Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War is the name modern historians give to what was actually a series of related conflicts fought over a 116-year period between the Kingdom of England and France, beginning in 1337 and ending in 1453. Historians group these conflicts under the same label for convenience. The war was primarily fought in France, and though in retrospect it has the feeling of a French civil war as much as an international conflict, the historian Philippe de Vries suggested that it had "taken place at a more or less provincial level." Fernand Braudel, quoting him, adds that "England acted as a province (or a group of provinces) within the Anglo-French unit" that was both battlefield and prize (Braudel 1984 p. 353).

Beginning of the war: 1337–1360

Main article: Hundred Years' War (1337-1360)

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The war can be divided loosely into four phases: a phase of English success under Edward III from 1337 to 1360; a phase from 1360 to 1400, where the French were successful in nearly driving out the English; a phase from 1400 to 1429, marked by great English victories under Henry V; and a final phase from 1429 to 1453, in which France was united under the Valois kings. When the war began, France had a population of 14 million, and the most powerful military in Europe; England had a population of only two million.

Related Topics:
1337 - 1360 - 1400 - 1429 - Henry V - 1453

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In the early years of the war, Edward III allied with the nobles of the Low Countries and the burghers of Flanders, but after two campaigns where nothing was achieved, the alliance fell apart in 1340. The payments of subsidies to the German princes and the costs of maintaining an army abroad dragged the English government into a bankruptcy with huge damages to Edward III?s prestige. At sea, France enjoyed supremacy for some time, and several towns on the English coast were sacked. But in 1340, in an attempt to hinder the English army from landing, the French fleet was almost completely destroyed in the Battle of Sluys. After this, England was able to dominate the English Channel for the rest of the war, preventing French invasions.

Related Topics:
Flanders - 1340 - Battle of Sluys - English Channel

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In 1341 conflict over the succession to the Duchy of Brittany began the Breton War of Succession, in which Edward backed John of Montfort and Philip backed Charles of Blois, who was initially successful. Action for the next few years focused around a back and forth struggle in Brittany, with the city of Vannes changing hands several times, and further campaigns in Gascony with mixed success for both sides.

Related Topics:
1341 - Brittany - Breton War of Succession - John of Montfort - Charles of Blois - Vannes - Gascony

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In July 1346, Edward mounted a major invasion across the Channel, landing in the Cotentin peninsula of Normandy, and marching through Normandy. Philip gathered a large army to oppose him, and Edward chose to march northward toward the Low Countries, pillaging as he went, rather than attempt to take and hold territory. Finding himself unable to outmanoeuvre Philip, Edward positioned his forces for battle, and Philip's army attacked him at the famous Battle of Crecy. The much larger French army made a series of piecemeal attacks against the expert English and Welsh longbowmen, and all of the attacks were dispersed with heavy losses until the French were forced to retreat. Crecy was a crushing defeat for the French.

Related Topics:
1346 - Cotentin - Normandy - Battle of Crecy - Longbowmen

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Edward proceeded north unopposed and besieged the coastal city of Calais on the English Channel, capturing it in 1347. An English victory against Scotland in the Battle of Neville's Cross led to the capture of David II and greatly reduced the threat from Scotland.

Related Topics:
Calais - English Channel - 1347 - Battle of Neville's Cross

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In 1348, the Black Death began to sweep across Europe and in both England and France it would have huge consequences. This prevented England from financing and launching any major offenses. In France, Philip VI died in 1350 and was replaced by his son John II ("John the Good").

Related Topics:
1348 - Black Death - John II

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Sporadic conflicts in Brittany continued, including notable incidents of chivalry such as the Battle of the Thirty in 1351, during which 30 French knights from Chateau Josselin called out and defeated 30 English knights. In keeping with tradition, the French ransomed many of the defeated English, including knights such as Knollys (Canolles) and Cavely, who would later continue to fight against France more successfully.

Related Topics:
Chivalry - Battle of the Thirty - 1351 - Chateau Josselin - Ransom - Canolles - Cavely

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After the Black Death had passed and England was able to recover financially, Edward's son, Edward the Black Prince, invaded France from Gascony in 1356, winning a great victory in the Battle of Poitiers, where the English archers repeated the same tactics used at Crecy, and the Gascon noble Captal de Buch led a flanking movement that succeeded in capturing the new Valois king, John II of France, and many of his nobles. John signed a truce with Edward, and in his absence much of the government began to collapse. John's ransom was set to two million, but John believed he was worth more than that and insisted that his ransom be raised to four million écus.

Related Topics:
Edward the Black Prince - 1356 - Battle of Poitiers - Captal de Buch - John II of France - écu

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Later that year (1356) the Second Treaty of London was signed in which the four million ecus ransom was guaranteed by having royal members of the Valois family come to London and surrender themselves as hostages while John returned to France to raise his ransom. As part of the treaty England gained possession Aquitaine, a large coastal area of southwestern France including the large towns of Poitiers and Bordeaux. As royal hostages they were given free reign to move about and once John had left for France, the hostages quickly escaped back to France. John, who was "Good" and chivalrous, was horrified that his word and honor had been broken and returned to England and turned himself in. John eventually died a prisoner in England in 1364 and was given a great chivalrous ceremony and honored as a great man by the English.

Related Topics:
Second Treaty of London - Aquitaine - Poitiers - Bordeaux

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In 1358, a peasant revolt in France called the Jacquerie took place. It was caused in part by the deprivations suffered by the country people during the war and their hatred of the local nobility. Led by Guillaume Kale (Carle or Cale), they joined forces with other villages, and beginning in the area of Beauvais, north of Paris, committed atrocities against the nobles and destroyed many chateaux in the area. All the rebellious groups were defeated later that summer and reprisals followed.

Related Topics:
1358 - Jacquerie - Guillaume Kale - Beauvais - Paris

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Edward invaded France, hoping to capitalize on the discontent and seize the throne, but although no French army stood against him in the field, he was unable to take Paris or Rheims from the dauphin Charles V, and he negotiated the Treaty of Brétigny, renouncing the French crown but greatly expanding his territory in Aquitaine and confirming his conquest of Calais.

Related Topics:
Paris - Rheims - Charles V - Treaty of Brétigny

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