The Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War began in May, 1337. It was a series of wars in Europe. France
and England had been old enemies. The war was started for many reasons. The first
reason is that King Phillip VI tried to seize the English territories in the duchy of Aquitaine.
England tried to take the French throne. The second reason is that because of their
historical feudal orders, France and England broke away from one another (Allmand 7). The
third reason was The Battle for Flanders. Flanders was the industrial center of northern
Europe. It had become very prosperous through its cloth manufacture. To satisfy its market,
it needed more wool. So they imported fine fleece from England. England depended upon
this trade for its foreign exchange. The upper-class English had adopted Norman fashions
and switched from beer to wine during the 1200s. Note that beer and wine were very
important elements in the medieval diet. Both contain vitamin and yeast complexes that the
medieval diet, especially during the winter, did not provide. Besides, the preservation of
food was a difficult matter in that era, and the alcohol in beer and wine represented a large
number of calories stored in an inexpensive and effective fashion. People did get drunk
during the middle ages, but most could not afford to do so. Beer and wine were valued as
food sources and were priced accordingly (Lynn Harry Nelson, The Hundred Years' War
1336-1565) England had a dilemma. They could not grow grapes to manufacture the wine
that many of the English now wanted. So, they had to import it. A triangular trade took
place. In this trade, English fleece was exchanged for Flemish cloth. The Flemish cloth was
traded with southern France and exchanged for wine. The wine was then shipped into
England and Ireland (Allmand 40) The French attempted to get back control of the region in
order to manage its riches. The English could not allow this because it would suggest that
the French ruler would have control over their most important source of foreign exchange. A
civil war happened in Flanders. The English supported the manufacturing middle class, and
the French supported the land-owning nobility. The second possible cause of the Hundred
Years' War was the struggle for control of France. The English king controlled a large
amount of France, mainly in the abundant South. When Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was the
heiress to the region, married Henry II of England in the mid-12th century, these lands came
under control of France. The French and English were constantly fighting. An English
invasion from

the South was always a fear to the French kings (Lynn Harry Nelson, The Hundred Years' War
1336-1565). The third cause of the Hundred Years' War was the "Auld Alliance." The French
responded to the English by allying with the Scots. They had an arrangement that continued into
the 18th century. As a result, the English confronted the French from the south, and the Scots
from the north. (www.ehistory.com@A Moment in Time Archives: The 100 Years War - Part I
Causes) The fourth cause of the Hundred Years' War was the Dynastic Conflict. In 1328, the last
son of King Philip IV died. This ended the direct male line of the Capetians, but Philip had a
daughter, Isabelle. She had married King Edward II of England. King Edward III was their son.
Therefore, through Philip's daughter, he was Philip's grandson and heir. The thought of Edward
becoming King of France angered the French. The French brought up the Salic Law, "which
stated that property (including the throne) could not descend through a female." Then, the French
gave the crown to Philip of Valois. He was a nephew of Philip IV. However, if Edward III
wished to claim the throne, he would be able to (Seward 10) The fifth cause of the Hundred
Years' War was an aggressive spirit in England. France had the largest population in Western
Europe. They were also the wealthiest. But, England had a sturdy central government, a
prosperous economy, and a well-liked king. Edward was willing to fight France. His subjects
were ready to support their king. (Brooks 9) The Hundred Years' War broke out in 1340. The
French had pulled together a large fleet to support an army. They used the army to defeat all
opposition in Flanders. The English attacked and were victorious. They English gained control of
the Channel and North Sea, and were protected from French invasion. They could attack France
whenever they wanted to. In 1345, Edward attacked northern France. The "Black Death" had
arrived. His army was weakened by illness. The French tried to push them into a battle as the
English carefully tried to make its way to equipped Channel port. The English were trapped on
the coast by a greater French army at Crecy. Edward's army was a joint force. It included archers,
pikemen, light infantry, and cavalry. The French held on to their traditional feudal cavalry. The
English used the longbow. It was a weapon with great piercing power. It could sometimes kill
unbreakable knights, and frequently the horses they rode on. For the French, the battle was a
catastrophe. The

English took place on the top of a hill. The French attempted to go up the hill to get at their
enemies. The climb made the French horses tired. This gave the English a chance to cause
chaos in the French lines. The small number of French who reached the top of the hill had
to deal with barricades. They were attacked by the English as they tried to depart
(www.ehistory.com@Hundred Years' War). However, France faced a similar situation ten
years later. They used the same strategies they had used at Crecy at the battle of Poiters.
The French king, numerous nobles were imprisoned, and countless others were killed. The
first period of the war came to an end with a treaty in 1360. But, France had never-ending
suffering. The English had used a band of soldiers. Once they were not paid anymore, they
survived off the country by thievery and stealing. The Battle of Crecy was in 1346. It was the
first major battle of the Hundred Years' War. At Crecy, Edward beat Philippe VI's army.
Edward laid a blockade to the port of Calais on September, 1346. In October, the city gave
up. Edward transported the French. They invaded the town with Englishmen so he could
readily raid France. Edward was running out of money, so he made a truce in September,
1347. Edward broke the truce in 1355. He unsuccessfully invaded French from Calais. But,
he was successful in 1356 when Scotland surrendered. The Battle of Poiters was in
September 19, 1359. The English won the battle. The Treaty of Calais was in October,
1360. It made Edward give up his claim to the French throne. France surrendered Aquitaine
to England. The Treaty of Bretigny was in 1360. The treaty's outcome was a brief period of
peace. The Battle of Agincourt was in 1415. The battle was England's third win in the
Hundred Years' War. (Medieval Sourcebook: Jean Froissart: On The Hundred Years War
1337-1453). The English had a problem in 1429. They laid siege to Orleans, but were
forced to get rid of it. Joan of Arc led a French relief force to save France. The Burgundians
took her prisoner and sold her to the English. She was killed for her heresy. Joan of Arc
greatly improved the French army. The English were gradually forced back as the war went
on. They had a smaller amount of French land to maintain their war effort. So, the war
became more costly for them. This caused conflicts in England. The Peasants' Revolt of
1381 began and so did the civil wars (Alland 56). On the other hand, the English took the
offensive again in the reign of Henry V. At Agincourt the French
went back to their old strategies of warfare once more. They were terribly defeated again.
The English gained back a lot of the land they had lost. Henry married the French princess
Katherine, and a new peace was formed. The war recommenced when Henry died in 1422.

The war finally came to an end in 1453. Henry made peace with France.
After the war, Louis XI got back his power. He lost it during the war to the French nobles.
Louis' enemy, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgandy died in 1477. As a result, Louis gained
most of Charles' lands.

One result on the war is that England stopped trying to take over and gain land. Another
result is there were major improvements in technology, the military, and science during this
time. And during the war, the military was dishonored. The most important result is that the
nobility and worldly leaders were fighting each other during the time when the people of
Westerm Europe really wanted leadership (Seward 123).