Battle of Varey

The battles of Varey which took place on August 7th, 1325 is the most famous battle of the conflict which opposed to the S the counts de Savoie with the dolphins of the Viennese.

Context

The two small Neighboring states of Savoy and Dauphine were detached from the Germanic Roman Holy roman Empire. In the beginning simple seigniories, each one extended gradually to the liking of the events (marriage, conquest, protection…) without geographical preoccupation with a coherence. There is not a true border and the possessions are tangled up.

A first conflict opposes in the middle of the 12th century Guigues IV, the first to carry the nickname of Dolphin, then his/her son Guigues V with the count Amédée III of Savoy. But the reappearing imperial authority ensures a durable peace.

A one hundred year old war

In 1253, the count of Savoy Pierre II Marie his Béatrix daughter (or Beatrice) with the Dolphin Guigues VII and offers the to him Faucigny in dowry. His/her brother Philippe Ier succeeds to him in 1268 and wants to recover Faucigny which became an enclave in its states. It is the origin of the conflict between the Dauphine one and Savoy which will last hundred years.

During five decades, the successive counts of Savoy face the Dolphins which found allies near the count and of the bishop of Geneva. It is one period of rather vain rides, with takings possession reciprocal, and intersected with arbitrations, truces and treaties imposed by the pope or the king of France.

In 1320, wearied this war of attrition, Amédée V of Savoy a great blow during the minority of Guigues VII wants to strike. The following years the scuffles multiply. Amédée V dies in 1323. His/her son Edouard succeeds to him. The castle of Varey, strongly strengthened at the previous century is in possession of the house of Geneva, but disputed by the lords de Beaujeu. Hugues of Geneva pays homage to the dolphin Guigues VII in 1323 for his castles of Varey, Brangues and Anthon. Edouard of Savoy, combined with the lord de Beaujeu, decides to invest the castle of Varey.

The battle

This conflict is also a business of family as the list of the combatants chiefs shows it who will clash in this August 7th, 1325 day.

Protagonists

For the Savoyard left :

Edouard of Savoy has warlike experience, having directed many military forwardings under the orders of his/her father or with the service of the king de France
Guichard IV the Large one, lord de Beaujeu, having combined long time of the house of Savoy, and having interested in the first chief by the catch of the castle of Varey
Jean II of Châlon, count d' Auxerre, of which the mother is a sister of Edouard
Robert of Burgundy, count de Tonnerre, brother of the reigning duke Eudes IV of Burgundy
of vassal Swiss the

For the left from the Dauphine :

Guigues VII of the Viennese, the young dolphin is only 16 years old and a total inexperience of the combat
Hugues of the Tower, lord of Faucigny, uncle of the Guigues young person, but also brother-in-law of Edouard of Savoy by his marriage with Marie of Savoy. It also has the chatellery of Montbonnot, Montfleury and the Terrace in Grésivaudan
Amédée III of Geneva, heir to the counts de Genève and also nephew of Edouard
Hugues of Geneva, quarrelsome captain of the anti-Savoyard league
Hugues de Joinville, lord of Gex
Aymar of Poitiers, count de Valentinois and of Diois, the most powerful family of the area from the Dauphine after that of the Dolphins
Raymond IV of Beams, prince d' Orange, cousin per alliance of Guigues
Jean II of Châlon-Arlay, combined with the family of the counts de Genève
the Grand Gascon Canon and his mercenaries

The seat

The count of Savoy joins together his Ost with Borough-in-Bresse. It is with a brilliant army accompanied by a great number of machines of war to beat the walls of this castle and to launch stones and features there.

The seat starts with some engagements close to the walls of the castle, between its garrison and besieging them. Soon those invest it and lay out their machines or their machines around the walls. Rams armed with iron heads shake them; other machines launch enormous stone districts which break the roofs of the turns and smash the floors. The commander of the garrison of the castle is Guillaume, lord of Tournon. After 5 or 6 days of seat, it obtains a ten days truce at the end which the garrison will go if it is not helped. With the agreement of besieging, it sends a messenger at Guigues.

The army of the Dolphin coming from Crémieu, escapes the Savoyard watchers, double Ambronay and arrives at sight of the castle of Varey at the great surprise of Edouard.

The confrontation

However, Guigues does not benefit from the effect of surprised and takes time to organize its body of battle in three traditional lines of the time: the avant-garde (Raymond de Baux and the Large Canon) must bore the unfavourable line; the central body (the flanked dolphin of Amédée and Hugues of Geneva) must exploit this opening; and the rear-guard (Aymar of Poitiers) is charged to continue the relaxed enemy. The device is set up in the plain of Arpilles between the castle and Saint-Jean-the-Old man.

There is no preliminary engagement of principal rafters. The foot soldiers are left with the back. The confrontation will be a courteous combat between knights.

The Burgundian ones, combined of Savoy attack and insert the first line delphinoise

The death of Barbançon breaks the dash of Burgundian which is pushed back by the body of battle of Amédée and Hugues of Geneva until in their camping. Finally the Savoyard ones are submerged and taken reverse by the garrison of the castle on their back.

Edouard, one captive moment, succeeds in escaping and taking refuge in the castle close to Bridge to Ain. The battle is completed by the bag of the Savoyard camping and the plundering of the rich person luggage of the count Edouard.

Manpower engaged on both sides are not known. Certain chroniclers speak about 2.000 dead. Savoyard side, Robert of Burgundy, Jean de Chalon and Guichard de Beaujeu are made prisoners and will have to pay strong ransoms.

After the battle

While fleeing of the battle field, Edouard preserves his capacities of reaction. Guigues on its side does not exploit the victory obtained at the time of one of the rare pitched battles of the conflict. Also as of 1726 the rides intersected with truces begin again in spite of the efforts of mediation of king de France and the pope Jean XXII.

In 1328, Savoyards and From the Dauphine side-by-side finds in the ost of the king de France Philippe VI at the time of the Bataille of Cassel against the Flemings. This trade-guild of weapons does not put fine at their quarrels.

Edouard dies on November 4th, 1329; Guigues falls in its turn on July 23rd, 1333 during the seat from the castle of the Stone quarry. Savoy and the Dauphine one are financially bloodless. The successor of Guigues VIII is his younger brother Humbert II. He thinks of yielding his heritage and finds an agreement in 1349 with the king of France. It is the future Charles V which becomes the new Dolphin.

This last obtains a solid peace with the count of Savoy Amédée VI. The question of the enclaves is settled by exchanges: the Dauphine one gives up Faucigny and its châtellenies in Bresse; Savoy gives up its grounds as Viennese. January 5th, the treaty of Paris puts definitively fine at the delphino-Savoyard conflict.

Sources

Varey, August 7th, 1325 of Strong Philippe and Herve Tardy - Historic' one ED. 2005 ISBN 2-912994-15-2

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