It was one of the biggest conflicts of the Middle Ages, between two of the main European powers: France and England. Despite its name, it lasted more than a century – according to historians’ definition, it all started in 1337, to end only in 1453. «It wasn’t an uninterrupted confrontation, but a series of disputes that included several battles», says historian Yone de Carvalho, from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP).
To understand the origin of so much fight it is necessary to go back in time. In 1066, a Duke of Normandy (French territory) named William conquered England, becoming its king. Both William and his successors were, at the same time, owners of the English throne and also subjects of the King of France, since they had inherited lands in that country. Centuries later this would create a lot of trouble.
In 1328, French King Charles IV died without leaving an heir. The then king of England, Edward III, considered himself a legitimate claimant to the vacant throne, since, in addition to being a subject, he was Charles IV’s nephew. The problem was that other French nobles claimed the same throne and an assembly ended up choosing a count named Felipe – who gained the title of Felipe VI. The relationship of distrust between the monarchs of the two kingdoms and the dispute between them over French territories – Edward III had inherited the rights over the regions of Gascony, Guiana and Ponthieu – resulted in war. France had a population almost four times that of England and was also richer, but it was not as united and organized as a nation. England, on the other hand, had a stronger monarchy and fared better at the beginning of the war.
There was no great expansion, but at the end of the first phase of the conflict, in 1360, treaties assured the English of total sovereignty over the lands they owned in France. In the following decades, internal conflicts led the two countries to focus more on domestic problems and the war entered a phase of undeclared peace, broken from time to time. Around 1420, a new English king, Henry V, decided to take advantage of a crisis between the French monarch and some nobles to claim the throne of France again, starting another turbulent period. This final phase of the conflict, however, was favorable to the French. Commanded by a new king, Charles VII, and with more organized armies, they expelled the English from Normandy, Guiana and Gascony. The famous battle in the French town of Castillon in 1453 is now considered by historians to be the end of the long war, although no agreement was signed and occasional skirmishes continued to occur.
“The Hundred Years’ War was the last feudal war and also the first modern one. It was led by members of the feudal aristocracy at the beginning of the conflict and ended up as a dispute between states that already had national armies”, says Yone. Therefore, it was a major milestone in the European development (mainly in France) of the idea of nation, which unified countries previously divided into territories controlled by nobles.
strategic point
Although the war was fought on French territory, there were strategic cities in England as well. The ships that made the connection between the island and the mainland departed from Southampton, one of the main English ports in the Middle Ages.
powerful weapon
The crossbow, a medieval weapon to launch arrows, was one of the highlights of the military arsenal used in war. Under certain conditions, the bow proved to be superior, shooting more arrows per minute, with greater range and accuracy. But the crossbow had its advantages: it required less effort, was easier to carry and easier to fire by a man on horseback.
shakespearean battle
Against the backdrop of the most moving scenes in Shakespeare’s Henry V, the battle of Agincourt in 1415 was the last major English victory in the war. About 9 thousand soldiers of the English king Henry V managed to defeat 25 thousand French knights
Decisive Moments
The great sieges and battles took place in French territory
1. In the early 14th century, the King of England, Edward III, controlled the duchies of Gascony and Guyana and the county of Ponthieu, territories he inherited within the current borders of France. But, in 1337, the French King Felipe VI ordered the confiscation of the first two regions – it was the beginning of the war.
2. Another important cause of the beginning of the conflict was the dispute over the region of Flanders, which had become rich with the production of fabrics, importing wool from England. Despite being economically linked to the British, Flanders was a French domain. When hostilities began in Gascony, the English king landed an army in Flanders.
3. The first major battle was fought in the city of Crécy in 1346 and ended up being won by the English. The brother of King Felipe VI and about 1,500 French soldiers died there.
4. In medieval wars, big battles only happened once in a while. Sieges of cities and fortifications, which were in the sights of catapults, were more common. The port city of Calais faced one of the first major sieges of the war and held out for almost a year to the English, until the population surrendered in 1347, shaken by famine.
5. In 1356, in a battle at Poitiers, the English had another important victory. Hunted by an army commanded by the French king John II himself (successor to Felipe VI), they took cover in a swampy area. When charging, the French knights bogged down and were decimated by archers. King John II was taken prisoner and only released after accepting treaties that guaranteed England control of territories in France
6. The turning point in the war would come after the siege of Orleans, which lasted seven months between 1428 and 1429. The French, cornered, were ready to surrender when Joan of Arc, a peasant turned into a great warrior, convinced the French king sending troops to the region. The English did not resist and abandoned the siege. The episode served to put the name of Joan of Arc in history and unite the French even more.
7. In July 1453, English troops attempted to attack a French stronghold near Castillon. They were defeated upon being met by the newly introduced field artillery – cannons that could be carried. Clashes continued to occur, but this battle is considered the historic milestone that ended the Hundred Years’ War.
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