Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453)

Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453) was a long, messy, and totally fascinating saga of medieval warfare, dynastic drama, and national identity formation between England and France. Despite the name, it wasn’t one continuous war—it was more like a series of conflicts spread over more than a century.

What Was It?
The Hundred Years’ War was a series of intermittent conflicts between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France, primarily over:
The French crown – Who had the right to be king of France?
Territorial claims – England’s monarchs still held land in France (especially Gascony) and wanted to protect—or expand—their holdings.
It ran from 1337 to 1453, lasting 116 years.

Core Causes
Dynastic Dispute:
Edward III of England (r. 1327–1377) had a claim to the French throne through his mother, Isabella, daughter of King Philip IV of France.
After French King Charles IV died without a male heir in 1328, Edward said: Hey, I’ve got a legit claim!
French nobles rejected that—preferring Philip VI of the Valois line. Edward was not amused.

Feudal Tensions:
English kings still held duchies in France, like Gascony, which made them vassals to the French king—an awkward and tense situation.
Any feudal tension could (and often did) lead to war.

Four major phases of the war
Edwardian Phase (1337–1360):
Major English victories:
Battle of Crécy (1346): Longbowmen wipe out French knights.
Siege of Calais (1347): England captures and holds it for 200 years.
Treaty of Brétigny (1360): England gains land and renounces claim to the French throne (temporarily).

Caroline Phase (1369–1389):
The French, under Charles V, start taking back territory. Bertrand du Guesclin, a brilliant French general, helps reclaim land. Ends with a truce—kind of a breather.

Lancastrian Phase (1415–1453):
Henry V of England goes full hero mode. Battle of Agincourt (1415): Another epic win for English longbowmen.
Treaty of Troyes (1420): Henry marries the French princess and is named heir to the French throne. Both Henry V and Charles VI of France die in 1422.

French Revival (1429–1453):
Enter: Joan of Arc, a Peasant girl turned French military icon. Boosts morale, lifts the Siege of Orléans (1429). Eventually captured and burned by the English (1431), but her impact lingers.
French kings Charles VII reforms the army and regains territory. Battle of Castillon (1453):

Outcomes
For France:
They drove out the English from all continental holdings except Calais.
The war sparked a stronger national identity.
The monarchy strengthened after years of instability.

For England:
Massive loss of land, money, and morale.
Planted the seeds for internal strife—notably the Wars of the Roses (a dynastic civil war in England).

Significance
End of Chivalric Warfare – Longbows, cannons, and professional armies were game changers.
Nationalism Begins – English and French people started thinking of themselves as part of distinct nations, not just subjects of a king.
Military Evolution – Decline of knights, rise of infantry and artillery.

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