Why did Scotland form an alliance with France in 1295?

In 1295, Scotland formed a mutual defense alliance with France—later known as the Auld Alliance—primarily as a reaction to the aggressive policies of Edward I of England.123

After Edward I acted as an arbitrator to select John de Balliol as king of Scotland in 1292, he began asserting his position as Scotland's feudal superior. Edward’s demands became increasingly intrusive, including his insistence on exercising jurisdiction in Scottish legal cases and his 1294 demand that the Scottish king provide military aid for Edward’s planned war in Gascony.143

These actions provoked the Scottish nobles to force King John to repudiate Edward’s claims of overlordship. By entering into an alliance with France, the Scots sought to resist English dominance and protect themselves against their common enemy, establishing a pact where an attack on one nation would require the other to join the battle.1243