Bertrand du Guesclin
Bertrand du Guesclin (c. 1320 – 1380) was a French commander of the Hundred Years' War who became Constable of France in 1370. From a family of minor nobility near Dinan in Brittany, he never learned to read, but he made his name with ambushes in the War of the Breton Succession, won at Cocherel in 1364, and led the Great Companies into the Castilian civil war to help Henry II to the throne. He is famous for winning back most of the land lost to England by a war of attrition that avoided great pitched battles, and was nicknamed “the Black Dog of Brocéliande”.
| Lived | c. 1320 – 1380 |
|---|---|
| Active in | Brittany · Normandy · Castile · Languedoc |
| Known for | Constable of France in the Hundred Years' War; “the Black Dog of Brocéliande” |
| Game start | 1337 · age 17 · Eldest son of a minor noble near Dinan (knightly rank) — The Black Dog of Brocéliande |
Life at a glance
- c. 1320 Born in the small castle of Broons near Dinan in Brittany, eldest son of the minor noble Robert.
- 1341 Duke John III dies without a son, the War of the Breton Succession begins, and he takes the side of Charles of Blois, backed by the king of France.
- 1354 Knighted for ambushing and defeating an English force near Montmuran.
- 1357 Helps hold Rennes, besieged by the English, and wins fame with the story of his duel with an English knight before the walls.
- 1364 Defeats the King of Navarre's army at Cocherel in May, but in September Blois is killed at Auray and du Guesclin is captured, released on ransom.
- 1366 Leads the Great Companies, which had been plaguing France, into Castile to help Henry of Trastámara.
- 1367 Captured by Edward the Black Prince at Nájera and again released on ransom.
- 1369 Helps Henry defeat his brother Peter I at Montiel, and Henry becomes king of Castile.
- 1370 Becomes Constable of France in October and defeats the English at Pontvallain in December.
- 1380 Dies of illness on 13 July while besieging Châteauneuf-de-Randon in Languedoc, and is buried at Saint-Denis, the royal necropolis.
Family
The family members who appear with this character when you start the game. Years follow the historical record; where none survives, a ? is shown.
| Relation | Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Robert du Guesclin | Dates unknown | Lord of Broons |
| Mother | Jeanne de Malemains | Dates unknown | |
| Younger brother | Olivier | Dates unknown | |
| Sister | Julienne | Dates unknown | |
| First wife | Tiphaine Raguenel | ? – 1373 | Of Dinan, a woman famed for astrology and learning; married 1363 |
| Second wife | Jeanne de Laval | Dates unknown | Married 1374 |
In the game
You begin in 1337, the year the Hundred Years' War starts, as a boy of seventeen. Even your mother said she had never seen so ugly a child; you have no land or title and will never learn to read, but you are tough and fearless in a fight. You have your mother Jeanne, your brother Olivier and your sister Julienne, and later Tiphaine Raguenel of Dinan and Jeanne de Laval come into this life.
In the first event, “The tournament at Rennes”, if you borrow your cousin's horse and helmet and ride out, you can win a great name but may also be hurt. The weapons of this life are might and men, and when the duke dies in 1341 Brittany splits between the Blois and Montfort parties, leading on to the siege of Rennes and Auray.
The turning point is “If France had won at Crécy”. If the longbowmen win in 1346, real history runs through La Roche-Derrien, Montmuran, Rennes, Cocherel and Auray, Nájera and Montiel, the constable's baton and Pontvallain to Châteauneuf-de-Randon in 1380; if France wins, another branch runs to the end through Blois's victory, a marshal of Brittany and the two kings of Castile.
- Scenario guide The Black Dog of Brocéliande
- Era guide Middle Ages
- Related turning points What if France had won at Crécy?, What if Orléans had fallen in 1429?
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bertrand du Guesclin famous?
Because a knight of minor nobility who could not read rose on merit alone to Constable of France, and together with Charles V won back most of the land lost to England. Though not of royal blood, he was given the honour of burial at Saint-Denis, the royal necropolis.
How did du Guesclin die?
He died of illness (probably dysentery) on 13 July 1380 while besieging Châteauneuf-de-Randon in Languedoc. The story goes that the garrison, as they had promised, laid the keys of the castle on his coffin.
Where does the nickname “the Black Dog of Brocéliande” come from?
The chronicles say he was dark-skinned and coarse-featured, and he fought fiercely around Brocéliande, the legendary forest of Brittany. Whatever his looks, in chansons de geste and legend he was sung as a hero of France.
Sources
Jean Froissart, Chronicles; Cuvelier, Chanson de Bertrand du Guesclin; general histories of the Hundred Years' War.