Siege of Tournai (1340)

During the Hundred Years' War, after the naval Battle of Sluys on 20 June 1340, in which Edward III of England dealt the French a heavy blow, he went on to besiege Tournai. This city in Flanders was loyal to Philip VI of France.

Siege of Tournai
Part of the Hundred Years' War
Date23 July – 25 September 1340
Location
Tournai, France
50.36°N 3.23°E / 50.36; 3.23
Result French victory
Truce of Espléchin
Belligerents
Kingdom of England Kingdom of France
Commanders and leaders
Edward III Philip VI
Strength
~23,000 men[1] unknown

Edward and his forces reached Tournai on 23 July. Apart from the inhabitants, there was also a French garrison inside. The siege dragged on and Philip was drawing closer with an army, while Edward was running out of money. At the same time, Tournai was running out of food.

Edward's mother-in-law, Jeanne of Valois, then visited him in his tent on 22 September and begged for peace. She had already made the same plea in front of Philip, who was her brother. A truce (known as the Truce of Espléchin) could then be made without anyone losing face and Tournai was relieved.[2]

The Siege of Tournai is notable for being an early example of the use of the cannon in European siege warfare[3]

Notes
  1. Keen, Maurice. Medieval Warfare: A History. OUP Oxford. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-19-164738-3. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  2. Mortimer, Ian (2008). The Perfect King The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation. Vintage. pp. 177–180.
  3. DeVries, Kelly (2012). Medieval military technology. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442604971. OCLC 1026062443.
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