HiSCoD

Description (langue originale) : -

Description (anglais) : ‘In 1359 at Longueil-Sainte-Marie, near Compiègne, the peasants took a stand. Under the command of a peasant named Guillaume l'Aloue, they assembled around three hundred peasants from various places in the Beauvaisis (paisans de Beauvoisin), occupied and fortified a farmhouse, and waged war in self-defense against the English cavalry stationed at Creel and other fortresses, who rode out against them. With six hundred soldiers under the command of Jehan Fonicque, the English besieged the farmhouse, climbed over its walls, ‘‘and thought only of killing them all, there being no point in taking any of them for ransom’’. Guillaume rallied the peasants, crying out that ‘‘it was better to die defending themselves in hand-to-hand combat against the enemy than to be burnt alive with their women and children in this farmhouse’’. They ran out, charging the English, and defeated them, killing at least 120, twenty-four of whom were knights. The victorious peasants suffered only two casualties; one was their leader, Guillaume.’ (p. 37). Course of action: Armed conflict. Repression: Success.