Hundred Years War: History and Facts

Hundred Years War: History and Facts

England and France engaged in combat during the Hundred Years War, which raged from 1337 until 1453. There were protracted intervals of quiet between the many conflicts that made up the war.

Hundred Years War: History and Facts

How did it start?

The French and the English have been engaged in minor skirmishes and conflicts for many years. On the other hand, King Edward III of England asserted his legitimacy as the legitimate ruler of France in 1337. The protracted conflict between the two nations started with this.

The fighting continued for more than a century due to other disagreements. These included the French support for Scotland, the ownership of the lucrative wool trade, and disagreements over specific geographical tracts.

Edward III

King Edward III thought that, via his mother Isabella, he was the legitimate heir to the French throne. At the age of fifteen, Louis made his first claim to the throne when King Charles IV of France passed away without leaving a male heir. The French picked Philip to be their king in place of Edward.

King Edward III of France chose to retaliate when King Philip VI of France seized Aquitaine from the English in 1337. He made the decision to reclaim his claim to the French crown by invading the country.

Chevauchées

Edward made no attempt to subjugate and dominate French territory. Instead, he led incursions into the region known as the chevauchées. He would attack well into French territory, destroying crops, pillaging towns, and wreaking destruction.

The Black Prince

Edward the Black Prince, the brave son of King Edward III, commanded the army in the 1350s. The Black Prince rose to fame as an English hero and was renowned for his gallantry. Major English triumphs over the French were spearheaded by the Black Prince. The incumbent King of France, John II, was taken prisoner by the Black Prince at the battle of Poitiers.

Peace

In exchange for three million crowns and a small amount of more land, King Edward consented to free King John II. Richard II, the Black Prince’s son, ascended to the throne after King Edward passed away. Only ten years old was he. There was a time when France and England were largely at peace.

Battle of Agincourt

King Henry V reclaimed the French kingdom when he took the throne in England in 1413. He invaded France and destroyed a far bigger French force of about 25,000 men in a pivotal battle at Agincourt with just about 6,000 warriors. Henry was declared the heir apparent by King Charles VI after the French eventually capitulated.

Joan of Arc

A large portion of the population in southern France rejected English control. The English started invading southern France in 1428. They started the siege of Orleans. But Joan of Arc, a young peasant girl, assumed command of the French army. She declared that she had witnessed a divine vision. In 1429, she guided the French to victory at Orleans. Before being taken prisoner by the English and executed at the stake, she guided the French to a number of more successes.

End of the War

The bravery and selflessness of Joan of Arc inspired the French. They persisted in their defense. In 1453, they drove the English army from France, capturing Bordeaux and declaring the Hundred Years War to be over.

Facts about the Hundred Years War

• The English longbow played a large part in their victories. It could fire faster and farther than the French crossbow.
• The war had a lot to do with transforming France from a number of feudal lands to a national state.
• The war stopped for a long period during the Black Death of the Bubonic plague.
• Historians often split the war into three main periods: the Edwardian War (1337-1360), the Caroline War (1369–1389), and the Lancastrian War (1415–1453).
• It didn’t last exactly 100 years, but 116 years. That means a lot of people lived their entire lives while the war was going on.

Read also: The Crusades: History and Facts