Battles involving England - Hundred Years War

Famous speeches by William Shakespeare about the Hundred Years War

The Hundred Years War lasted from 1337 to 1453. The Norman kings of England had, since William the Conqueror, always had lands in France as well as England. The Plantagenet kings started from Henry II, who inherited the English throne from his mother. However, his father was Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, and he married Eleanor of Aquitaine, so he was a French lord as well as an English king. Much of this French land was lost in various wars with the French.

In 1328, Charles IV of France died, leaving no obvious successor. Edward III of England was the closest male relative (via a female link), and by English law should inherit his throne. But the French did not want a foreigner to become their king, and said that by ancient Salic law the inheritance must pass through the male line only, so they backed Philip VI, of the House of Valois. This led to war. It was not simply a war between the English and the French, as the English were also fighting the Scots in the second war of Scottish Independence. The French were also divided among themselves, with some parts of France fighting on the English side, or changing allegiance from time to time.

Battle of Crecy 1346 (location) At first Edward III was unsucessful, but the Battle of Crecy was a victory for the English, perhaps because the English used long bows rather than crossbows (see right). Battle of Poitiers 1356 (location) In 1348, the Black Death swept across Europe. By 1356, England had recovered financial from this, and the Black Prince, son of Edward III, invaded France again, and defeated France at the Battle of Poitiers. In fact, the French king, John II, was captured and had to be ransomed. There was peace for a few years, but then war broke out again, and the French took back much territory. There were many problems in England. The Black Prince died, Edward III became too old to fight, and then also died. The next king, Richard II was first too young to reign. Then there was the Peasants' Revolt. He became unpopular, and was eventually replaced by Henry IV. Henry had to keep control of England, and his reign was too short to get involved in French wars. His son, however, was a different matter. Battle of Agincourt 1415 (location) In 1415, Henry V invaded France and defeated the army of Charles VI of France at the Battle of Agincourt, where again the English longbows were very effective against the French cavalry. Henry V married the daughter of Charles VI. However, he died in 1422, when his son became Henry VI at less than a year old.

Battle of Crecy, from a 15th-century illuminated manuscript of Jean Froissart's Chronicles

Siege of Orleans 1428-1429 (location)

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl, who said that she heard visions from God telling her to remove the English from France. In 1428, she persuaded the Dauphin, or future French king, Charles VII, to send her to attack the English. who were besieging Orleans. She inspired the French to drive off the English, and went on to other victories. She was captured by the English, and was burnt as a heretic. The French continued to succeed against the English, until eventually the English only held Calais. This was finally lost in the reign of Mary, in 1558.

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