Why Did the English Position in France Collapse During the Reign of Henry Vi?

Why did the English position in France collapse during the reign of Henry VI?

Upon the death of Henry V in 1422, the English were in the strongest position they had been in France since the Treaty of Brétigny of 1360.   In five short years, from 1417-1422, Henry V had amassed many territories in France, including Paris, and was the first and last English king to conquer Frances capital. However, less than forty years after his death the English had lost all they possessed in France, with the only exception of Calais. This was caused by a multitude of different factors, including, in the long term, structural and financial issues within the governmental systems of both England and France, and also short-term catalysts, such as the ascendance of Joan of Arc, and the loss of Philip of Burgundy as an ally.

There were many fundamental flaws in the governmental structure of England, which led to serious long-term issues within our territories in France, ultimately leading to their loss. The most important long-term reason for the English defeat in France was a lack of revenue to finance the garrisons. Insolvency and debt had been rife among English kings since the reign of Edward III, and it was only the timely death of Henry V that prevented the kingdom slipping into serious debt, as with the death of Henry V we concentrated on maintaining our holding at the size they were at, not conquering more, which would have proved prohibitively expensive. England simply did not have the economic capacity to sustain campaigns long-term in France. For example, as Maurice Keen states, this was a “colony collapsing under the weight of its own defence.” The defence of Normandy commanded huge sums of money – money that England did not have. Keen also says, “The successes of 1441 showed how well the English could have done if it was not for the financial situation”, which including retaking Pontoise from the French and threatening Paris, however this run of victory ended when...