The Hundred Years’ War
2026.04.17
- The war lasted from 1339 to 1453—114 years—with no real peace for 5–6 generations.
- It dragged on so long because neither side was able to achieve a decisive victory or concentrate enough power.
- King Henry II paid feudal homage to the French king Saint Louis; his fief became Gascony.
- However, this territory was not legally separated from France.
- The English king wanted to possess it not as a feudal holding, but as sovereign territory—he aimed for independence.
- A French court could confiscate a vassal's land, so King Henry was summoned before a court (1336).
- In 1328, after the extinction of the Capetian dynasty, the Valois family (Philip VI) ascended the French throne, but through the female line, King Edward III of England also laid claim to it.
- He refused to return Gascony and aimed to seize all of France—this led to the outbreak of war.
- The French feudal, knightly army (based on medieval chivalric ideals) fought against the English army, which relied on modern infantry and had technological superiority.
- The French king failed to recognize the outdated nature of his army and could not adapt to the new situation.
- Much of the English army consisted of yeomen (wealthy free peasants), paid infantry who shared in plunder and collected ransom for prisoners.
- In England, the war was a national enterprise, but heavy taxation caused discontent.
- A crisis developed in France due to defeats; the Estates-General convened, heavy taxation followed, and a governmental crisis arose—King John II of France had to be ransomed from captivity.
- In 1358, the Jacquerie peasant revolt broke out; the French nobility united and supported the king.
- French princes weakened central authority, trying to rule instead of the king.
- Around 1380, a serious crisis emerged, though the English were also weakening by then.
- In 1381, the Peasants' Revolt led by Wat Tyler broke out in England; under Henry IV and Henry V, noble uprisings also occurred.
- A major English campaign in 1415 led to victory (Agincourt); they occupied all of Normandy and Paris, and Burgundy became their ally.
- In 1429, the French peasant girl Joan of Arc achieved successes, embodying the will of the people.
- In 1429, the strategically important city of Orléans was liberated; this lifted the French from a psychological low point, strengthened national consciousness, and marked a turning point in the war.
- Joan of Arc was burned as a heretic by the English.
- Burgundy later abandoned England, causing them serious material losses.
- King Charles VII of France entered Paris, established a standing army, imposed taxes, and liberated Normandy.
- France was freed (except for Calais, which remained in English hands), and centralization began; meanwhile, the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487) broke out in England.
