Since the Norman Conquest of 1066, English monarchs had held titles and

lands within France, the possession of which made them vassals of the kings
of France. Over the centuries, English holdings in France had varied in size,
but by 1337 only Gascony in south western France and Ponthieu in northern
France were left.[2] The independent-minded Gascons had their own customs
and claimed to have a separate language. A large proportion of the enormous
quantity of red wine that they produced was shipped to England in a profita-
ble trade. The Gascons preferred their relationship with a distant English king
who left them alone to one with a French king who would interfere in their af-
fairs.[3]
During the first half of the 14th century, well over 1,000 ships departed Gas-
cony for England each year. Among their cargo were more than 100,000,000
litres (110,000,000 US qt) of wine.[4] The duty levied by the English Crown on
wine from Bordeaux was more than all other customs duties combined and
by far the largest source of state income. Bordeaux, the capital of Gascony
had a population of over 50,000, greater than London's,[5] and Bordeaux was
possibly richer. However, by this time English Gascony had become so trun-
cated by French encroachments that it relied on imports of food, largely from
England. Any interruptions to regular shipping were liable to starve Gascony
and financially cripple England; the French were well aware of this.[6]
The status of the English king's French fiefs was a major source of conflict
between the two monarchies throughout the Middle Ages. French monarchs
systematically sought to check the growth of English power, stripping away
lands as the opportunity arose.[7] Towards the end of 1336, following a series
of disagreements between Philip VI of France (r. 1328–1350) and Edward III
of England (r. 1327–1377), Philip decided that war was the only way to drive
the English out for good.[8] On 24 May 1337, Philip's Great Council in Paris
agreed that the Duchy of Aquitaine, effectively Gascony, should be taken
back into Philip's hands on the ground that Edward was in breach of his obli-
gations as a vassal. This marked the start of the Hundred Years' War, which
was to last one hundred and sixteen years.[9]
Although Gascony was the cause of the war, Edward was able to spare few
resources for its defence, and previously when an English army had cam-
paigned on the continent it had operated in northern France. In most cam-
paigning seasons the Gascons had to rely on their own resources and had
been hard pressed by the French.[10][11] In 1339 the French besieged Bor-
deaux, the capital of Gascony, even breaking into the city with a large force
before they were repulsed.[12] Typically the Gascons could field 3,000–6,000
men, the large majority infantry, although up to two-thirds of them would be
tied down in garrisons.[13]
There was no formal border between English and French territory. Significant
landholders owned a patchwork of widely separated estates, perhaps owing
fealty to a different overlord for each, or holding some rights from the French
Crown as the monarch and others from the English Crown as their liege lord.
Each small estate was likely to have a fortified tower or keep, with larger es-
tates having castles. Fortifications were also constructed at transport choke
points, to collect tolls and to restrict military passage, and fortified towns grew
up alongside all bridges and most fords over the many rivers in the re-
gion.[14][15]
Military forces could support themselves by foraging so long as they moved
on at relatively frequent intervals. If they wished to remain in one place for
any length of time, as was necessary to besiege a castle, then access to wa-
ter transport was essential for supplies of food and fodder, and desirable for
such items as siege equipment. Warfare was usually a struggle for posses-
sion of castles and other fortified points, and for the mutable loyalty of the lo-
cal nobility; the region had been in a state of flux for centuries and many local
lords served whichever monarch was considered the stronger, regardless of
national ties.[14]
By 1345, after eight years of war, English-controlled territory mostly consisted
of a coastal strip from Bordeaux to Bayonne, with isolated strongholds further
inland. The French had strong fortifications throughout what had once been
English-controlled Gascony. Several directly threatened Bordeaux: Libourne,
20 miles (32 km) to the east allowed French armies to assemble a day's
march from Bordeaux; the strongly fortified town of Blaye was situated on the
north bank of the Gironde only 25 miles (40 km) downstream of Bordeaux
and in a position to interdict its vital seaborne communications;[16] the fortress
of Langdon, 30 miles (48 km) south of Bordeaux, blocked upstream commu-
nication along the Garonne, and facilitated the supply of any French force ad-
vancing on Bordeaux.[17]