Angevin Empire
The Angevin Empire is a modern term applied retrospectively to the lands of Henry II of England, consisting of at their largest extent, the Kingdom of England and duchies or counties of Normandy, Anjou, Poitou, Maine, Gascony, Touraine, Béarn and Aquitaine; with Brittany, Wales, Toulouse, Scotland and Ireland held in vassalage to some degree.
It should be noted that this term is not contemporary, and has only come into common usage during the 20th century, the better to reflect changing attitudes towards the time, moving away from a view of an English domination towards a perspective of mutual influences among Henry's possessions. There were no institutions that could be considered imperial, and the union of the disparate territories was purely a personal one, with Henry at the center of a network of kinship ties and feudal obligations
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History
The lands of Normandy and England had been in personal union since the time of the Norman Conquest. The prospect of a union between the lands of Anjou and Normandy was first suggested during the time of Henry I, who intended his daughter, the dowager Empress Matilda (Maud) to succeed him as Queen. A dynastic alliance with the counts of Anjou made a lot of sense to Henry. The counts of Anjou had recently gained control of Maine though the marriage of Fulk V to Eremburge of La Flèche, and their increased power and influence in Northern France offered a potantial threat to Henry's control over Normandy.
Unfortunately for Geoffrey and Matilda, this plan failed as the English Barons ignored the wishes of Henry, choosing Stephen of Blois as the next king. This led to a time of troubles known as The Anarchy in the Anglo-Norman nation as Matilda and Stephen fought for control, ending with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster which allowed Stephen to remain king, but ensuring Henry, the son of Geoffrey and Matilda, would succeed him.
The lands under direct control of the Empire were essentially complete with the marriage of Henry II to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Over the next two decades Henry consolidated his power, taking surrounding states, most notably the duchy of Brittany, into various forms of vassalage.
The fall of the Angevin empire can be traced to the capture and ransoming of Richard I by Leopold V of Austria and Henry VI of Germany. Philip Augustus took the opportunity of Richard's absence to pursue his claims to the lands, in part by encouraging rebellion amongst the vassals of the empire. His attempts were aided by the pressure put upon the economy of the region due to collection of the ransom. Upon his release Richard spent the remainder of his reign attempting to regain the territory he had lost to France.
The reign of John saw the end of the Angevin Empire. Due to the successful expansionist strategies of Philip, the French lands, with the exception of Gascony and the Channel Isles, were lost by 1202.
The true end of the Empire could be seen in 1214 when the Barons of England offered the crown to Louis VI of France, thus confirming the supremacy of France. However ideas of reclaiming the Angevin lands in France remained a dream of English kings, and was a contributing factor to the Hundred Years War.
Cultural Influence
The hypothetical continuation and expansion of the Angevin Empire over several centuries has been the subject of several tales of Alternative history.
Alternative Angevins
At other times during history Angevin dynasties have ruled Hungary, Naples, France and Poland. However, these are not related to the Angevin dynasty of England.
See Also
Important Figures of the time
Angevin Dynasty - bold indicates reigning king of England.
- Geoffrey of Anjou
- Henry II of England married Aelinor d'Aquitaine
- Henry the Young King (First born son of Henry II who he predeceased in 1183).
- Richard I of England
- Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany married Constance, Duchess of Brittany (Heir presumptive of Richard, who he predeceased in 1186).
- Jean I of England
- Henry II of England married Aelinor d'Aquitaine
French Kings