The Battle of Bouvines

The Battle of Bouvines is not one of those famous battles like Agincourt, Crécy, Blenheim, Waterloo, El Alamein. This is simply because, in spite of being in an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto IV, and having numerical superiority the English army was given a good beating by King Philip Augustus of France. As you can see the battle does feature in the French picture gallery of battles at Versailles – naturally all won by the French.

Now you know where Bouvines is – it’s slap-bang in the middle of Picardy. This was territory fought over in both World Wars but why were we having a scrap there in 1214? I must philosophise. Were Normandy and adjacent places such as Anjou and Poitou ruled by England in the 12th century, or was England ruled by Normandy? I think the former as the Norman pivot of power transferred to England after 1066. England was fresh meat and it was to the Normans’ liking. Their French territories were neglected and conquered by French monarchs.

We must digress. Have you ever played Persian Monarchs? The rules are pretty simple as described by Claude “Mustard” Pott to Lord Bosham in Uncle Fred in the Springtime.

I could teach it you in a minute. In its essentials it is not unlike Blind Hooky. Here’s the way it goes. You cut a card, if you see what I mean, and the other fellow cuts a card, if you follow me. Then if the card you’ve cut is higher than the card the other fellow has cut, you win. While, conversely, if the card the other fellow’s cut is higher than the card you’ve cut, he wins.’

Well, King John, “the worst king England ever had” (John Julius Norwich) and his allies Otto and Count Ferdinand of Flanders, out-numbering Philip’s army by 25,000 to 15,000, were nonetheless routed. How was this received in Flanders and the Holy Roman Empire? Who can say, but when King John got home he had to eat humble pie and sign Magna Carta.

“15th December, 1939.

Just finished reading Bouvines: Victoire Créatice by Antoine Hadingue. It is a very interesting account of the battle … The site where the battle was fought is just to the left of my Corps front and I had stood several times lately organising the defences of a new line on the very spot where 100,000 men (sic) engaged in deadly combat in 1214!! … the stained glass windows in the village of Bouvines give a complete pictorial record of the battle.” (War Diaries, Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke)