The Widening War

The Last Duel

Jean’s campaigns reveal how the Hundred Years’ War shapes his finances, identity, and eventual death far beyond the local legal dispute.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Kingdom Under Pressure A Kingdom Under Pressure from "The Last Duel". A Kingdom Under Pressure War and fragmentation France faces English invasion, internal rivalries, taxation, and recurring disease.

A Kingdom Under Pressure from "The Last Duel". A Kingdom Under Pressure War and fragmentation France faces English invasion, internal rivalries, taxation, and recurring disease.

A Kingdom Under Pressure War and fragmentation France faces English invasion, internal rivalries, taxation, and recurring disease. Normandy lies in a strategic zone exposed to raids and shifting loyalties. A warrior’s environment For Jean, military service is both an obligation and a route to wealth and recognition. The same system repeatedly places his life and property at risk.

The Cotentin Campaign The Cotentin Campaign from "The Last Duel". The Cotentin Campaign Service under Vienne Jean commands squires in a royal effort to drive the English from Normandy.

The Cotentin Campaign from "The Last Duel". The Cotentin Campaign Service under Vienne Jean commands squires in a royal effort to drive the English from Normandy.

The Cotentin Campaign Service under Vienne Jean commands squires in a royal effort to drive the English from Normandy. The campaign gives him experience and places him within a network of military companions. Risks without resolution The campaign does not erase the regional danger or secure Jean’s family future. War remains a recurring condition rather than a single decisive event.

The Scottish Expedition The Scottish Expedition from "The Last Duel". The Scottish Expedition A costly invasion plan Jean joins a French force sent to cooperate with Scotland against England.

The Scottish Expedition from "The Last Duel". The Scottish Expedition A costly invasion plan Jean joins a French force sent to cooperate with Scotland against England.

The Scottish Expedition A costly invasion plan Jean joins a French force sent to cooperate with Scotland against England. The campaign raids English territory but suffers from poor coordination and difficult supply. Losses and return Jean loses companions, money, and health, while gaining a knighthood. The failed expedition leaves him more vulnerable when he returns to Normandy.

The Crusade’s Defeat The Crusade’s Defeat from "The Last Duel". The Crusade’s Defeat A new eastern campaign Jean joins a coalition marching toward Nicopolis to confront Ottoman power.

The Crusade’s Defeat from "The Last Duel". The Crusade’s Defeat A new eastern campaign Jean joins a coalition marching toward Nicopolis to confront Ottoman power.

The Crusade’s Defeat A new eastern campaign Jean joins a coalition marching toward Nicopolis to confront Ottoman power. Poor coordination and an overhasty assault expose the crusaders to disaster. The cost of military ambition The army is defeated, many leaders are captured or killed, and Jean’s fate becomes uncertain. His military career likely ends on a battlefield far from home.

The Last Crusade The Last Crusade from "The Last Duel". The Last Crusade A life without return The narrative presents Jean’s death at Nicopolis as probable, though not conclusively documented.

The Last Crusade from "The Last Duel". The Last Crusade A life without return The narrative presents Jean’s death at Nicopolis as probable, though not conclusively documented.

The Last Crusade A life without return The narrative presents Jean’s death at Nicopolis as probable, though not conclusively documented. His long pursuit of honor through war ends in the campaign often called the Last Crusade. Personal costs of conflict Marguerite loses her defender, and their young son loses his father. Military service shapes not only Jean’s destiny but the family left behind.

Late fourteenth century

Autumn 1379–March 1380

May–December 1385

25 September 1396

Late 1396