Thion, Stéphane French Compagnies d’Ordonnance, 1374-1480

The birth of French standing military units

Volume 10 of the series "A Time of Knights 400 CE to 1453 CE". Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the French monarchy underwent a period of profound political and institutional transformation, for which the Hundred Years' War provided both the historical context and the primary catalyst. The defeats suffered by the French knighthood, the irregularity and frequent inefficiency of feudal military service, the protracted nature of troop levies, and the emergence of new forms of warfareincluding *chevauchées*, prolonged sieges, and the growing importance of artilleryexposed the structural limitations of a military system still largely based on personal valor, noble obligation, and ties of vassalage. Against this backdrop, Charles VII initiated the process that led to the creation of a standing army; this development is associated above all with the introduction of the *compagnies dordonnance* (1445), the establishment of the *francs-archers* (1448), and the consolidation of a more structured royal artillery. However, such a transformation did not occur in a vacuum. The creation of a permanent military institutionespecially in the face of significant political and social resistancemust be understood as part of a long-term evolutionary process during which the essential administrative, fiscal, and military foundations were gradually laid. Indeed, Charles VIIs military reforms should be viewed as the culmination of a protracted process of professionalization and centralization. This book focuses on the origins and explanatory factors behind this transformation: how and why did the French monarchy replace the feudal model of military levies and the general call-to-arms (*arrière-ban*) with a more stable, paid, regulated, and centrally controlled military system permanently bound to the Crown? Accordingly, the book examines the organization, development, command structures, and military equipment of the French *compagnies dordonnance*, *francs-archers*, and artillery up to the year 1480. The study is supplemented by numerous plates and illustrations.