Hundred Years’ War
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| Hundred Years’ War |
The name the Hundred Years’ War has been used by historians since the beginning of the nineteenth century to describe the long conflict that pitted the kings and kingdoms of France and England against each other from 1337 to 1453
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| Hundred Years’ War |
The French crown
an intermittent struggle between England and France in the 14th–15th century over a series of disputes, including the question of the legitimate succession to the French crown. The struggle involved several generations of English and French claimants to the crown and actually occupied a period of more than 100 years.
an intermittent struggle between England and France in the 14th–15th century over a series of disputes, including the question of the legitimate succession to the French crown. The struggle involved several generations of English and French claimants to the crown and actually occupied a period of more than 100 years.
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| Hundred Years’ War |
Medieval legalities
Medieval legalities were such that one king could be the vassal of another king if the first had inherited titles outside his own kingdom. Such was the case with the English kings since William I, who, as the duke of Normandy, had conquered England in 1066. Marriage alliances and wars had altered the nature of the English titles in France, but, at the death of the French king Charles IV in 1328, Edward III of England was also duke of Guyenne (part of Aquitaine in southwestern France) and count of Ponthieu (on the English Channel). Furthermore, because his mother was Charles IV’s sister and because Charles IV had no sons, Edward III considered himself a legitimate claimant to the French throne. The other major claimant was the Count of Valois, a grandson of Philip III of France through a younger branch of the family
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A French assembly
called to settle the question chose the Valois claimant as Philip VI. Edward III appeared to accept the decision, but when Philip VI, afraid of another king’s power in his realm, maneuvered to confiscate Guyenne in 1337, Edward III renewed his claim to the French throne and brought an army to Flanders
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English occupation
Medieval warfare occasionally involved pitched battles that could be decisive. More frequently, however, warfare consisted of long and costly sieges conducted against important fortified cities. Even though the English armies of Edward III kept both Philip VI (d. 1350) and his son John II (reigned 1350–64) on the defensive, progress in expanding the area of English occupation was slow. Edward failed to press the advantage following his major victory at Crécy in 1346 in order to besiege the town of Calais. Edward III’s son Edward the Black Prince even managed to capture John II at the crushing victory of Poitiers (1356). This forced the French to try to reach some agreement. The treaties of Calais (1360) gave Edward III full sovereignty over lands that he formerly held as a vassal of Philip VI. However, when John II died in captivity, awaiting fulfillment of all the provisions of the treaties, his son Charles, crowned as Charles V, refused to respect the treaties and reopened the conflict. This time the French put the English on the defensive until Charles V’s death in 1380 halted progress in the reduction of English territory
Medieval warfare occasionally involved pitched battles that could be decisive. More frequently, however, warfare consisted of long and costly sieges conducted against important fortified cities. Even though the English armies of Edward III kept both Philip VI (d. 1350) and his son John II (reigned 1350–64) on the defensive, progress in expanding the area of English occupation was slow. Edward failed to press the advantage following his major victory at Crécy in 1346 in order to besiege the town of Calais. Edward III’s son Edward the Black Prince even managed to capture John II at the crushing victory of Poitiers (1356). This forced the French to try to reach some agreement. The treaties of Calais (1360) gave Edward III full sovereignty over lands that he formerly held as a vassal of Philip VI. However, when John II died in captivity, awaiting fulfillment of all the provisions of the treaties, his son Charles, crowned as Charles V, refused to respect the treaties and reopened the conflict. This time the French put the English on the defensive until Charles V’s death in 1380 halted progress in the reduction of English territory
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| Hundred Years’ War |
The peasantry
in
both countries, for example, were central to the war effort and
suffered greatly as a consequence. Indeed, its members were targeted
directly: because of the connection between taxation (paid chiefly by
the peasantry) and military defence, the status of ‘non-combatants’
became very uncertain during the war. So, by attacking taxpayers, the
English also attacked French military resources
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| Hundred Years’ War |
insanity
After 1380 both countries were preoccupied with internal power struggles, and the war lapsed into uncertain peace. Possession of Flanders remained the outstanding issue. Edward III’s grandson Richard II was eventually deposed (1399) by another grandson, who became Henry IV. In France, Charles V’s brothers fought over who should administer affairs of state in the name of Charles VI, who suffered from bouts of insanity that rendered him incapable of ruling
After 1380 both countries were preoccupied with internal power struggles, and the war lapsed into uncertain peace. Possession of Flanders remained the outstanding issue. Edward III’s grandson Richard II was eventually deposed (1399) by another grandson, who became Henry IV. In France, Charles V’s brothers fought over who should administer affairs of state in the name of Charles VI, who suffered from bouts of insanity that rendered him incapable of ruling
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French and Valois Victory
The unification of Orléans and Burgundy under the Valois crown made an English victory all but impossible, but the war continued. The fighting was halted temporarily in 1444 with a truce and a marriage between Henry VI of England and a French princess. This, and the English government ceding Maine to achieve the truce caused an outcry in England
The unification of Orléans and Burgundy under the Valois crown made an English victory all but impossible, but the war continued. The fighting was halted temporarily in 1444 with a truce and a marriage between Henry VI of England and a French princess. This, and the English government ceding Maine to achieve the truce caused an outcry in England
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| Hundred Years’ War |
truce
War
soon began again when the English broke the truce. Charles VII had used
the peace to reform the French army, and this new model made great
advances against English lands on the continent and won the Battle of
Formigny in 1450. By the end of 1453, after all, English land bar Calais
had been retaken and feared English commander John Talbot had been
killed at the Battle of Castillon, the war was effectively over. Read on
about the aftermath of the Hundred Years War
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| Hundred Years’ War |
References
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