Hello, welcome to the history of England, episode 54, fighting back a bit.

So just because John had been forced out of Normandy and greater on chew, didn't mean

he'd given up the fight.

Playing back those French lands remained an obsession that drove John for the rest of

his life and played a large part in his problems. Much of what happens is a reaction to the

financial expediency caused by John's desire to win back those lands.

The chroniclers are pretty blank about what happened in that first year after John fled

Normandy, but strategically they would look to be pretty much only one possible move,

an invasion through Pwattu in southwest France. Pwattu was of course part of Aquitaine,

and while Eleanor lived, Philip felt unable to do anything about it, he'd be breaking

all the feudal rules if he did so, which meant that Eleanor's death in 1204 was mighty

significant. Philip now felt at liberty to cause as much trouble as he liked.

At first he was completely successful. He had the Luciania on his side and in John's

presence his Sanashalla Pwattu couldn't hold back the tide, and he came to terms with

Philip. And Pwattu was lost, except two fortresses, La Rochelle on the coast, and the town

of Niel. But then things got more difficult for Philip, because horror of horrors, he came

up against the group of barons who preferred to have John as their king rather than Philip.

Now, it could I suppose possibly be that the lords of the Ortherne, Limoussare, Perigor

and Gascony thought John was a lovely chap, a hero just as sort of bloke who would rule

them wisely and well. Or it could be that they thought he was a long way away, and

rather weak, and therefore much more likely than Philip to allow them to get on with things.

I know what the clever one is, but you must make your own judgement.

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