Battle of Nájera (Navarrete)

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The Battle of Nájera from a fifteenth-century manuscript. The English and Pedro are on the left.

Date	April 3, 1367
Location	Nájera
Result	Victory for Pedro of Castile; England

Belligerents

Castile; England

forces of Henry II of Castile; France

Commanders

Pedro of Castile
Edward, the Black Prince
John of Gaunt

Henry II of Castile
Bertrand du Guesclin

Strength

28,000 (total)
14,000 Men-at-arms
12,000 Longbowmen
2,000 Spearmen;

60,000 (total)
6,000 Men-at-arms
4,000 Jinetes
6,000 Crossbowmen
4,000 Slingers
40,000 Spearmen

Casualties and losses

approximately 200 slain

approximately 7,000 killed

v • d • e Hundred Years' War (1369–1389)

Nájera (Navarette) – Montiel – La Rochelle

v • d • e Hundred Years' War

Edwardian – Breton Succession – Castilian – Two Peters – Caroline – Lancastrian

The Battle of Nájera, also known as the Battle of Navarrete, was fought on 3 April 1367 between English and Franco-Castilian forces near Nájera, in the province of La Rioja, Castile. The English were led by Edward, the Black Prince, and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, allied with Pedro of Castile (called "The Cruel") against his brother Enrique II or Henry of Trastámara. Pedro and Enrique had been in armed conflict, the Castilian Civil War, for some time before the intervention of foreign powers had been sought. Pedro had begged assistance from the Black Prince in Bordeaux to restore him to his throne.

The English, with 24,000 men, marched south from Aquitaine, crossed the river Ebro at Logroño, and faced Enrique's Franco-Castilian army near Nájera, the latter's strength being 60,000. Du Guesclin was later reported to have been reluctant to face the English in a pitched battle, but he was overruled.

The battle began with the English longbowmen gaining dominance over the French archers. Then, the English vanguard, led by John Chandos, Constable of Aquitaine, and the Duke of Lancaster attacked the French mercenaries commanded by Bertrand du Guesclin and d'Audrehem. The Castilian cavalry, under heavy arrow fire from the English longbowmen, fled early, leaving Henry's battle exposed to attack from the mounted English rearguard. The Franco-Castilian army disintegrated and retreated, pursued by the English, back to the bank of the river Najerilla. Du Guesclin was captured, but Enrique escaped and fled.

Pedro and the English completely routed Enrique and the French, inflicting heavy losses. Unlike at other battles of the Hundred Years' War, at Nájera it was the English who were attacking dismounted French troops. As with many other battles of the period, the English longbow proved a significant advantage, probably for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula. However, the battle was of dubious long-term significance as Pedro and the Black Prince fell out over money, and Pedro was not able to maintain his rule for long without foreign support.

[edit] Sources

Tuchman, Barbara : A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century.
DeVries, Kelly. Battles of the Medieval World. New York: Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0-7607-7779-9.