Causes of the 100 Years' War 1337 - 1453

A FAMILY SQUABBLE? IN 1328 CHARLES IV…THE FRENCH KING…DIED WITH NO HEIR IN ENGLAND EDWARD III, HIS GRANDSON, WAS KING MIND YOU HE WAS ONLY 13 HIS MOM ISABELLA…SHE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE DEAD FRENCH KING CHARLES, SHE WANTED HER SON TO BE KING OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE THE FRENCH NOBILITY DID NOT WANT AN ENGLISHMAN…OR BOY…ON THEIR THRONE AND SO THEY CHOSE THE DEAD KINGS COUSIN PHILIP OF VALOIS, SO THEY CROWNED HIM KING. EDWARD DECLARES WAR BOTH WANTED GLORY AND PRESTIGE…BOTH WANTED THEIR OWN WAY…BOTH USED THEIR NATIONS TO SATISFY THEIR OWN DESIRES

CAUSES CONTINUED NOBLES ON BOTH SIDES WERE PROMISED LOOT, PLUNDER, AND LAND THE LONGBOW, AT THE BATTLES OF CRECY, POITIERS, AND AGINCOURT, SLAUGHTERED THE FRENCH NOBILITY. DURING THE 116 YEARS of the 100 YEARS WAR THERE WERE 68 YEARS OF RELATIVE PEACE AND 44 YEARS OF FIGHTING THE EFFECTS WERE HUGE! PATRIOTISM WAS BORN…PEOPLE STARTED SEEING THEMSELVES AS ENGLISHMEN OR FRENCHMEN THE GOVERNMENTS TOOK ADVANTAGE AND RAISED TAXES… PROPAGANDA IS BORN IN CHURCH PULPITS

WAR MEANS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MONEY NOBILITY INFLUENCE DECLINES, BECAUSE SO MANY HAVE BEEN KILLED, AND THIS DECLINE WILL LEAD TO THE KINGS TAKING MORE POWER THE KINGS ARE NOW IN TOTAL CHARGE…THEY DO NOT NEED TO ASK THE NOBLES FOR MONEY ANY MORE THEY TAKE CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY BY PUTTING PEOPLE LOYAL TO THEM IN POSITIONS OF POWER…SHERIFFS, BAILIFFS, JUDGES, TAX COLLECTORS… THIS CENTRALIZING OF GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE THE KINGS ULTIMATE POWER IT IS ALSO THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF FEUDALIS

1. Controversy Over Succession The French nobility selected Philip of Valois, a cousin of the last king through the male line… He founded a new French dynasty that ruled through the 16century…Valois He was chosen in preference to King Edward III of England, whose mother was the daughter of the late king, Charles IV. In 1340, Edward claimed the title “King of France.”

FRENCH LAND BELONGS TO BRITISH KINGS A longer standing issue was the status of lands within France that belonged to English kings…remember William the conqueror and Eleanor of Aquitaine? Edward was actually a vassal of Philip’s, holding sizable French territories as fiefs from the king of France [it went back to the Norman conquest and Henry II’s conquest of Eleanor].

Conflict Over Flanders The ‘dagger’ pointing at the ‘heart’ of England! Wool industry…lots of money in those sheep Flanders wants its independence from French control…what do we call Flanders today?

4. A Struggle for National Identity France was NOT a united country before the war began. The French king only controlled about half of the country.

The War Itself

Military Characteristics The War was a series of short raids and expeditions. A few major battles, marked off by truces or ineffective treaties. The relative strengths of each country dictated the sporadic nature of the struggle. The English had the Longbow And the French had garlic

French Advantages Population of about 16,000,000. Far richer and more populous than England. At one point, the French fielded an army of over 50,000  at most, Britain mustered only 32,000… Ah yes, but is it the size of the dog in the fight or is it the size of the fight in the dog?

British Advantages Weapons, Technologies In almost every engagement, the British were outnumbered. Britain’s most successful strategies: Avoid pitched battles. Engage in quick, profitable raids Steal what you can. Destroy everything else. Capture enemy knights to hold for ransom. Sounds fair to me!

France vs. England The French and English had different fighting styles. The French tended to use the crossbow. The English used the longbow. At the battle of Crecy, the English had a sound victory over the French using their bowmen. After the battle King Henry V of England executed the French prisoners. At Agincourt, the English won another victory when the French cavalry became bogged down in the mud of the battlefield.

The Longbow as a Weapon The English set up a defensive position and then lured the French into attacking…so they could unleash the longbow…at distance. Its arrows had more penetrating power than a bolt from a crossbow. Could pierce an inch of wood or the armor of a knight at 200 yards! A longbow could be fired more rapidly. 6 arrows per minute.

The British Longbow: The Battle of Poitiers, 1356

The Effective Use of the Cannon at Poitiers, 1356

King Henry V (r. 1412-1422) Renewed his family’s claim to the French throne. At Agincourt in 1415, the English, led by Henry himself, goaded a larger French army into attacking a fortified English position. With the aid of the dukes of Burgundy, Henry gained control over Normandy, Paris, and much of northern France!

The French “Reconquest” Even though in 1428 the military and political power seemed firmly in British hands, the French reversed the situation. In 1429, with the aid of the mysterious Joan of Arc, the French king, Charles VII, was able to raise the English siege of Orleans. This began the reconquest of the north of France.

Joan of Arc (1412-1432) The daughter of prosperous peasants from an area of Burgundy that had suffered under the English…she was a milk maid and she heard voices! Like many medieval mystics, she reported regular visions of divine revelation. Her “voices” told her to go to the king and assist him in driving out the English. She dressed like a man and was Charles’ most charismatic and feared military leader! She’s lucky she was French… In France they gave her an army…for hearing voices and dressing like a man… Here in the US we would have put her on medication and sent her to a hospital!!!

Gunpowder The French were eventually able to gain the advantage in the war because of Gunpowder. The French developed cannons and were able to start defeating the English.

Joan Announces the Capture of Orleans to the King

Joan of Arc (1412-1432) She brought inspiration and a sense of national identity and self-confidence. With her aid, the king was crowned at Reims [ending the “disinheritance”]. She was captured during an attack on Paris and fell into English hands. Because of her “unnatural dress” and claim to divine guidance, she was condemned and burned as a heretic in 1432. She instantly became a symbol of French resistance.

Joan as a “Feminist” Symbol Today? No, I don’t know who Martha is!

The End of the War Despite Joan’s capture, the French advance continued. The French were inspired by Joan’s faith and found new confidence in themselves. In 1453 the French armies captured the last English-held fortress. The war was won. There was no treaty, only a cessation of hostilities.

Impact of the Hundred Years’ War English lost land Nationalism occurs in France – people feel pride and respect for their country England suffers internal power struggle between two families French monarchy – powerful and prestigious

France The Hundred Years war benefitted France by providing it with a sense of national identity. Later King Louis XI (the spider) strengthened the power of the French Monarchy by instituting the taille, or tax, on the French. Through deals and alliances, Louis managed to gain control over the nobles of France.

France Becomes Unified! France in 1453 France in 1337

England The Hundred Years War devastated England. The country lost territory and the nobles lost confidence in the monarchy This led to a conflict called the War of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster. Eventually the house of Lancaster won and Henry Tudor (Henry VII) became the first Tudor King.

Henry abolished all private armies so that the nobles would not be able to rebel against him. Henry set up an effective system of government administration.

Spain Ferdinand and Isabella Their marriage unified Spain In Spain King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella eliminated the power of the Nobles. They took control of the national church. Reconquista: Ferdinand and Isabella forced all non-Catholics (mostly Muslims) to leave Spain or convert to Christianity. Religious uniformity: Spanish=Catholic

Central and Eastern Europe The Holy Roman Empire was different from France, England, and Spain in that it never consolidated power under a strong king. In 1438 The Hapsburg dynasty gained power over the office of Holy Roman Emperor. In Eastern Europe different religious groups came into conflict Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Muslims began to fight each other.