The story of the rise and fall of English influence in France starts with a murder. The French king Charles VI had suffered from mental illness, so the country was governed by his queen, Isabeau, as regent. Louis of Orleans, brother of Charles VI, used his influence with the queen to build his own powerbase, usually at the expense of the Burgundians under John the Fearless. One night in 1407, Louis was set upon by unknown assailants and killed. As Louis had a longstanding feud with Burgundy, the Burgundians were blamed by the Orleans (or Armagnac) faction and a bloody civil war erupted. King Henry IV of England played both sides against each other. Despite several peace treaties, the embers of this conflict remained smouldering.
When Henry V became king, Burgundy chose to remain neutral throughout
