Hundred Years' War was a conflict between England and France that officially began in 1337 when Edward III of England laid claim to the French throne. The intermittent fighting (which actually lasted 116 years) culminated in the expulsion of the English from the European continent (excluding the region of Pale).
Fast Facts:
- The actual length of the war: 116 years
- The longbow was a major advantage for the English
- Joan of Arc played a major role in reviving French morale near the end of the war
- Frequent bouts with dysentery led many English bowman to fight naked from the waist down
- Result: House of Valois gains control of all France
- The war is normally divided into three phases: Edwardian War, Caroline War and Lancastrian War
- Edward III claimed rights to the French throne, which was rebuked and lead to the war
- Gunpowder introduced in the war along with cannons
Weapons in the War
A number of advancements in weaponry were established during the 116 years of war in western Europe. The English gained a strategic advantage in battle because of the use of the longbow, which was already in wide use before the war started. The French use of the crossbow was advantageous due to the lack of skill needed to operate the weapon. The most advance development came in 1375 when forces used gunpowder and cannons at the Battle of Castillon.
Hundred Years' War Timeline
1337: Philip VI of France begins causing trouble in Aquitaine
1338: Edward III of England claims French Crown
1340: England nearly destroys French Fleet at the Battle of Sluys
1341: Breton War of Succession
1346: Battle of Crécy
1350: Les Espagnols sur Mer
1356: The Battle of Poitiers
1358: The Jacquerie peasant rebellion
1360: Treaty of Brétigny
1364: Charles V of France is crowned | Battle of Auray | end of Breton War of Succession
1369: Charles V declares war again
1372: Battle of La Rochelle
1377: Edward III dies | Richard II of England takes throne
1381: The Peasants' Revolt in England
1389: Truce
1392: Charles VI suffers bouts of insanity
1399: Henry of Bolingbroke seizes the English throne
1415: Battle of Agincourt
1420: Treaty of Troyes
1429: The Battle of Patay partially credited to Joan of Arc
1431: Joan of Arc burned at the stake
1453: Battle of Castillon ends the war without a treaty
