Battle of Najera (Navarette)
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The Battle of Najera, also known as the Battle of Navarette, was fought in April 1367 between English and Franco-Castillian forces. The English were led by the Edward, the Black Prince and John of Gaunt who allied with Pedro I of Castile (also known as "The Cruel") against his brother Henry who was to reign as Henry II of Castile. Pedro and Henry were in armed conflict, and Pedro called for help from the Black Prince to restore him to his throne. Similarly, Henry had French support.
The English marched south from Aquitaine, crossed the river Ebro at Logroño, and faced Henry's Franco-Spanish army near Nájera. The French commander Bertrand du Guesclin was later reported to have been reluctant to face the English in a pitched battle, but he was overruled. The English longbow proved a significant advantage, as it did in other battles of the period.
The English and Pedro were victorious. Bertrand du Guesclin was captured and Henry fled. The battle was of dubious long-term significance as King Pedro and the Black Prince fell out over money, and Pedro was not able to hold onto his throne for long without foreign support.
External link
External reference
- Tuchman, Barbara : A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
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