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Lions of the Lowlands: Netherlands TL
This is another attempt at a TL now with a focus on the late-middle ages. My aims for this TL is too create something that is at least reminiscent of a Dutch Kingdom, earlier than it occurred OTL – well that is the plan at least. Hopefully people will enjoy it and please feel free with constructive criticism so I can both improve the TL and my knowledge of the time period.
----- Prelude
Part I - The English Invasion [1415]
The beginnings of growth in power of the counties in the lowlands can be seen in the Hundred Years war, when Henry V attempted to take the throne of France from Charles VI. This action by that of Henry would eventually change the history of Western Europe, and therefore the world and is an easy point to start when looking at the history of the lowlands.
Harfleur
Henry V, King of England had taken the port town of Harfleur on September 22nd, several weeks after first besieging the town starting when he landed in Normandy in mid-August. The garrison of the Harfleur reluctantly surrendered the town to the attackers leading also to the surrender of a pair of knights sent there to help with the defences. The town was the first piece of France that the English had took however the length it took to capture it caused issue on the timeframe for Henry’s Invasion. Winter was soon coming, and with it the end of the campaign season. This forced the English invading army to either leave Normandy for the winter or move towards Calais. Henry not wanting to show weakness to the French refused to leave France and took the option to move towards Calais, to both winter and gather more troops for the next season – the English army had already been heavily affected by Dysentery. On October 8th the English Army left Harfleur, only leaving a few soldiers behind to act as a garrison for the new captured town.
The French had been using the time to gather troops to counter the English invaders. They understood that they would not be able to relieve the town of Harfluer in time so took their time, in gathering support amongst the French nobles. However due to the issues placed upon the French King Charles VI, it would be Charles of Albret who would be in charge of the French forces. His trouble wouldn’t be overall the amount of men that the French army could muster but controlling the young nobles, who had trouble accepting and respecting the position that was given to Charles of Albret. This would be an issue that in some ways would be needed to overcome if the French were to be successful against the English.
A Painting of the Siege of Harfleur [1859]
Béthencourt
Henry’s Army attempts to reach Calais faced a few issues, notably that of the French Army blocking the easiest routes across the River. Henry didn’t want to fight the French on an open battle, instead decided to purposely move further south upriver away from the French Army. Finding it difficult for pull the English into a pitched battle, Charles sent smaller sections of the French Army to harass the English Army as well to report the position of the English. Henry’s Forces was still suffering from attrition, which created tension in the English Army as they were continuously being forced up the Somme rather than across to safety at Calais.
On the 20th of October the English Army reached the ford near the Village of Bethencourt, just south of Pérronne. Henry wanted to move across the ford quickly before the French would notice, allowing them too finally cross the Somme and reach Calais. However Charles upon finding out how close the English were to the area decided that here was where he would launch an attack on the English. Charles used his harassing forces to create a form of panic amongst the tired members of the English Army. Charles hoped that this would an unorganised crossing of the River. Fortunately for the French word soon started to spread throughout the English Army that a large French regiment was marching towards them at Béthencourt.
Henry hoping to ease situation ordered his forces to begin marching across the ford, with some of his Longbow men setting up stakes in their rear in hopes of deterring the French “Ghost” Army, leaving his brother Thomas in charge of that section. Henry once again as a way to inspire his men crossed the Ford with them, arriving on the opposite shore with around 1000 men in total, this was when the French attacked the English on the shore. Charles would send in the younger Nobles in first, with many of whom were eager to get some form of action in the conflict. Although outnumbered the English fought well, refusing to allow the French to surround them, it would only be when the French soldiers were pushed back under a hail of arrows from the English Longbows did the English could retreat back across the Somme. Even then, a few brave crossbowmen fired bolts against the retreating English – with one such bolt changing the tide of the war. Henry V would be found, lying face down with a French crossbow bolt in his back.
The English were now forced to return to Harfleur, now at an even greater pace, with the French hot on their tail. The English Force was devastated, with had hardly much time to even retrieve the body of their King. It would be on the 2nd of November when the depleted English force left France, with the king brother Thomas, who was now the next in line to the throne of England. Charles of Albret was a hero to the French people, reportedly returning to Paris with the sword of Henry V placing it before Princess Catharine of France and saying “This is why you don’t marry the English”.
The 3rd conflict of the Hundred Years war was only a few months old and it had already been devastating to the English, with their King dead at the hand of the French. It would be now up to the new King, Thomas to decide the future of his nation, whether to seek peace with the French or press his claims on the French Throne.