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- Lost Normandy, most of Anjou and parts of Aquitaine through errors of judgement:
- 1200 marriage to Isabelle of Angouleme controversial - engaged to Hugh Lusifnam who complained to Philip (started war?)
- Loss of angevin, poitevin and Norman barons' support (William de Roches example) through:
- involvement in killing of Arthur & letting French nobles die after success at the Battle of Mirebeau
- Mistrusted due to giving Philip important territory in France during Richard's absence
- Had a mistrustful, suspicious personality, unpredictable changes in mood (accused of bipolar) such as his abandonment of forces in France from 1203 - early 1204, returning to England and acting unproductively
- Hired mercenaries to rule over French lands
- Lacked commander skills of Richard I
- Philip:
- Broke treaty with John after marriage to Isabelle of Angloueme (Hugh of Lusifnam complained)
- Broke John's treaty with Holy Roman Emporer, Count of Boulogne & Flanders in Treaty of Goulet 1200
- Propaganda to win support of French barons
- Weakend John's inheritance through previous war with Henry II, Richard
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- England's revenues exhausted by war - Richard's reduction of revenues (2/3) and drainage of coffers is a reason
- Heavily taxed the country in attempt to regain Normandy (widows' tax, 1207 Great tax levy, forest fines, Jews £44,000 tallage) which failed in 1214 at the Battle of Bouvines
- Lacked diplomacy skills of Henry II - gave a small amount of men large amounts of power
- Cruel financial demands (380% increase in magnate debt) led to the barons rebellion in 1215 and 'The article of the barons' - 'Magna Carta'
- Decision to renounce Magna Carta & make Innocence III declare it illegal led to Prince Louis' capture of half the kingdom and John's death
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- Initial harmony
- Conflict over the appointment of Archbishop led to the 1208-13 interdict (reduced revenue)
- Offering as a papal vassal & appointment of William Langton results in papal support (e.g. Innocence III declares Magna Carta illegal)
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- Angevin empire was fragile from the start - held together by two outstanding monarchs with large amount of conflict
- 'Bad King John', 'Lackland', 'Softsword'
- 'maltreated and pillaged his subjects as though in an enemy country' (Louvrecaire)
- 'Indisputably the architect of his own misfortume' (Barratt)
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