John I Lackland crossed la Manche [channel waters between England and France] to Aquitaine. Sailing from Portsmouth, he landed at La Rochelle on 15 February in 1214 with his mercenary army. He could not count on loyalty from the English barons, but called up his feudal levies from Guyenne [the term more commonly used for Aquitaine] and then marched into Poitou. Gathering more forces along the way, John I crossed the Loire and entered his family lands in Anjou.

This had the desired result, as king Philippe II came south with his royal troops to meet the English king's. Philippe II marched via Samur and Chinon to cut John's line of retreat. John I abandoned Anjou and moved quickly back south to Limoges in April. At this point, John had succeeded in drawing Philip far south. Unfortunately for the allies, the emperor Otto and his forces were not ready to move.

Aware of Otto's marshaling of forces, Philippe II realized the danger of following John I further south. Philippe II left his son, prince Louis, with 800 knights, 2,000 sergeants and 7,000 infantry to face John Lackland. Philippe II, himself, with a small force of his personal household knights, returned to Paris and prepared to meet the threatened invasion from the north.

John I Lackland, possibly believing that the entire royal army had withdrawn toward Paris, immediately moved back into Poitou in May, crossed the Loire, and again invaded Anjou. John laid siege to La-Roche-aux-Moines* in June. However, in July, when learning that prince Louis was approaching with a French army and levies from Anjou and Maine, John Lackland retired hastily, leaving much of his siege train.

La-Roche-aux-Moines is located just southwest of Angers, at Savennières [part of the Domaine aux Moines]. It occupied a strategic point on the Loire River and was evidently necessary to secure the lines of communications of any further advance northward by the English army. This location conflicts with illustrations in some print-published accounts that place the fortification between Le Mans and Angers.

Campaign of Bouvines Part 2: The 'War' of Bouvines (1202-1214)

Phase One of the Campaign of 1214
Phase Two of the Campaign of 1214
Summary and Analysis of Strengths
Battlefield Today

Battle of Bouvines Part 1: The 'War' of Bouvines (1202-1214)

Preface and Background
Emergence of the Angevin 'Empire'
Preliminaries and Initial Operations
Papal, Empire, and Flemish Factions
John Lackland's Coalition Against Philipp II