The Hundred Years' War

1
The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453)
2
Controversy Over Succession

• Charles IV, King of France, died in 1328, without
  a male heir
• The French nobility selected Philip of Valois
  (Philip VI), a cousin of Charles IV to be the
  next king.
• Edward III, king of England, was technically a
  closer relative

3
Controversy Over Succession

• The French nobles did not want to be ruled by an
  English king, so they bent the laws concerning
  heredity to suit their needs.
• In 1340, Edward claimed the title King of
  France.

4
English kings as French vassals

• Edwards claim to the French throne was partially
  a result of his feudal contract with the French
  monarch.
• The kings of England were actually vassals of the
  French kings, since they were still considered
  the Duke of Normandy (William the conqueror was
  the Duke of Normandy before he conquered England,
  and that title was passed down from 1 English
  king to the next)
• As a result of the feudal contract between a
  vassal and his lord, the English king (as Duke of
  Normandy) had to pledge his loyalty to the French
  king.
• Edward believed he could claim the French throne,
  thereby nullifying that feudal contract

5
The War itself

• The Hundred Years War is commonly divided into
  three phases, separated by periods of truce
• The Edwardian Era War (1337-1360)
• The Caroline War (1369-1389)
• The Lancastrian War (1415-1453)

6
The Edwardian Era War (1337 to 1360)

• Edward III and his army waged a largely
  successful war against the French, with several
  notable victories
• Edward, however, was never able to capture Paris,
  and while his army seemed superior to that of the
  French, he couldnt match the size of their army
• The war was causing a large debt to be incurred
  in England, and the Black Death took a heavy toll
  on the English population, as well

7
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.

8
British Advantages

• Better weapons and military strategy
• In almost every engagement, the English were
  outnumbered.
• Britains 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.

9
The Longbow as a Weapon

• One of the most important advances in weaponry
  was the use of the longbow.
• 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.

10
French Confusion

• The English captured the French king, John II in
  1356
• France was now ruled by the Estates General
• The Estates General was a representative council
  of townspeople nobles
• Purpose ? to secure funds for the war.
• In theory, the French king could not levy taxes
  on his own
• John II died in captivity Charles V became king
  of France
• Now there was a question Who had the real power
  in France the king or the Estates-General?

11
First peace 1360 to 1369

• A conference was held at Brétigny that resulted
  in the Treaty of Brétigny (8th May 1360).
• Many people in England were becoming unhappy with
  the long war, Englands population (and that of
  its army) was greatly reduced by the Black
  Death, Edward was running out of funds for the
  war.
• Edward renounced the ownership of much of the
  French land held by the English king abandoned
  his claim to the crown of France.

12
The Caroline War (1369 to 1389)

• Charles V, king of France re-started the 100
  years war in 1369.
• Charles ordered Edwards son (the Black Prince)
  to come to Paris. He had no authority to give
  this order, and the Black Prince refused to
  comply.
• Charles responded by declaring war. (The purpose
  of the illegal order was to give Charles an
  excuse to declare war, to try to re-take the rest
  of the French lands held by the English king.)
• Edward III resumed his claim to the French throne

13
The Caroline War (1369 to 1389)

• During this part of the war, the French employed
  Fabian tactics
• Avoid pitched battles frontal assaults
• wearing down an opponent through a war of
  attrition and indirection
• This strategy is often employed by a side who
  believes that time, but not numbers of military
  advantage, is on its side

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The Caroline War (1369 to 1389)

• The English responded to these tactics by
  employing a series of chevauchées
• French for promenade, it refers to horse
  charges.
• A raiding method focusing mainly on wreaking
  havoc, burning and pillaging enemy territory.
• Goal was to reduce the productivity of a region,
  forcing the opponent to fight.

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Trouble in England

• Peasant Revolt in 1381 was put down by King
  Richard II ruled 1377-1399.
• After charges of tyranny, Richard II was deposed
  in 1399.
• Parliament elected Henry IV ruled 1399-1413,
  the first ruler from the House of Lancaster.
• Henry didnt have enough money, though, he had
  promised Parliament that he would avoid more war
  taxes.
• Therefore, a truce was signed ending French and
  British hostilities.

16
The Lancastrian War (1415 to 1453)

• King Charles VI of France suffered from periodic
  bouts of mental illness throughout his life
• In 1414, while dealing with one such period,
  Charles power was exercised by royal princes
  whose rivalries caused divisions in France.
• Henry V was well aware of these divisions and
  hoped to exploit them.
• Henry demanded the hand of Charles VI's youngest
  daughter in marriage. The French rejected his
  demands, leading Henry to resume the war.

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The Lancastrian War (1415 to 1453)

• At Agincourt in 1415, the English, led by Henry
  himself, goaded a larger French army into
  attacking a fortified English position, scored a
  resounding English victory.
• 40 of the French nobility were killed/captured
  during this battle.
• Henry ordered the execution of all French
  soldiers he captured, since he didnt have the
  resources to hold them prisoners (there were more
  French prisoners than English soldiers).
• Henry gained control over Normandy, Paris, and
  much of northern France!

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Treaty of Troyes (1420)

• As a result of Henrys victory control of
  northern France, Charles VI was forced to agree
  to the terms of the Treaty of Troyes.
• Charles VIs son the future Charles VII, would
  be declared illegitimate and disinherited.
• Henry V would marry Catherine, the daughter of
  Charles VI.
• Henry was declared the legitimate heir to the
  French throne by Charles VI and the
  Estates-General!
• At this news, Charles VII fled northern France,
  gaining refuge in Avignon (in southern France)

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The Lancastrian War, continued

• After Charles VI died, the kings of England
  claimed the French throne (and were recognized by
  the Estates-General as rulers of France) from the
  northern French territories they occupied.
• In 1428 the military and political power seemed
  firmly in British hands, but the French would
  revers the situation.
• In 1429, with the aid of the mysterious Joan of
  Arc, Charles VII (who claimed the French throne,
  and ruled from southern France), was able to
  defeat the English in their attempt to capture
  the French city of Orleans.
• This began the reconquest of the north of France.

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Joan of Arc (1412-1432)

• The daughter of prosperous peasants from an area
  of
• Burgundy that had suffered
• under the English.
• 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!

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Joan of Arc (1412-1432)

• She brought inspiration and a sense of national
  identity and self-confidence.
• With her aid, Charles VII was able to gain
  several victories over the English.
• After Joan helped Charles VII earn a victory at
  Reims (the city that was traditionally used as
  the site for the coronation of French kings), he
  was recognized by the Estates-General as King of
  France ending the rule of the English.

22
Joan of Arc (1412-1432)

• 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 the French
  resistance to English rule.

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The End of the War

• Despite Joans capture, the French continued to
  have military success.
• By 1450 the French had re-captured almost all
  French land from the English.
• On July 17, 1453, the English were defeated at
  the Battle of Castillon. This was the last
  battle of the war.
• The English were in no position to carry on the
  war as they faced unrest at home, culminating in
  a civil war known as the Wars of the Roses.
• There was not a treaty, only a cessation of
  hostilities.

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Results of the 100 Years War

• The war led to changes in weapons, tactics, army
  structure and French English society/culture.
• The heavy horse armored knight were negated by
  the use of the firearms (longbow).
• War strategy shifted from the use of static,
  heavily armed forces, to lightly armed, mobile
  forces (calvary units).
• The war stimulated nationalism.
• the war led to greater influence of the
  legislative bodies (Parliament in England,
  Estates-General in France).
• Political activity (parties) grew out of
  opposition to, support of, the war.