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The Battle of Nájera from a fifteenth-century manuscript. The English and Pedro are on the left.
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, Spain. 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-Spanish 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 English vanguard was led by John Chandos, Constable of Aquitaine, and the Duke of Lancaster. They initially attacked the French mercenaries commanded by Bertrand du Guesclin and d'Audrehem. The Castilians 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.
Peter 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 Spain. However, the battle was of dubious long-term significance as Peter and the Black Prince fell out over money, and Peter was not able maintain his rule for long without foreign support.
[edit] Sources
- Tuchman, Barbara : A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century.
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