The Hundred Years' War
The start of hostilities in 1337 sees the balance of power stacked distinctly in the favor of France. Its population is large, its lands fertile, and its cities prosperous. A population of over 10 million make it one of, if not the strongest population base in Western Europe, with Paris laying claim to title as perhaps the sole great city in Latin Christendom . In contrast, the population of England totals only a third or a fourth of its adversary, with lands less developed and people less prosperous. Additionally, England still faces challenges from Scotland to the north, and though slightly less perilous in nature, revolts of the Welsh and Irish to the west. The marked difference in resource base allows French kings to continually field larger armies for the entire duration of the conflict.
The defensive nature of the war for France also conveys considerable inherent advantages. Siege weapons have yet to catch up to the fortifications of the day, and larger walled cities and strongholds are often considered impregnable , requiring attacking armies to resort to the lengthy process of starving out a garrison before the city could be relieved. "The worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities. " Such a process, as in the case of Calais, could take months on end, with a high cost in men and resources which imposed a severe limitation on how much territory could be assaulted, broken, and held in any given amount of time. An army invading a territory as vast as the lands of France, whose landscape is dotted with fortified towns and castles, would be hard pressed to make any permanent inroads without the most tenacious and lengthy of operations.
Defending a consolidated position of home territories al...
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...t had enjoyed for so long not only vanish, but take root in the minds of their adversary, turning the balance of power so far from their favor as to make the continued struggle in the last years of the war entirely hopeless, carried on only due to the stubborn national pride of an island never willing to concede defeat.
Bibliography
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Burne, Lt-Col. Alfred H. The Agincourt War. Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1956.
Giles, Lionel (translator). The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Hodder and Stoughton, 1981.
Oman, Sir Charles. A History of The Art of War in the Middle Ages, Volume II. Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1924.
Perroy, Edouard. The Hundred Years War. Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1959.
Thompson, Peter E. (translator). Contemporary Chronicles of the Hundred Years' War. The Folio Society Ltd, 1966.
“What a hundred years is not enough to build, one day is more than enough to destroy”-author unknown (quotes.dictionary.com). This quotation explains how during the Hundred Years War there were battles where thousands of people died and whole towns were destroyed, and all of this was happening while a better country was trying to be built. The Hundred Years War was a very significant time in European history. The Hundred Years War brought the Middle Ages to a close and changed warfare considerably
The Hundred Years War The Hundred Years’ War was a war between England and France in which France defended its’ crown against British rule. This war had a great impact on the people of each country. The origin of the war goes back to the conquest of William for England. In 1066 William, the Duke of Normandy, led an army into England. He won this battle and became the king of England. This was possible under feudalism. Feudalism is a form of social classification in which the members of
The Hundred Years War was a battle between the French and English in hopes for possession over the French kingdom. The war started when the English King, Edward III, claimed the French throne. At first, England's new weapon, the longbow, and its stronger, more centralized government were enough to overcome the larger yet disorganized French population. But as France gained a national identity, the English began to suffer defeats. In May of 1337, the nations were looking for national identity and
The Hundred Years’ War started 1337, and lasted until 1453. It is said that the beginning of this war started when Edward III of England took over the French throne. However, there were many other causes of the war. There was a need for national identity during this time. Countries wanted to establish themselves, and do so assertively. The English and French had tension growing before the war had started. The Hundred Years’ War is a term to describe the tension and sporadic collection of wars encountered
is the base for which The Hundreds Years' War began, with the death of the French king Charles IV in 1328. Edward III, duke of Guyenne and the count of Ponithieu; provinces in France. After Charles IV's death Edward III claimed the throne of France, stating that because he had no sons and his mother was Charles IV's sister, he had succession rights. The "War" officially started when Edward III brought an army to the French province of Flanders and took the holding. War in the Middle Ages "involved
thing anyone usually learns about the Hundred Years’ War is that it did not last 100 years.” History states that the Hundred Years’ War between England and France lasted from 1337 to 1453, which actually consists of 116 years. During the 116 years, there were 10 major events. Some of the events, such as the Battle of Agincourt, made it easier for the English to invade the French throne. The French were able to secure the land and throne toward the end of the war which helped France keep their monarchy
Joan of Arc Jeanne d’Arc, known as Joan of Arc, was born in 1412 to a poor peasant family in France. France and England were in the midst of the Hundred Year War and the English were winning. France was destined to lose until a 17 year old peasant, Joan of Arc, led them to a near impossible victory. She was the person to tip the scales in favor of France and is seen as a highly heroic person. Joan was also a highly religious individual who heard voices at a young age from God and had impressive
The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) consisted of numerous small raids between local armies in which the French suffered many losses. Two of these losses included the battles at Crecy and Poitiers. However, over time, the French rebounded after the victory at the battle in Orleans in 1429, which was led by 17-year old French peasant, Joan of Arc. Before going into battle, Joan sent a letter to the English demanding that they leave France. Joan’s letter to the king of England in 1429 and her role in
despise each other. In 1337, a war broke out between England and France. This war was called the Hundred Years’ War. The reason the war was named the Hundred Years’ War is because this war lasted a little over one hundred years. When this war started Edward III was the king of England and he was also the duke of Guyenne, France and Philip VI was the king of France. The duration of this war spread over the reign of five kings in both England and France. The Hundred Years’ War resulted in many deaths and
THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR 1337-1453 The Hundred Years War was the last great medieval war. It was a war not just between Kings, but lesser nobles were also able to pursue their own personal agendas while participating in the larger conflict. Future wars saw far less factionalism, at least on the scale found in medieval conflicts. The Hundred Years War was actually dozens of little wars and hundreds of battles and sieges that went on for over a century until both sides were exhausted. While neither side
the beginning of religious turmoil. Beginning around the year 1000 and continuing through the next few centuries, there had been a period of increasingly relative stability in Europe with growth in agriculture and trade, as well as improvements in hygiene. These advancements led to a steady increase in population (Monte, 2013). However, by the beginning of the 14th century a series of crises including the weakening of the Catholic Church, war, and disease, would not only have a profound effect on
Throughout the years of 1100-1400 and beyond, England has shown itself to be the best representation of a national monarchy. During this time period it begins to do so with the Plantagenet rulers. The name “Plantagenet” originated from the broom plant that Geoffrey, count of Anjou, used as a personal emblem (Hamilton, 1). This plant was called Planta genesta (Hamilton, 1). Geoffrey’s son Henry II is considered to be the first Plantagenet king, however, he and his sons Richard I and John are more
confidence and determination that Joan of Arc had during the war. Edward III and Phillip IV ran into tension over the rights of land and the right to the French throne. What also led to this controversy was that Charles IV died without any children, so there wasn’t a successor. As a result, there was a growth in nationalism which drove out the enemy from French soil and it revolutionized warfare, gaining military power. The Hundred Years’ War was an important event to consider because there were many
Soon, the plague hit Europe and destroyed 25-50% of its population. With this, Europe went into a state devastation. Religion was changed, social customs were changed, the government was changed, and the economy suffered because of it. The Hundred Years War caused even more devastation with countries losing land, people dying, and economic struggle which lead to peasant revolts. Europe during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries experienced social, economic, political, and religious devastation
From 1337 until 1453, the English and French kingdoms were at war with each other. Approaching the start of the war, political tensions between the English and French were high. In 1337, The French attacked the English-controlled duchy of Gascony in France, which led to the English declaring war on France. The first major battle occurred in 1346 at Crecy, where the English decimated the French with their newly instituted longbows. Although the English did not possess the resources necessary to conquer