Battle of Cocherel
Hundred Years' War (support for Charles V against Charles the Bad) · Cocherel, near Évreux (Normandy, France)
Summary
On 16 May 1364 at Cocherel in the Eure, Bertrand du Guesclin won a decisive victory over troops of King Charles II the Bad of Navarre, allied with the English. Fought during the Hundred Years' War and War of the Breton Succession, the battle consolidated authority of the Dauphin Charles (future Charles V) and made Du Guesclin France's chief military leader.
Historical context
After John II's capture at Poitiers (1356), the kingdom was torn between factions: Dauphin Charles, Navarre, Burgundians, and English. Charles II of Navarre, allied with Edward III, controlled fiefs in Normandy and threatened Paris. The Dauphin tasked Du Guesclin with reducing Navarrese power; Cocherel on the Eure became the battlefield.
Tactics
Du Guesclin positioned troops defensively and awaited Navarrese attack. Navarrese charged repeatedly; Du Guesclin used defense in depth, tiring the enemy before launching a cavalry and infantry counterattack. Navarrese defeat was complete: Charles the Bad had to negotiate and abandon ambitions on the French throne.
Consequences
Cocherel strengthened the Dauphin's authority and opened the way to royal reconquest. Du Guesclin was appointed Constable of France in 1370 and led the 'petite guerre' strategy that exhausted the English. The battle marked the start of French military restoration after the catastrophes of Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt.