THE IMPACT OF THE VENETIAN-GENOESE CONFLICT ON THE EVENTS OF THE EARLY STAGE OF THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the Venetian–Genoese conflict and the determination of its influence on the events of the early stage of the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453). The authors emphasize that the rivalry between two leading maritime and commercial republics – Venice and Genoa – shaped the broader political context within which the Anglo-French confrontation unfolded. It is shown that the commercial interests of Genoa and Venice in England and France conditioned their diplomatic and military policies, while shifts in the foreign-policy orientation of these states significantly affected the balance of power in medieval Europe as a whole. Special attention is given to the role of the Genoese in northern European trade, particularly their participation in ship chartering for English and Flemish merchants. The article also focuses on the significance of the Genoese fleet and Genoese crossbowmen in French military campaigns. It is demonstrated that the unsuccessful actions of the French command in employing Genoese naval forces in 1336–1340 contributed to the strengthening of English naval positions in the English Channel and the North Sea. Genoa’s withdrawal from the French sphere of influence during the 1350–1355 war with Venice deprived France of such important resources as ships and crossbowmen, substantially weakening its military potential. The results of the study indicate that the Venetian-Genoese conflict not only indirectly but also directly strengthened England’s maritime position and undermined France’s military capabilities in the first decades of the Hundred Years’ War. This makes the Venetian-Genoese conflict an important factor in understanding the broader European political processes of the fourteenth century.