1. CONFLICTS OF THE MIDDLE AGES
THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR
AND THE WAR OF THE ROSES

2. THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR
Political instability was a problem of the late Middle Ages
The Hundred Years’ War was the most violent conflict during this period
It would last from 1337 until 1453
In 1328 the French king died without a son
His nephew was King Edward III of England (his mother had been the king’s sister)
Under French law, a woman could not inherit the throne nor a man inherit through a woman
He also had a cousin who had served as his regent

3. The French decided that the regent was the rightful heir and he was crowned as Philip VI
Edward felt that he was the rightful heir
King Philip tried to gain back the duchy of Gascony, one of the last possessions that England still had in France
Due to all of this, Edward declared war on France and invaded with an army in 1337, starting the war
The war started out with a lot of knights who viewed battle as a chance to show of their skills
However, the Hundred Years’ War was a turning point in the nature of warfare
Peasant foot soldiers, not knights, won the major battles in this war

5. The French relied heavily on armed noble knights
Peasants were socially inferior
The English also used knights, but they relied more on large numbers of peasants, who were paid to be foot soldiers
English foot soldiers were armed not only with pikes, but also the deadly longbow
It had great striking power, long range, and a rapid rate of fire
The first major battle was at Crecy in 1346
The French followed no battle plan, just simply attacked
The English archers devastated the French knights

6. At the Battle of Agincourt (1415) 1500 French nobles died on the battlefield
The English won victory after victory and now controlled northern France
The English, under King Henry V, advanced all the way to the gates of Paris
The dauphin (heir to the French throne), Charles, didn’t own enough of France to be crowned as king
A French peasant girl named Joan of Arc came to the aid of France and her ruler Charles in 1429
She was born in 1412 to prosperous parents and was deeply religious
She believed that her favorite saints had commanded her to free France by leading the French into battle

7. She made her way to court and Charles allowed her to accompany the army to Orleans
Joan’s army defeated a huge English army
She led the French in several more victories
Joan brought the war to a decisive turning point by inspiring people with her faith
Joan was captured in 1430 and turned over to the English
The English tried her for witchcraft and condemned her as a heretic
Joan was then burned at the stake
After her death, King Charles VII rallied his army and fought on

9. They defeated the English at Normandy and Aquitaine, finally winning the war in 1453
French success was helped by the use of gunpowder and the cannon

11. THE WAR OF THE ROSES
Civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster over the crown of England
The house of York had a white rose as their emblem
The house of Lancaster had a red rose
The crown will pass back and forth between the two families for several decades
The Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 ended the civil war and saw the crowning of a new king
Henry VII united the two houses by marrying a princess of the house of York and ending the war
Elizabeth was the daughter of the late Edward IV
Henry had her declared legitimate
Their son, Henry VIII, was heir to both houses

13. The Black Death
A devastating plague that ravaged Europe from 1347 to 1351
Not only Europe, but also China, Central Asia, and North Africa
Most devastating natural disaster in European history, with one-third of the population dying
The most common form of the Black Death was the bubonic plague
This was usually spread by fleas that lived on rats
Another form was called the pneumonic plague and it was spread through the air by personal contact

15. Most historians think it started in 1346 when Mongol armies laying siege to a Black Sea port became sick with the plague
From there infected rats and fleas got onto ships
It usually followed trade routes
The Black Death was almost always fatal
First sign of infection was the development of large dark splotches on the skin
Other symptoms usually appeared, such as high fever, vomiting, and severe headaches
Most people died within a few days
Many people believed the plague was a punishment sent by God

16. The plague led to an outbreak of anti-Semitism (hostility towards Jews) and persecution was the worst in Germany
The death of so many people had numerous consequences: population declined and lowered the demand for food, which resulted in falling prices
Landlords were paying more for labor as their incomes decreased
This all started to bring the downfall of the manorial system

18. Houses in the cities were crowded together and tall enough that they blocked the sunlight
Streets were narrow and winding, and usually filled with animal and human waste
These cities were dirty and smelled bad
Fire was a great danger because houses were wooden
Disease and crime were also problems