Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War (French: Guerre de Cent Ans; 1337–1453 [116 years]) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a claim to the French throne made by Edward III of England. The war grew into a broader military, economic, and political struggle involving factions from across Western Europe, fuelled by emerging nationalism on both sides. The periodisation of the war typically charts it as taking place over 116 years. However, it was an intermittent conflict which was frequently interrupted by external factors, such as the Black Death, and several years of truces. The Hundred Years' War was a significant conflict in the Middle Ages. During the war, five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of France, then the wealthiest and most populous kingdom in Western Europe. The war had a lasting effect on European history: both sides produced innovations in military technology and tactics, including professional standing armies and artillery, that permanently changed European warfare. Chivalry reached its height during the conflict and subsequently declined. Stronger national identities took root in both kingdoms, which became more centralized and gradually emerged as global powers. The term "Hundred Years' War" was adopted by later historians and included dynastically related conflicts in Spain and Belgium, resulting in the longest military conflict in European history. The war is commonly divided into three phases, separated by truces: the Edwardian War (1337–1360), the Caroline War (1369–1389), and the Lancastrian War (1415–1453). Each side drew many allies into the conflict, with English forces initially prevailing; however, the French forces under the House of Valois ultimately retained control over the Kingdom of France. The French and English monarchies thereafter remained separate, despite the monarchs of England and Great Britain styling themselves as sovereigns of France until 1802.

Infobox

Date

24 May 1337 – 19 October 1453 (intermittent) (116 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)

Location

France, the Low Countries, Great Britain, the Iberian Peninsula

Result

French victory

Territorial changes

England loses all continental possessions except for the Pale of Calais.

Tables

· Prominent figures › France

Arms	Historical Figure	Life	Role(s)
	King Philip VI	1293–1350 Reigned 1328–1350	Charles of Valois's son
	King John II	1319–1364 Reigned 1350–1364	Philip VI's son
	King Charles V	1338–1380 Reigned 1364–1380	John II's son
	Bertrand du Guesclin	1320–1380	Commander
	Louis I Duke of Anjou	1339–1384 Regent 1380–1382	John II's son
	King Charles VI	1368–1422 Reigned 1380–1422	Charles V's son
	King Charles VII	1403–1461 Reigned 1422–1461	Charles VI's son
	Joan of Arc	1412–1431	Religious visionary
	La Hire	1390–1443	Commander
	Jean Poton de Xaintrailles	1390–1461	Commander
	John II Duke of Alençon	1409–1476	Commander
	Jean de Dunois	1402–1468	Commander
	Jean Bureau	1390–1463	Master gunner
	Gilles de Rais	1405–1440	Commander

· Prominent figures › England

Arms	Historical Figure	Life	Role(s)
	Isabella of France	1295–1358 Regent of England 1327–1330	Queen consort of England, wife of Edward II, mother of Edward III, regent of England, sister of Charles IV and daughter of Philip IV of France
	King Edward III	1312–1377 Reigned 1327–1377	Philip IV's grandson
	Henry of Grosmont Duke of Lancaster	1310–1361	Commander
	Edward the Black Prince	1330–1376	Edward III's son and Prince of Wales
	John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster	1340–1399	Edward III's son
	King Richard II	1367–1400 Reigned 1377–1399	Son of the Black Prince, Edward III's grandson
	King Henry IV	1367–1413 Reigned 1399–1413	John of Gaunt's son, Edward III's grandson
	King Henry V	1387–1422 Reigned 1413–1422	Henry IV's son
	Catherine of Valois	1401–1437	Queen consort of England, daughter of Charles VI of France, mother of Henry VI of England and by her second marriage grandmother of Henry VII
	John of Lancaster Duke of Bedford	1389–1435 Regent 1422–1435	Henry IV's son
	Sir John Fastolf	1380–1459	Commander
	John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury	1387–1453	Commander
	King Henry VI	1421–1471 Reigned 1422–1461 (also 1422–1453 as King Henry II of France)	Henry V's son, grandson of Charles VI of France
	Richard Plantagenet Duke of York	1411–1460	Commander

· Prominent figures › Burgundy

Arms	Historical Figure	Life	Role(s)
	Philip the Bold Duke of Burgundy	1342–1404 Duke 1363–1404	Son of John II of France
	John the Fearless Duke of Burgundy	1371–1419 Duke 1404–1419	Son of Philip the Bold
	Philip the Good Duke of Burgundy	1396–1467 Duke 1419–1467	Son of John the Fearless

References

24 May 1337 is the day when Philip VI of France confiscated Aquitaine from Edward III of England, who responded by claim
Pitirim Sorokin, "Social and Cultural Dynamics," vol. 3, pp. 548–549, 560.
The History of Civilization in Europe; translated by William Hazlitt 1846
Planning for Protraction: A Historically Informed Approach to Great-power War and Sino-US Competition
https://doi.org/10.4324%2F9781003464419
La guerre de Cent Ans
Kirkus Reviews
Previté-Orton 1978, p. 872.
Previté-Orton 1978, pp. 873–876.
Julian Russell Story - The Black Prince at the Battle of Crecy (1888)
The Complete History of the Black Death
https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781787449312/type/book
Brissaud 1915, pp. 329–330.
Bartlett 2000, p. 22.
Bartlett 2000, p. 17.
Gormley 2007.
Harris 1994, p. 8; Prestwich 1988, p. 298.
Prestwich 1988, p. 298; Prestwich 2007, pp. 292–293.
Wilson 2011, p. 194.
Prestwich 2007, p. 394.
Prestwich 2007, p. 306.
Prestwich 2007, pp. 304–305.