In June 1202 Philip Augustus invaded Normandy and besieged the castle of Argues, near Dieppe; at the same time Arthur of Brittany was taken prisoner by John at Mirebeau in Poitou, and imprisoned in the castle of Falaise, from which he was removed to Rouen and died, probably assassinated by John's orders. The conquest of Normandy began with the occupation of Château Gaillard after an eight months' siege (Sept. 1203–April 1204); the rest of Normandy was taken during the following months, Rouen surrendering in 1204 but obtaining a guarantee of her priv ileges. The conquest of Normandy by the French was not, how ever, recognized officially till the treaty of Paris (1259). In 1329 the duchy of Normandy was revived in favour of John, son of King Philip VI.
The Hundred Years' War.—Owing to her geographical posi tion, Normandy suffered heavily during the Hundred Years' War. In 1346 Edward III., at the instance of Godefroi d'Harcourt lord of Saint-Sauveur, invaded Normandy, landing at Saint-Vast-la Hougue (July 12) ; and arriving at Caen on July 25, he laid waste the country as far as Poissy. After the accession of John II. (1350), Normandy was given as an appanage to the dauphin Charles. The treaty of London (1359) stipulated for its cession to England, but the provisions of the treaty were modified by those of the treaty of Bretigny (1360), and it remained in the possession of France.
The most striking event of the war in Normandy during the reign of Charles V. (1364-8o), was the siege of Saint-Sauveur-le Vicomte, which was occupied by the English, and only surren dered after a siege of several years. The opening years of the reign of Charles VI. (138o-1422) were disturbed by a revolt which broke out in Rouen against the aides which the royal Gov ernment had tried to impose (1381). In 1415 the war with Eng land was resumed : an English army of 6o,000 men landed on Aug. 14 at the mouth of the Seine, took Harfleur on Sept. 16, and finally defeated the army of the king of France at Agincourt. During the following years the whole of Normandy was occupied, Rouen holding out for nearly six months (July 29, 1418–Jan. 13, 1419), and Henry V. of England entrusted the administration of Normandy to a special council. After the expeditions of Joan of Arc and the treaty of Arras the position of the English in Nor mandy became insecure; at the end of 1435 the whole district of Caux, and in 1436 that of the Val de Vire revolted; Mont-Saint Michel, which had never been taken by the English, continued to resist, and in order to keep guard over it the English built Gran ville. But Normandy was not recovered by the French till after
the sack of Fougeres (i449). Cotentin was reconquered by Rich mond (see ARTHUR, duke of Brittany) and the duke of Brittany; Rouen surrendered on Oct. 29, 1449. An English army was sent into Normandy under the leadership of Thomas Kyriel; it landed at Cherbourg and marched across Cotentin to Bayeux, but was met at Formigny (April 15, i45o) by the count of Clermont and utterly routed. Caen, and finally Cherbourg, capitulated.
After the French conquest, the history of Normandy is less eventful. The kings of France maintained the provincial Estates and the University of Caen, founded by the kings of England, and transformed the Exchequer of Normandy into a permanent court of justice (1499) which was called the parlement of Normandy. Among the measures which contributed to the increase of the prosperity of Normandy should be noted the construction in 1752 of the Havre de Grace.
During the 16th century the Protestant Reformation met with some success in Normandy. The Reforming movement began with Pierre Bar in 1528, and the first apostle of the Reformation at Rouen was Francois Legay, called Boisnormand. Caen received the Reformed religion in 1531, and Alencon in 1582. In the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day (1572) more than Soo victims were slaughtered by the Catholics. After 1588 the Catholic party of the League established itself in Normandy, and King Henry IV. had to conquer it by force of arms. The most famous engagements during this expedition were the king's victories at Argues and Ivry, but he failed to take Rouen, which was defended by Alexan der Farnese, duke of Parma, and only surrendered after the abju ration of the king.
BiBuoGRAPHY.—Arthur du Monstier, Neustria pia (1663) ; L. du Bois, Itineraire descriptif, historique et monumental des cinq departe ments composant la Normandie (1828) ; G. Depping, Histoire de la Normandie (2 vols., 1835) ; Fr. Palgrave, The History of Normandy and of England (2 vols., ; L. Delisle, La Normandie illustrie (2 vols., 1852-55) and Etude site la condition des classes agricoles en Normandie (reprinted 1906) ; E. Frere, Manuel de bibliographic nor mande (1858-6o); E. A. Freeman, The History of the Norman Con quest of England (3rd ed., 5 vols., 1877) ; Joh. Steenstrup, Les Nor mands (188o) ; E. J. Tardif, Les Coutumiers de Normandie (1881-96) N. Oursel, Nouvelle Biographic normande (3 vols., 1886-88).