Caleb Winger

HIST 234
Professor Baron
30 November 2023
Background
The Hundred Year Wars was an
intermittent conflict between the
Kingdoms of England and France, over
territorial and economic disputes, and
quarrels over the issues of succession to
the throne of France. The war lasted
more than a hundred years from 1337-
1453 and consisted of three phases, the
Edwardian, Caroline, and Lancastrian
Phase respectively.
Countries
England
● Controlled Gascony and Calais in
continental Europe
● Allied to a number of territorial rulers in
the Low Countries, to the
excommunicated emperor, Lewis the
Bavarian, to the dukes of Austria, and to
the towns of Flanders
● Could muster around 5,000 troops at a
time for battle
● Plagued with corruption and instability
after the disastrous reign of Edward II
● Face intermittent attacks from the Scots
on their northern border
● Determined to hold onto their territories
in France
France
● Controlled much of Western Europe and
had conquered much of the land that
once belonged to England.
● Allied to the two Luxembourgers, John
of Bohemia and his son Charles of
Moravia, the counts of Flanders and
Savoy, and the bishop of Liege
● Could muster around 5,000 soldiers at a
time for battle
● Had a succession crisis after the death of
Charles IV
● Wished to reconquer the land which the
English held
English Leaders: Edward III
➢ Born 1312 and ruled England from 1327 until his death
in 1377
➢ Eldest son to his father Edward II and his mother
Isabella of France
➢ Led England into the Hundred Years War in 1337
➢ In 1340, he destroyed the French Fleet at Sluys and
inflicted a major defeat at the Battle of Crécy
➢ His son defeats the French at Poitiers and captures the
French king John II which leads to the Treaty of Calais
and the first peace
➢ Eventually War resumes and the English fail to gain a
decisive victory leading to a truce which lasted until his
death
The Black Prince
➢ Born 1330 and died 1376
➢ Son and heir apparent of Edward III
➢ One of the most outstanding and effective commanders
during the Hundred Years War
➢ Served under his father in the first campaign in
Normandy and helped defeat the French at Crécy
➢ Won his major victory at the battle of Poitiers and
captured the French king John II
Richard II
➢ Born 1367 and died 1400
➢ Ruled England from 1377 until 1399
➢ He was the only surviving son of Edward, the Black Prince and
succeeded his grandfather Edward III
➢ Signed a truce with the French and eventually is betrothed to the
daughter of Charles VI
➢ He is ultimately deposed by his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke who
imprisons Richard in 1399
➢ He dies of unknown circumstances in 1400 in Pontefract
Henry IV
➢ Born 1366, was king of England from 1399 until his
death in 1413
➢ He was the eldest son of John of Gaunt
➢ He gained the crown of England by deposing his cousin
Richard II in 1399
➢ He faced many foreign and domestic enemies throughout
his reign
Henry V
➢ Born 1387 and ruled England from 1413 until his death in
1422
➢ Eldest son of Henry VI, and after his father was exiled his
uncle Richard II became in charge of him and treated him
well
➢ He resumed war with France in 1415 and soundly defeated
the French at the battle of Agincourt
➢ After this victory he forced the French to sign the Treaty of
Troyes, making him the heir to the throne of France
➢ At the height of his power his health quickly deteriorated
and he died while in France.
Henry VI
➢ Born 1421 and died 1471
➢ Ruled England from 1422 to 1461 and from 1470 until
his death in 1471
➢ Following the death of his father and his maternal
grandfather, he was proclaimed king of France and
England in accordance with the Treaty of Troyes.
➢ Continued to be at war with the French until their
ultimate defeat at the hands of the French in 1453
➢ His failure to rule eventually led to the War of the Roses
between the houses of Lancaster and York.
French Leaders: Philip VI
➢ Born 1293 and died in 1350
➢ Upon the death of Charles IV, Philip ruled France from 1328
until his death in 1350
➢ He was the first french king of the house of Valois
➢ He reigned during the outbreak of the Hundred Years War
and the subsequent defeats at Sluys and Crécy at the hands
of Edward III
➢ Eventually the spread of the Black Death overshadowed the
French defeats and caused cause in the kingdom
➢ When he died he left France in turmoil plagued by war and
the Black Death
John II
➢ Born 1319 and died in 1364
➢ He was king of France from 1350 until his death, succeeding
his father Philip VI
➢ After his costly defeat at the battle of Poitiers at the hands of
the Black Prince, he was taken prisoner
➢ As prisoner John was force to sign the treaties of Brétigny and
Calais which set his ransom at 3,000,000 gold and gave most
of southwestern France to the English
➢ He died in prison in London
Charles V
➢ Born 1338 and died in 1380
➢ He succeeded his father John II and ruled france from 1364
until his death
➢ Following the first peace in 1360 during the Hundred Years
War, the war reignited and he led France defeating the
English numerous time
➢ He helped regain the majority of the land lost during the
first phase of the war
Charles VI
➢ Born 1368 and died 1422
➢ He succeeded his father Charles V in 1380 and he ruled France
until his death
➢ He ascended to the throne as a child and his uncles became his
regents
➢ He betrothed his daughter, Isabella to the English king Richard
II securing peace between the nation for two decades
➢ In 1392 his attacks of madness begin leading him into
instability and mental illness
➢ Ultimately war resumes with the invasion by Henry V and the
French suffer a major defeat at Agincourt leading to the Treaty
of Troyes, making Henry heir to the Kingdom of France
Charles VII
➢ Born 1403 and died in 1461
➢ He was regent to his mentally ill father Charles VI from 1418
and became king 1422 and ruled until his death
➢ After the death of his father there was a succession crisis as
the Treaty of Troyes excluded him from becoming king but,
most of the nobility supported him and he was crowned king
➢ In 1428, after Joan of Arc lifted the siege at Orleans, Charles
was able to consolidate power and stabilize the country
➢ After the Battle of Castillon in 1453 the Hundred Years War
ended
Joan of Arc
➢ Born 1413 and died in 1431
➢ She was a peasant girl who believed she had visions from
god and was guided by god to lead to the French to defeat
the English
➢ She led a French Army against the English at Orléans and
helped lift the siege of the city
➢ Eventually she was captured by the English and was burned
at the stake as a heretic
Locations
➢ The Hundred Years War was primarily
fought in France but there were
numerous naval encounters and battles
fought outside of France
➢ The most significant battles occurred in
Normandy, Gascony, and Aquitaine
➢ Much of the French countryside during
the 14th and 15th centuries was arable
land meant for agriculture and farming
with little forest cover
Armies/Weapons
➢ Infantry became a more integral part of armies especially with the
development of the crossbow and more importantly the Longbow
➢ Most footmen carried pikes and spears along with swords for close
quarters combat
➢ The English typically were outnumbered by their French counterparts
and amassed armies of one to two thousand men meanwhile the
French amassed forces of thousands
➢ The English tactics varied considerably compared to the French. The
French relied on heavy shock which was conducted by their cavalry
meanwhile the English would dismount to absorb the shock
➢ Throughout the war the English relied on raids and small armies to https://youtu.be/UGg3dqrzaY4?si=Chl
wear down the French
wlr9oa9hMEOi_
➢ By the end of the war gunpowder weapons such as cannons became The Longbow
increasingly important and swayed the outcomes of battles
Timeline

Beginning of the Hundred Years

War: Second Peace:
English fleet defeats French fleet Richard II’s care free opinion
at Sluys-1340. An English army about the angered many english
recaptures Gascony-1345 . First Peace: nobles and eventually the
Edward invades Normandy-1346. John II is taken prisoner by the unpopular opinion of the war by
Edward and the Black Prince English and numerous people of the people led to the signing of a
capture Calais-1347 the French nobility are also held truce-1389. Richard II marries
hostage. the daughter of Charles VI-1396.

1350-1360 1370-1389 1416-1453

1337-1347 1361-1369 1390-1415

Resumption of War: French Revival and end of War:
Edwardian Phase: After Henry IV dies his son Henry V
War resumes after the Black Prince
The Black prince leads a resumes the war and defeats the French at
threatens the new French king., Charles
successful defence of Calais-1350. the Battle of Agincourt-1415. Treaty of
V-1370. The French recapture most of the
The Black Prince wins a great Troyes makes him heir to the French Throne
territory previously gained by the english-
victory at Poitiers and John II is but dies-1422 Joan of Arc lifts the English
1372-75. John of Gaunt launches an
captured-1356.The Treaty of siege at Orléans-1429. Henry VI crowned
invasion from Calais-1373. The Black
Brétigny recognises Edward III’s King of France and England France-1431.
Prince dies in 1376 and Edward III the
claims to French lands as he Ultimately England loses all of it continental
next year. Charles V dies in 1380 leaving a
renounces his claim to the French territory and the war ends with the Battle of
power vacuum in France.
throne. Castillon-1453.
Beginning of the War and Edwardian Phase 1337-1360

➢ The causes of the war are complex and numerous but the principle
causes are:
○ The conquest of English held Gascony by France
○ The claim of Edward III to be King of France through his mother
○ The expedition of the English into France was to protect their interest and
conquer more land
➢ Edward III’s aim at the beginning of the war was to launch an
invasion and conquer much of northern France and move onto Paris
➢ At the Battle of Sluys in 1340 the English defeated the French and
gained control of the English Channel by destroying the French fleet
➢ The First real campaign on land did not begin until 1346
 Battle of Crécy
1346

➢ The major naval victory at the battle of Sluys allowed the English to move soldiers and supplies into continental
Europe
➢ Crécy was the first major land battle of the Hundred years war and was a major English Victory
➢ Due to superior tactics and disorganization among the French the English prevailed and tens of thousands French
soldiers lay dead
➢ After Crécy Edward III moves to Calais and lays siege eventually capturing the city.
First Peace 1361-1369

Edward III Receives John II

➢ In 1360, 16 French and 22 English delegates gathered at Chartres to

discuss the terms of the Treaty Bretigny
➢ The treaty of Bretigny was slightly more harsh than the previous
Treaty of London
➢ Treaty of Bretigny:
○ Releases King John II on the payment of 3 million crowns
○ Edward renounces his claim to the French Throne
○ English renounce claims to Anjou and Normandy while retaining Gascony and
Guyenne
○ Temporarily halted the war
Caroline Phase 1370-1389
➢ Nine years after the Treaty of Bretigny, war resumed once more
between the countries
➢ In March 1369, the Black Prince was in debt after helping support his
Castilian ally, Peter, so he levied new taxes in Aquitaine to obtain
funds
➢ The Black Prince’s new taxes were met with resistance and many
French lords appealed to Charles V for help
➢ In November, the French conquered Aquitaine once more and were on
the offensive quickly conquering the lands they had lost earlier in the
war
➢ By the end of the 1370’s both kingdoms were in turmoil and faced
periods of instability
Second Peace 1389-1415
➢ 1389 the war with France had become unpopular in England
due to the increase in taxes throughout the war
➢ Both kings desired a peace resolution and talks began between
Signing of the Truce of Leulinghem
the two nations which eventually led to the signing of Truce of
Leulinghem in 1389
➢ Eventually Richard II marries Isabella of France the daughter
of Charles VI
➢ During the peace Richard II is overthrown by Henry IV, who
dies in 1413 and is succeeded by his son Henry V
➢ Charles VI eventually descended into madness which led to a
period of constant instability which ultimately allows Henry V
to invade France
Richard II and Isabella's Marriage
Lancastrian Phase 1415-1453
➢ In 1415 after nearly 25 years of delicate peace, Henry V
invaded northern France and quickly laid siege to Harfleur
➢ After soundly defeating the French at Agincourt, England
quickly conquered much of Northern France and forced
Charles VI to sign the Treaty of Troyes
➢ Treaty of Troyes:
○ Arranged the marriage of Catherine of Valois to Henry V
○ Henry was made regent of France and the heir apparent to Charles VI
○ Any future sons of Henry would become heirs to the throne
○ Disinherited Charles VII from the succession line
➢ After the Signing of the treaty, Henry pursues the Dauphin
and attacks the city of Meaux
➢ Eventually Henry becomes ill with dysentery and dies in
Battle of Agincourt 1415
➢ In August of 1415 Henry V sailed from England to France with a
force of about 10,500 men and first laid siege to Harfleur
➢ He met the French at Agincourt with a force off less than 9,000
and was outnumbered
➢ The French Force were led by Marshal of France, Boucicaut, and
the Constable of France, Charles D’Albret
➢ A number of factors contributed to the decisive English victory:
○ Henry V’s decisive and competent leadership
○ French disorganization
○ Better military tactics by the English
○ Terrain and the weather was better suited to the English.
➢ About 40% of French Nobility was killed at Agincourt and the
defeat of the French eventually led to the signing of the Treaty of
Troyes
Joan of Arc and French Revival 1429-1453
➢ The siege of Orléans began on the 12th of October, 1428
and lasted until the 8th of May, 1429 and was the turning
point of the Hundred Years War
➢ The arrival of Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans lifted the
spirits of the French eventually allowing them to lift the
siege of the city
➢ On the 21st of July 1429 Charles the VII was crowned at
Reims violating the Treaty of Troyes, paving the way for a
French resurgence
➢ In 1435 the English lost the support of the Burgundian, a
powerful ally, and in 1436 they lost Paris to the French
Battle of Castillon
➢ The battle of Castillon occurred on the 17th of July, 1453
and is considered the end of the Hundred Years war
➢ English commander John Talbot had 5,000 to 10,000
men under his command while the French had between
7,000 to 9,000 men
➢ Before the battle the French were camped atop a hill and
had erected defensives, and positioned their artillery
➢ Before the battle Talbot believed the French retreated so
he advanced and ran into the full force of the French
army
➢ The English forces were decimated and were forced to
retreat
End of the War and Aftermath
➢ With the conclusion of the battle of Castillon the
Hundred Years War was effectively over
➢ The long war has drained and damaged both nations
severely and would take many years for them to recover
➢ The end of war allowed both countries to pursue their
own national interests:
○ France’s monarchy was able to centralize power and incorporate
the regional territories into the kingdom
○ England’s monarchy grew in power after the war of the roses and
allowed for the growth of English naval power and commercial
interest
➢ The mismanagement of England under Henry VI
eventually led to the war of the Roses
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