ABSTRACT
The fact that Gaunt played a leading part in European warfare was determined by his princely birth, inclinations and abilities and by his first two marriages: the nature of his participation was determined by the successful development of the contract army and the strategy of the chevauchee in the campaigns in France under his father. It was inevitable that much of his military experience would be concerned with defending Edward Ill's territorial gains in France. Gaunt was first appointed to campaign abroad as king's lieutenant in 1369 and was often again to exercise supreme military command. By the time he invaded Spain in 1386, he had gained great experience in warfare, mainly in northern and south-west France and in south-east Scotland. Gaunt had previously fought in Spain only in 1367, but that experience is certain to have taught him some of the logistical problems of campaigning in the peninsula, and probably gave him his distinctive impressions of Spanish fighting methods.
