The Three Phases Of The Hundred Year's War

The Hundred Year’s War was a long-time conflict between the kings and kingdoms of France and England over the succession of the French throne. When Charles IV died his closest male relative was his nephew, Edward III of England. Not only was Edward III just fifteen years old but also his claim to the throne was through a female. A French assembly came together and chose Phillip of Valois as King Phillip VI while Edward III made his claim to the throne. This sparked an engagement between the two which led to the beginning of the war. The conflict started in 1337 and lasted until 1453. The two countries fought a series of intense battles over the hundred years which is separated historically into three phases. The Edwardian Era War was from 1337

It began with the invasion of Normandy in 1415 by Henry V of England and continued until the Battle of Castillon in 1453. At this point the English had reached the height of success in the war but small French counterattacks were starting to help the French take back English controlled territories. The Siege of Orleans was an important battle in 1429 as it was a significant victory for the French. Led by Joan of Arc, the French created a distraction on the western front of Orleans and made an entrance through the eastern side unprotected. Once in Orleans the French attacked and caused the English to retreat. Joan of Arc was later captured during a battle in 1430, sold to the English, and in 1431 burned at the stake. The Battle of Castillon was the last major battle in the Hundred Years which resulted in a French victory and sealed the French victory for the Hundred Year’s War. Although this is considered the last battle, the English and French formally remained at war for another twenty years after this. The English had much unrest and turmoil on their home land so much that they were in no position to carry on in the war. The English had lost all land territories gained in France except Calais, which they eventually lost years

France was allied with Scotland against England and had an estimated 17 million people while England had only about 4 million. Despite being the smaller side, England’s well-disciplined expeditionary army used their longbows to stop the French cavalry and gained many important victories over the French by sea and by land. For most of the war it seemed that the English would be the ultimate conqueror, but in the Lancastrian War the French fought back enough to turn the war into a French victory. The fighting took place on French soil and the seas. The war caused rapid military evolution for both sides. Since the period was so long, many fighting tactics as well as weaponry and machinery were altered and advanced. Although there is not an exact number for casualties during the Hundred Year’s War it is suggested that both lost millions and suffered a great decrease in population. The Bubonic plague also captured many lives during this time period as well. After the war, France went through a period of rebuilding and regrowth both socially and economically. England was more prolonged in rebuilding due to an engagement in the War of Roses shortly after the end of the Hundred Years War. The war lasted through five kings for both the French and the English, starting between Edward III of England and Phillip VI of France in which neither saw the final