History of Wars Summary 2 - Hundred Years' War Part 4: Charles V's Counterattack

Although England secured vast territories with the Treaty of Brétigny, France did not accept it as final. Upon ascending the throne in 1364, Charles V reorganized his military and finances, beginning the recovery of lost lands. He avoided large-scale frontal assaults, instead employing commanders like Bertrand du Guesclin to systematically attack English-occupied regions. The English forces, needing to maintain their extensive holdings, had to spread their troops across various areas, which the French army exploited to recapture castles and cities one by one. France achieved victory at the Battle of Pontvallain in 1370, and in 1372, the Franco-Castilian allied fleet defeated the English fleet at the Battle of La Rochelle. England lost a significant portion of the vast territories it had claimed in France. By 1377, with the death of Edward III and the ascension of the young Richard II, England's position had considerably weakened. A long-term truce was established between the two nations in 1389, temporarily halting the war. The initial English advantage was reversed by France's organized counteroffensive.