
to be continued...
[1] Louis had a knack -and a habit- for turning Henry's sons against him
[2] Butterflies see the vaunted Marshal avoid the intrigues of Prince Henry's court, giving the young fool a bit of grounding
[3] So is Robert or Henry Younger the rightful heir? God knows, medieval succession law wasn't anything if not contradictory.
[4] IOTL as Duke, Richard levelled numerous rebels strongholds in record time and gave the Counts of Toulouse plenty of headaches, however the King of France was always there as their common lord to sort things out. Here, things are obviously different and Richard goes to town.
[5] Henry II relied heavily on mercenary might, partly because he could afford it, though perhaps most importantly the King used mercenary captains as field commanders, his own mediocre tactical skill far outshone by his strategic and administrative mind.
[6] Louis VII was the first French king to really push for intensley close ties with the Papacy, as such he has Pope Alexander III's ear.
[7] Despite the up and down relationship of Beckett and his father, the younger Henry was extremly close to the Archbishop, and as mentioned his murder IOTL did much to cause Henry II's sons to rebel.
The Angevin Empire
I
I
The POD comes in 1165 with the son of King Louis VII of France and his Queen, Adele, (the future Philippe II of OTL) being stillborn. This leaves the ageing King Louis with no male heirs, while in 1160, out of pressure from his nominal vassal Henry II of England, he married his daughter Margaret off to Henry the Younger, heir to the English throne.
By the early 1170s Louis, having moved on to his fourth wife in an attempt to gain a male heir, still has no luck though by now he has six daughters. His French vassals, in the form of Flanders, Burgundy and Champagne grow sceptical over the Capetian dynasty's future, while Henry II continues his hawkish harassment of Louis' borders.
Butterflies see Thomas Beckett survive OTL's fatal misunderstanding, although he is still a thorn in Henry II's side, with no murder the English King's prestige is in greater standing particularly with his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine and his sons (in OTL the murder was the final straw, and quickly saw the King's sons begin plots to end his rule). This means no Civil War in 1173; however things aren't all that rosy either.
By the mid-1170s Louis VII is in a pickle, his ever mercurial Dukes are looking to the future and the dashing Henry Younger. Meanwhile now on his fourth marriage and in his fifties, Louis is in need of an heir. He attempts to come to an arrangement with English King's son [1], however he is very aware it is only a matter of years before he sits on the Frankish throne, not to mention heavily counselled by the far more level-headed William Marshal [2]. Instead Louis decides to name his brother Robert of Dreux as co-King in 1176, an anachronistic custom left over from the Caroligians, however it makes Robert the King's heir apparent [3].
The Two Henrys are outraged on hearing of the coronation, calling it an affront to the marriage of 1160. King Henry II starts to muster his troops at Chinon. However Louis, ever a capable schemer, anticipated this and has already organised his campaign. In the north the now co-King Robert leads raiding forces towards Rouen to create a distraction while King Louis advances with all speed into Greater Anjou towards Tours and ultimately the Angevin 'capital', Chinon. The French have also organised a third front in the south, where Raymond of Toulouse and the rebellious barons of Gascony are more than happy to march against their common enemy Richard (Lionheart), Duke of Aquitaine.
The war doesn't go well for brave King Louis however. Although Robert causes plenty of damage to Normandy, Duke Richard lays waste to Raymond and his allies smashing rebel castle after rebel castle before advancing into Toulouse itself in a blitzkreig campaign [4]. In Anjou, Louis and the Two Henrys meet at the Battle of Tours. Although having effectively launched a pre-emptive strike, Louis didn't count on Angevin buying-power and it doesn't take long for the royal household to be reinforced by hardened mercenaries [5]. The Battle is a bloody but decisive victory for the Two Henrys.
Soon things go down hill, Duke Geoffrey of Brittany retakes Rouen, forcing Robert to retreat back to Paris to join with his brother. The Angevins march first on Blois which gives up following only a weeklong seige and then onto Orleans. Louis begins to muster new troops in Paris but his ducal allies are already growing nervous. The Count of Flanders puts off sending additional forces, while after a month seige, Burgundian forces open the gates of Orleans to King Henry. It isn't known if the Duke of Burgundy was involved in the duplicity but he nonetheless sides with Henry as a vast army marches on Paris. Louis and (fatefully) Robert are persuaded to leave for the loyal County of Champagne to organise a relief force for Paris, and hopefully gain Papal support [6].
Unfortunately during the winter of 1178/79 the elderly Louis dies a broken man, ruined by two years of war. Paris is still under seige when news arrives and the Angevin camp hails Henry Younger as the new King of France. At first the Castellan of Paris believes it to be a trick but soon word reaches him from Champagne that Louis is indeed dead. None in the city are sure of Robert's situation and low on munitions and food, the Castellan wavers. Then 'King' Henry Younger, ever charismatic and generous, challenges the defenders to open the gates for their new ruler in return for fair treatment and food. The Castallan gives in and Henry is hailed by the Parisiens.
Robert Dreux claims the throne for himself but soon find himself isolated. Geoffrey of Brittany leads an army into Champagne, forcing the Count to accept Henri as King. Meanwhile the clergy, led by a vocal Thomas Beckett support the young Henry's claim [7], leading to a Papal blessing. Finally in 1180, Henry Younger is crowned Henri II, King of the Franks.
to be continued...
[1] Louis had a knack -and a habit- for turning Henry's sons against him
[2] Butterflies see the vaunted Marshal avoid the intrigues of Prince Henry's court, giving the young fool a bit of grounding
[3] So is Robert or Henry Younger the rightful heir? God knows, medieval succession law wasn't anything if not contradictory.
[4] IOTL as Duke, Richard levelled numerous rebels strongholds in record time and gave the Counts of Toulouse plenty of headaches, however the King of France was always there as their common lord to sort things out. Here, things are obviously different and Richard goes to town.
[5] Henry II relied heavily on mercenary might, partly because he could afford it, though perhaps most importantly the King used mercenary captains as field commanders, his own mediocre tactical skill far outshone by his strategic and administrative mind.
[6] Louis VII was the first French king to really push for intensley close ties with the Papacy, as such he has Pope Alexander III's ear.
[7] Despite the up and down relationship of Beckett and his father, the younger Henry was extremly close to the Archbishop, and as mentioned his murder IOTL did much to cause Henry II's sons to rebel.
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