Was Philip VI of France really the incompetent monarch history often portrays?
Philip VI is frequently dismissed as a chivalry-obsessed failure, yet his early reign was marked by strategic brilliance and successful statecraft. While the Hundred Years' War eventually devastated his kingdom, the reality of his rule was far more complex than the common stereotype of a bumbling, defeated king suggests.
Ascending the throne in 1328 following the death of Charles IV, Philip VI faced immediate challenges to his legitimacy. As the first king from the House of Valois, he was chosen by French nobility over Edward III of England, who claimed the throne through his mother. This succession dispute, rooted in the application of Salic law, set the stage for the Hundred Years' War, which officially began in 1337 after Philip declared Edward had forfeited the Duchy of Aquitaine.
Contrary to the popular image of incompetence, Philip initially employed a highly effective Fabian strategy. By refusing to engage Edward III in open battle, he forced the debt-plagued English king into financial distress, leading to a truce in 1340. Philip’s administration was also active in territorial expansion, most notably acquiring the Dauphiné of Viennois in 1349, which extended French influence beyond the Rhône. His reign also saw successful naval operations against Turkish forces in the Mediterranean, demonstrating a capacity for international alliance-building.
The tide turned decisively at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, where the French army was annihilated. Following this defeat and the subsequent loss of Calais in 1347, Philip’s authority crumbled. The situation was exacerbated by the Black Death, which killed one-third of the French population and triggered severe economic instability. Philip’s final years were marked by social unrest and a controversial second marriage to Blanche of Navarre, which alienated his own son and nobility. He died in 1350, leaving behind a fractured kingdom to his successor, John II.
Source: Philip VI of France
