The Hundred Years War is history. The Hundred Years War: causes, course, results Conclusion of the Hundred Years War between England and France

THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR, 1337-1453 between England and France for Guyenne (English possession since the 12th century), Normandy, Anjou (lost by the British in the 13th century), Flanders. The reason is the claims of the English king Edward III (grandson of the French king Philip IV) to the French throne after the death of the French king Charles IV (who left no sons). England won the battles of Sluys (1340), Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356). The Treaty of Brétigny in 1360 secured a significant part of French territory for England. In the 70s. 14th c. The British were almost completely expelled from France. However, after the victory at Agincourt (1415), the British, in alliance with the Burgundians, captured the north of France (with Paris). Resistance to the British was led by Joan of Arc. In 1429, the French troops led by her lifted the siege of Orleans. The Hundred Years War ended with the surrender of the British in Bordeaux (1453). England kept only Calais in France (until 1558). The beginning of the war.The Hundred Years War began as a dynastic conflict: the King of England Edward III, maternal grandson of the King of France Philip IV, put forward his rights to the French throne, challenging the legitimacy of the reign of King Philip VI of France, the nephew of Philip IV in the male line. The conflict was aggravated by claims for hyenne, duchy in France, subvassal (see. vassalage) to the French crown, but owned by the English kings. The beginning of the war was marked by sea attacks by the fleets of England and France on the shores of a hostile country. In 1340, off the coast near the Dutch city of Sluys, the French fleet was completely destroyed by the English. In January 1346, Edward III landed with an army in France and on August 26, 1346 at the Battle of Crecy inflicted a crushing defeat on the French; in June 1347 was taken Calais.The knightly militia of the French Edward III successfully opposed the united national army of the British, which consisted largely of infantrymen-commoners who served for hire. In 1356, the English ruler of Guyenne, Edward Black Prince in the battle of Poitiers On September 19, he utterly defeated the superior forces of the French; king of France John II the Good was captured, and a ransom of 2.5 (according to another version - 3) million livres was appointed for him. Etienne Marseille And Jacquerie.Peace in Brétigny.In 1360, a peace was signed in the city of Brétigny, according to which the English possessions in Guyenne quadrupled, but Edward III renounced his claims to the French crown. In 1369 hostilities resumed. Appointed constable (commander-in-chief) of France in 1370, Bertrand Dugueclin reformed the army on the basis of mercenarism, strengthened the role of the infantry, changed tactics, moving from battles to small skirmishes, and achieved significant success. By the end of the 14th century. in the hands of England, several cities on the coast remained, and in 1396 a truce was concluded for a period of 28 years. Resumption of hostilities.In France, from 1392, the struggle for the regency began under the mad king Charles VI, resulting in a civil war between the Armagnacs and the Bourguignons. Taking advantage of this, the King of England Henry V in 1414 he landed in France and on October 24, 1415, inflicted a heavy defeat at the Battle of Agincourt. Having captured Normandy, he proceeded to the systematic conquest of France. Head of the Bourguignons, Duke of Burgundy John the Fearless went over to the side of the British, but then began negotiations with the head of the Armagnacs, the heir to the French throne, Dauphin Charles, the future Charles VII. During negotiations, on September 10, 1419, he was killed by followers of the Dauphin. His son, Duke of Burgundy Philip Dobry, seeking to avenge his father, in December 1419 he concluded an Anglo-Burgundian alliance, and on May 21, 1420, an agreement was signed in Troyes between England and France, according to which Henry V was declared regent and heir to France, and the Dauphin Charles was deprived of his rights to the throne; the north of France was subjected to Anglo-Burgundian occupation. After the death of Henry V and Charles VI in 1422, Henry VI became the sovereign of the united England and France, while Charles VII, who also declared himself king of France, kept to the south of the country. The road to the south was blocked by Orleans, the siege of which began in October 1428. A turning point in the war. Expulsion of the English The humiliation of France caused a patriotic upsurge, a vivid expression of which was the activity Joan of Arc. The lifting of the siege of Orleans on May 8, 1429, the defeat of the British at Pat on June 18, the march on Reims and the coronation of Charles VII on July 17 marked a turning point in the war. The people decided that God had turned away from the British and took the side of France. The failures of the French under British-occupied Paris in September 1429, the capture of Joan of Arc in 1430 slowed down the liberation of France, but did not interrupt this process. In 1435, a peace congress was held in Arras; reconciliation between England and France was not achieved, but Philip the Good broke off the alliance with England and recognized Charles VII as the legitimate king of France.Thanks to this, Charles VII entered Paris in 1436, Normandy was liberated in the 1440s, and after the battle of Formigny (1450) was the north of France was cleared of the British.As early as 1445, Charles VII established a professional army, formed by recruitment and reinforced with artillery.In the autumn of 1450 - in the spring of 1451, he launched an offensive in the south.On May 30, 1451, the capital of the English Guyenne, Bordeaux, was taken. However, in the fall of 1452, the British recaptured Bordeaux, tried to capture Guyenne again, but July 16, 1453 were defeated at Castillon, October 19 of the same year, the English garrison in Bordeaux surrendered to the mercy of the winner. The end of the war and its results.The last date is considered the end of the Hundred Years War, although the peace treaty was signed only in 1475, and the last stronghold of the British in France - Calais - was recaptured by the French only in 1558. The Hundred Years War, which began as a struggle for the throne between kindred dynasties, turned into an interethnic conflict, in which all segments of the population took part. In this war, ideas about the national state were formed, there was a transition from a knightly war, waged by the forces of suzerains and vassals, to a state war, carried out by a professional army.

8 ticket. War of the Scarlet and White Roses in England. (1455-1484) Causes of the war. The causes of the war were the difficult economic situation of England (the crisis of a large patrimonial economy and the fall in its profitability), the defeat of England in the Hundred Years War (1453), which deprived the feudal lords of the opportunity to plunder the lands of France; the suppression of the Jack Cad uprising in 1451 (see Cad Jack uprising) and with it the forces opposed to feudal anarchy. The Lancasters relied mainly on the barons of the backward north, Wales and Ireland, the Yorks on the feudal lords of the economically more developed south-east of England. The middle nobility, merchants and wealthy citizens, interested in the free development of trade and crafts, the elimination of feudal anarchy and the establishment of firm power, supported the Yorks. strata of the population. Taking advantage of this discontent, Richard, Duke of York, gathered his vassals around him and went with them to London. At the Battle of St. Albans on May 22, 1455, he defeated the supporters of the Scarlet Rose. Soon removed from power, he again rebelled and declared his claims to the English throne. With an army of his adherents, he defeated the enemy at Blore Heath (September 23, 1459) and North Hampton (July 10, 1460); during the last, he captured the king, after which he forced the upper house to recognize himself as the protector of the state and heir to the throne. But Queen Margaret, wife of Henry VI, with her followers unexpectedly attacked him at Wakefield (December 30, 1460). Richard was utterly defeated and fell in battle. The enemies cut off his head and put it on the wall of York in a paper crown. His son Edward, with the support of the Earl of Warwick, defeated the supporters of the Lancastrian dynasty at Mortimers Cross (February 2, 1461) and Toughton (March 29, 1461). Henry VI was deposed; he and Margarita fled to Scotland. The winner became King Edward IV. Edward IV. However, the war continued. In 1464 Edward IV defeated the Lancastrians in the north of England. Henry VI was captured and imprisoned in the Tower. The desire of Edward IV to strengthen his power and limit the freedom of the feudal nobility led to an uprising of his former supporters, led by Warwick (1470). Edward fled from England, Henry VI in October 1470 was restored to the throne. In 1471, Edward IV at Barnet (April 14) and Tewkesbury (May 4) defeated the army of Warwick and the army of Henry VI's wife Margaret, who landed in England with the support of the French king Louis XI. Warwick was killed, Henry VI was again deposed in April 1471 and died (presumably killed) in the Tower on May 21, 1471. The end of the war. After the victory, in order to strengthen his power, Edward IV began cruel reprisals against both representatives of the Lancaster dynasty and the rebellious Yorks and their supporters. After the death of Edward IV on April 9, 1483, the throne passed to his infant son Edward V, but power was seized by the younger brother of Edward IV, the future King Richard III, who first declared himself the protector of the infant king, and then deposed him and ordered him to be strangled in the Tower along with his younger brother Richard (August (?) 1483). Attempts by Richard III to consolidate his power caused uprisings of the feudal magnates. Executions and confiscations of property turned supporters of both factions against him. Both dynasties, Lancaster and York, united around Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancasters, who lived in France at the court of King Charles VIII. On August 7 or 8, 1485, Henry landed at Milford Haven, passed unhindered through Wales and joined with his supporters. From their combined army, Richard III was defeated at the battle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485; he himself was killed. Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, became king. Having married the daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth, the heiress of York, he combined scarlet and white roses in his coat of arms. The results of the war. The War of the Scarlet and White Roses was the last rampage of feudal anarchy before the establishment of absolutism in England. It was conducted with terrible bitterness and was accompanied by numerous murders and executions. Both dynasties were exhausted and perished in the struggle. The war brought strife, oppression of taxes, theft of the treasury, the lawlessness of large feudal lords, the decline of trade, direct robberies and requisitions to the population of England. During the wars, a significant part of the feudal aristocracy was exterminated, numerous confiscations of land holdings undermined its power. At the same time, land holdings increased and the influence of the new nobility and the merchant merchant class increased, which became the mainstay of Tudor absolutism.

England and France are the two great powers of medieval Europe, controlling the alignment of political forces, trade routes, diplomacy and territorial division of other states. Sometimes these countries entered into alliances with each other in order to fight a third party, and sometimes they fought against each other. There were always plenty of reasons for confrontations and another war - from a religious problem to the desire of the rulers of either England or France to take the throne of the opposing side. The results of such local conflicts were civilians who died during robberies, disobedience, surprise attacks by the enemy. Production resources, trade routes and communications were destroyed to a large extent, crop areas were reduced.

One such conflict erupted on the European continent in the 1330s, when England again went to war against her eternal rival France. This conflict is known in history as the Hundred Years War because it lasted from 1337 to 1453. Countries not all 116 years fought among themselves. It was a complex of local confrontations, which then subsided, then resumed with a new one anew.

Causes of the Anglo-French confrontation

The immediate factor that provoked the start of the war was the claims of the English Plantagenet dynasty to the throne in France. The purpose of this desire was that England lost possession of continental Europe. The Plantagenets were in varying degrees of kinship with the Capetian dynasty, the rulers of the French state. The monarchs of the royal family wanted to expel the English from Guyenne, transferred to France under the terms of the treaty concluded in Paris in 1259.

Among the main reasons that provoked the war, it is worth noting the following factors:

• The English ruler Edward the Third was closely related to the French king Philip the Fourth (he was his grandson), he claimed his rights to the throne of a neighboring country. In 1328, the last direct descendant of the Capetian family, Charles the Fourth, died. Philip the Sixth of the Valois family became the new ruler of France. According to the code of legislative acts "Salicheskaya Pravda", Edward the Third could also claim the crown;
• Territorial disputes over the Gascony region, one of the main economic centers of France, also became a stumbling block. Formally, the region was owned by England, but in fact by France.
• Edward the Third wanted to get back the lands that his father had previously owned;
• Philip the Sixth wanted the English king to recognize him as a sovereign ruler. Edward the Third took such a step only in 1331, since his native country was constantly torn apart by internal turmoil, constant internecine struggle;
• Two years later, the monarch decided to get involved in the war against Scotland, which was an ally of France. This step of the English king unleashed the hands of the French, and he gave the order to expel the British from Gascony, spreading his power there. The British won the war, so David II, King of Scotland, fled to France. These events paved the way for England and France to prepare for war. The French king wanted to support the return of David II to the Scottish throne, so he ordered a landing on the British Isles.

The intensity of hostility led to the fact that in the autumn of 1337 the English army began to advance in Picardy. The actions of Edward the Third were supported by the feudal lords, the cities of Flanders and the southwestern regions of the country.

The confrontation between England and France took place in Flanders - at the very beginning of the war, then the war moved to Aquitaine, Normandy.

In Aquitaine, the claims of Edward the Third were supported by the feudal lords and cities, who sent food, steel, wine, and dyes to Britain. It was a major trading region that France did not want to lose.

Stages

Historians divide the 100th war into several periods, taking the activity of hostilities and territorial gains as criteria:

• The 1st period is usually called the Edwardian War, which began in 1337 and lasted until 1360;
• the 2nd stage covers 1369-1396 and is called the Carolingian;
• The third period lasted from 1415 to 1428, called the Lancaster War;
• The fourth stage - the final one - began in 1428 and lasted until 1453.

The first and second stages: features of the course of the war

Hostilities began in 1337, when the English army invaded the territory of the French kingdom. King Edward the Third found allies in the burghers of this state and the rulers of the Low Countries. Support was not long, due to the lack of positive results of the war and victories on the part of the British, the union broke up in 1340.

The first few years of the military campaign were very successful for the French, they put up serious resistance to the enemies. This applied to battles at sea as well as land battles. But luck turned against France in 1340, when her fleet at Sluys was defeated. As a result, the English fleet established control in the English Channel for a long time.

1340s can be described as successful for both the British and the French. Fortune turned in turn to one side, then to the other. But there was no real advantage in anyone's favor. In 1341, another internecine struggle began for the right to own the Breton inheritance. The main confrontation took place between Jean de Montfort (England supported him) and Charles de Blois (he used the help of France). Therefore, all the battles began to take place in Brittany, the cities in turn passed from one army to another.

After the British landed on the Cotentin Peninsula in 1346, the French began to suffer constant defeats. Edward the Third managed to successfully pass through France, capturing Caen, the Low Countries. The decisive battle took place at Crécy on August 26, 1346. The French army fled, an ally of the king of France, Johann the Blind, ruler of Bohemia, perished.

In 1346, the plague intervened in the course of the war, which began to massively take the lives of people on the European continent. The English army only by the mid-1350s. restored financial resources, which allowed the son of Edward the Third, the Black Prince, to invade Gascony, defeat the French at Poutier, and capture King John the Second Good. At this time, popular unrest, uprisings began in France, and the economic and political crisis deepened. Despite the presence of the London agreement on the receipt by England of Aquitaine, the English army again entered France. Successfully moving inland, Edward the Third refused to besiege the capital of the opposing state. It was enough for him that France demonstrated weakness in military affairs and suffered constant defeats. Charles the Fifth, Dauphin and son of Philip, went to sign a peace treaty, which happened in 1360.

According to the results of the first period, Aquitaine, Poitiers, Calais, part of Brittany, half of the vassal lands of France, which lost 1/3 of their territories in Europe, went to the British crown. Despite so many acquired possessions in continental Europe, Edward the Third could not claim the throne of France.

Until 1364, Louis of Anjou was considered the French king, who was at the English court as a hostage, fled, his father, John the Second Good, took his place. In England, he died, after which the nobility proclaimed King Charles the Fifth. For a long time he was looking for a reason to start a war again, trying to return the lost lands. In 1369, Charles again declared war on Edward III. Thus began the second period of the 100-year war. During the nine years of a break, the French army was reorganized, economic reforms were carried out in the country. All this laid the foundation for the fact that France began to dominate in battles, battles, achieving significant success. The British were gradually forced out of France.

England could not offer proper resistance, since it was busy in other local conflicts, and Edward the Third could no longer command the army. In 1370, both countries were involved in the war on the Iberian Peninsula, where Castile and Portugal were at enmity. The first was supported by Charles the Fifth, and the second by Edward the Third and his eldest son, also Edward, Earl of Woodstock, nicknamed the Black Prince.

In 1380 Scotland began to threaten England again. In such difficult conditions for each of the parties, the second stage of the war took place, which ended in 1396 with the signing of a truce. The reason for the agreement of the parties was the exhaustion of the parties in physical, moral and financial terms.

Hostilities resumed only in the 15th century. The reason for this was the conflict between Jean the Fearless, the ruler of Burgundy, and Louis of Orleans, who was killed by a party of Armagnacs. In 1410 they seized power in the country. Opponents began to call on the help of the British, seeking to use them in inter-dynastic strife. But at that time, the British Isles were also very unsettled. The political and economic situation worsened, the people were dissatisfied. In addition, Wales and Ireland began to get out of disobedience, which Scotland took advantage of by starting hostilities against the English monarch. Two wars broke out in the country itself, which were in the nature of civil confrontation. At that time, Richard II was already sitting on the English throne, he was at war with the Scots, the nobles took advantage of his ill-conceived policy, removing him from power. Henry IV ascended the throne.

Events of the third and fourth periods

Due to internal problems, the British did not dare to interfere in the internal affairs of France until 1415. Only in 1415, Henry the Fifth ordered his troops to land near Harfleur, capturing the city. The two countries again plunged into a fierce confrontation.

The troops of Henry the Fifth made mistakes in the offensive, which provoked a transition to the defense. And this was not at all part of the plans of the British. A kind of rehabilitation for losses was the victory at Agincourt (1415), when the French lost. And again a series of military victories and achievements followed, which gave Henry the Fifth a chance to hope for a successful conclusion to the war. The main achievements in 1417-1421. was the capture of Normandy, Caen and Rouen; an agreement was signed in the city of Troyes with the king of France, Charles the Sixth, nicknamed the Mad. Under the terms of the agreement, Henry the Fifth became the heir to the king, despite the presence of direct heirs - the sons of Charles. The English monarchies held the title of king of France until 1801. The agreement was confirmed in 1421, when the troops entered the capital of the French kingdom, the city of Paris.

In the same year, the Scottish army comes to the aid of the French. The Battle of God took place, during which many prominent military leaders of that time died. In addition, the British army was left without leadership. A few months later, Henry the Fifth died in Meaux (1422), instead of him, his son, who at that time was only a year old, was chosen as the monarch. Armagnacs took the side of the Dauphin of France, and the confrontations continued further.

The French suffered a series of defeats in 1423 but continued to resist. In subsequent years, the following events were characteristic of the third period of the Hundred Years War:

• 1428 - the siege of Orleans, the battle, which is called in historiography the "Battle of the Herrings". It was won by the British, which significantly worsened the condition of the French army and the entire population of the country;
• Peasants, artisans, townspeople, petty knights rebelled against the invaders. Especially actively resisted were the inhabitants of the northern regions of France - Maine, Picardy, Normandy, where a guerrilla war unfolded against the British;
• On the border of Champagne and Lorraine, one of the most powerful peasant uprisings broke out, led by Joan of Arc. The myth of the Virgin of Orleans, who was sent to fight against English dominance and occupation, quickly spread among the French soldiers. The courage, courage and skill of Joan of Arc showed the military leaders that it was necessary to move from defense to offensive, to change the tactics of warfare.

The turning point in the Hundred Years' War came in 1428, when Joan of Arc, with the army of Charles the Seventh, lifted the siege of Orleans. The uprising was a powerful impetus for a radical change in the situation in the Hundred Years War. The king reorganized the army, formed a new government, the troops began to liberate cities and other settlements one by one.

In 1449, Raun was recaptured, then Caen, Gascony. In 1453, the British lost at Catillon, after which there were no battles in the Hundred Years' War. A few years later, the British garrison capitulated in Bordeaux, which put an end to more than a century of confrontation between the two states. The English monarchy continued to own only the city of Calais and the district until the end of the 1550s.

Results and consequences of the war

France over such a long period suffered huge human losses, both among the civilian population and among the military. The results of the Hundred Years War

the French state became:

• Restoration of state sovereignty;
• Elimination of the English threat and claims to the throne of France, land and possessions;
• The process of formation of the centralized apparatus of power and the country continued;
• Famine and plague wiped out the cities and villages of France, as in many countries of Europe;
• Military spending drained the country's treasury;
• Constant uprisings and social riots exacerbated the crisis in society;
• Observe the crisis phenomena in culture and art.

England also lost a lot during the entire period of the Hundred Years War. Having lost possessions on the continent, the monarchy came under public pressure and constantly experienced discontent of the nobles. Civil strife began in the country, anarchy was observed. The main struggle unfolded between the clans of York and Lancaster.

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The main cause of the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) was the political rivalry between the French royal dynasty of Capet - Valois and English Plantagenets. The first strove for the unification of France and the complete subjugation of all vassals to their power, among which the English kings, who still owned the Guyenne (Aquitaine) region, occupied a leading place and often overshadowed their overlords. The vassal relations of the Plantagenets to the Capetians were only nominal, but the English kings were even weary of this. They sought not only to return their former possessions in France, but also to take the French crown from the Capetians.

In 1328 the French monarch died CharlesIV Handsome, and with him the senior line of the Capetian house came to an end. Based salic law, the French throne was occupied by the cousin of the deceased king, PhilipVI Valois. But the English king EdwardIII, son of Isabella, sister of Charles IV, considering himself the closest relative of the latter, laid claim to the French crown. This led to the beginning in 1337, in Picardy, of the first battles of the Hundred Years' War. In 1338, Edward III obtained from the emperor the title of imperial governor west of the Rhine, and in 1340, having concluded an alliance against Philip VI with the Flemings and some German princes, he took the title of King of France. In 1339, Edward unsuccessfully besieged Cambrai, in 1340 - Tournai. In June 1340 the French fleet was decisively defeated in a bloody battle. battle of Sluys, and in September the first truce of the Hundred Years' War took place, which was interrupted by the English king in 1345.

Battle of Crecy 1346

The year 1346 was marked by a major turning point in the course of the Hundred Years' War. The hostilities of 1346 took place in Guyenne, Flanders, Normandy and Brittany. Edward III, unexpectedly for the enemy, landed at the cape La-gog with 32 thousand soldiers (4 thousand cavalry, 10 thousand foot archers, 12 thousand Welsh and 6 thousand Irish infantry), after which he ravaged the country on the left bank of the Seine and moved to Rouen, probably to join the Flemish troops and to lay siege to Calais, which at this stage of the Hundred Years' War could have obtained for him the importance of a base.

Meanwhile, Philip VI set off with a strong army along the right bank of the Seine, meaning to prevent the enemy from Calais. Then Edward, defiantly moving towards Poissy (in the direction of Paris), attracted the attention of the French king in this direction, and then, quickly turning back, crossed the Seine and went to the Somme, devastating the space between these two rivers.

Philip, realizing his mistake, rushed after Edward. A separate French detachment (12 thousand), stationed on the right bank of the Somme, destroyed bridges and crossings on it. The English king found himself in a critical situation, having the aforementioned detachment and the Somme in front, and Philip's main forces in the rear. But, fortunately for Edward, he learned about the ford of Blanc-Tash, along which he moved his troops, taking advantage of the ebb. A separate French detachment, despite the courageous defense of the crossing, was overturned, and when Philip approached, the British were already completing the crossing, and meanwhile the tide had begun.

Edward continued his retreat and stopped at Crecy, deciding to take the fight here. Philip made his way to Abbeville, where he stayed all day to bring in suitable reinforcements, which brought his army to about 70,000 men. (including 8-12 thousand knights, most of which are infantry). Philip's stop at Abbeville gave Edward the opportunity to prepare well for the first of the three major battles of the Hundred Years' War, which took place on 26 August at Crécy and resulted in a decisive English victory. This victory is due mainly to the superiority of the English military system and English troops over the military system of France and its feudal militias. From the side of the French, 1,200 nobles and 30,000 soldiers fell in the battle of Crecy. Edward for a time achieved dominance over all of northern France.

Battle of Crécy. Miniature for Froissart's "Chronicles"

Hundred Years' War in 1347-1355

In the following years of the Hundred Years' War, the British, under the leadership of King Edward himself and his son, black prince, scored a number of brilliant successes over the French. In 1349, the Black Prince defeated the French commander Charni and took him prisoner. Later, a truce was concluded, which ended in 1354. At this time, the Black Prince, appointed ruler of the Duchy of Guyenne, went there and prepared to continue the Hundred Years War. At the end of the truce in 1355, he moved from Bordeaux to devastate France, and with several companies passed through the county of Armagnac to the Pyrenees; then, turning towards the north, he ravaged and burned everything as far as Toulouse. From there, fording the Garonne, the Black Prince went to Carcassonne and Narbonne and burned both of these cities. Thus, he devastated the whole country from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Pyrenees to the Garonne, ruining more than 700 cities and villages within 7 weeks, which terrified the whole of France. In all these operations of the Hundred Years War, goblers (light cavalry) played the main role.

Battle of Poitiers 1356

In 1356, the Hundred Years' War was fought in three theaters. In the north, a small English army was operating, led by the Duke of Lancaster. french king John the Good, capturing the king of Navarre Karl the Evil, was busy besieging his castles. The Black Prince, moving suddenly from Guyenne, penetrated through Rouergue, Auvergne and Limousin to the Loire, destroying more than 500 places.

Edward "The Black Prince", son of the English king Edward III, hero of the Hundred Years War. 15th century miniature

This pogrom brought King John into a violent rage. He hurriedly assembled a rather sizable army and marched towards the Loire, intending to act decisively. At Poitiers, the king did not wait for the attack of the English, who were at that time in a difficult situation, since the army of the king was opposite their front, and in the rear - another French army, concentrated in Languedoc. Despite the reports of his advisers, who spoke in favor of defense, John set out from Poitiers and on September 19, 1356 attacked the British in their fortified position at Maupertuis. John made two fatal mistakes in this battle. He first ordered his cavalry to attack the English infantry stationed in a narrow ravine, and when this attack was repulsed and the English rushed into the plain, he ordered his horsemen to dismount. Because of these blunders, the 50,000th French army suffered a terrible defeat at the battle of Poitiers (the second of the three main battles of the Hundred Years War) from five times less numerous English. French losses amounted to 11,000 killed and 14,000 captured. King John himself was taken prisoner with his son Philip.

Battle of Poitiers 1356. Miniature for Froissart's Chronicles

Hundred Years' War in 1357-1360

During the captivity of the king, his eldest son, the Dauphin Charles (later King Charles V). His position was very difficult, due to the success of the British, which complicated the Hundred Years' War of internal French turmoil (the desire of the townspeople led by Etienne Marcel to assert their rights to the detriment of the supreme power) and especially, from 1358, due to the internecine war ( jacquerie), caused by the uprising of the peasants against the nobility, which, therefore, could not provide the Dauphin with strong enough support. The bourgeoisie also nominated a pretender to the throne of France, the king of Navarre, who also relied on hired squads (grandes compagnies), which in the era of the Hundred Years War were the scourge for the country. The Dauphin suppressed the revolutionary attempts of the bourgeoisie and in August 1359 made peace with the Navarrese king. Meanwhile, the captured King John entered into an agreement with England that was very unfavorable for France, according to which he gave the British almost half of his state. But states general, gathered by the Dauphin, rejected this treaty and expressed their readiness to continue the Hundred Years' War.

Then Edward III of England crossed over to Calais with a strong army, which he allowed to support himself at the expense of the country, and moved through Picardy and Champagne, destroying everything on the way. In January 1360, he invaded Burgundy, forced to abandon its alliance with France. From Burgundy, he went to Paris and unsuccessfully besieged it. In view of this, and due to lack of funds, Edward agreed to a peace that suspended the Hundred Years War, which was concluded in May of that year in bretigny. But wandering squads and some feudal owners continued hostilities. The Black Prince, having undertaken a campaign in Castile, imposed large taxes on the English possessions in France, which caused a complaint from his vassals there to the French king. Charles V in 1368 demanded the prince to be tried, and in 1369 resumed the Hundred Years' War.

Hundred Years' War in 1369-1415

In 1369 the Hundred Years' War was limited to small businesses. The British mostly prevailed in field battles. But their affairs began to take an unfavorable turn, mainly from the change in the nature of the conduct of operations by the French, who began to avoid open clashes with the English troops, turned to the stubborn defense of cities and castles, attacked the enemy by surprise and cut off his communications. All this was facilitated by the ruin of France by the Hundred Years' War and the depletion of its resources, forcing the British to carry with them everything they needed in a huge convoy. In addition, the British lost their commander, John Chandosa, King Edward was already old, and the Black Prince left the army due to illness.

Meanwhile, Charles V appointed commander-in-chief Bertrand Dugueclin and entered into an alliance with the king of Castile, who sent his fleet to help him, which turned out to be a dangerous rival for the English. During this period of the Hundred Years' War, the English more than once took possession of entire provinces, without meeting strong resistance in the open field, but suffered hardship, as the population locked themselves in castles and cities, hired wandering bands and repulsed the enemy. Under such conditions - large losses in men and horses and a lack of food and money - the British had to return to their homeland. Then the French went on the offensive, robbed the enemy of his conquests, and over time turned to larger enterprises and more important operations, especially after the appointment of Du Guesclin, who achieved a number of brilliant successes in the Hundred Years War, as constable.

Bertrand Dugueclin, constable of France, hero of the Hundred Years War

Thus, almost all of France was liberated from the rule of the British, in whose hands, by the beginning of 1374, only Calais, Bordeaux, Bayonne and a few places in the Dordogne remained. In view of this, a truce was concluded, then continued until the death of Edward III (1377). In order to strengthen the military system of France, Charles V ordered in 1373 to form the rudiment of a standing army - ordinance companies. But after the death of Charles, this attempt of his was forgotten, and the Hundred Years War again began to be waged mainly by mercenary bands. .

In subsequent years, the Hundred Years War continued intermittently. The successes of both sides depended mainly on the internal state of one and the other state, and the enemies mutually took advantage of the troubles of their opponent and then acquired a more or less decisive advantage. In this regard, the most favorable era for the British during the Hundred Years War was the reign of a mentally ill person in France. KarlaVI. The imposition of new taxes aroused unrest in many French cities, especially in Paris and Rouen, and resulted in the so-called war. mayotenes or berdyshnikov. The southern provinces, regardless of the revolt of the townspeople, were torn apart by civil strife and predation by mercenary bands participating in the Hundred Years' War, to which the Peasants' War (guerre des coquins) also joined; finally, an uprising broke out in Flanders. In general, success in this turmoil was on the side of the government and the vassals loyal to the king; but the citizens of Ghent, in order to be able to continue the war, entered into an alliance with England. However, not having time to get help from the British, the inhabitants of Ghent suffered a decisive defeat in battle of Rosebeck.

Then the Regency of France, having outwardly suppressed the unrest and at the same time aroused the people against themselves and the young king, resumed the Hundred Years War and entered into an alliance against England with Scotland. The French fleet, Admiral Jean de Vienna, headed for the coast of Scotland and landed a detachment of Enguerrand de Coucy, consisting of adventurers. However, the British managed to devastate a significant part of Scotland. The French suffered a lack of food and quarreled with their allies, but nevertheless they invaded England together with them, and showed great cruelty. The English, at this point in the Hundred Years' War, were compelled to mobilize their entire army; however, the allies did not wait for its offensive: the French returned to their homeland, while the Scots retreated deep into their country in order to wait there for the end of the term of the fief service of the English vassals. The English devastated the whole country as far as Edinburgh; but as soon as they returned to their homeland and their troops began to disperse, the detachments of Scottish adventurers, having received monetary subsidies from the French, again raided England.

This attempt by the French to move the Hundred Years' War to Northern England failed, as the French government turned its main attention to operations in Flanders, in order to establish the dominion of Duke Philip of Burgundy there (the king's uncle, the very son of John the Good, who was captured with him at Poitiers). This was achieved in the autumn of 1385. Then the French began to prepare again for the same expedition, equipped a new fleet and put up a new army. The moment for the expedition was well chosen, as at that time there was a renewed unrest in England, and the Scots, having made an invasion, devastated it and won a number of victories. But the commander-in-chief, the Duke of Berry, arrived at the army late, when, in view of the autumn time, the expedition could no longer be undertaken.

In 1386 constable Olivier du Clisson was preparing to land in England, but his overlord, the Duke of Brittany, prevented this. In 1388 the Anglo-French truce again suspended the Hundred Years' War. In the same year, Charles VI took over the government, but then fell into insanity, as a result of which France was seized by the struggle between the closest relatives of the king and his primary vassals, as well as the struggle between the parties of Orleans and Burgundy. Meanwhile, the Hundred Years' War did not stop completely, but as before was only interrupted by truces. In England itself, an uprising broke out against the king Richard II, who was married to the French princess Isabella. Richard II was deposed by his cousin Henry of Lancaster, who succeeded to the throne under the name HenryIV. France did not recognize the latter as king, and then demanded the return of Isabella and her dowry. England did not return the dowry, because France had not yet paid the entire ransom for King John the Good, who had previously been released from captivity.

In view of this, Henry IV intended to continue the Hundred Years' War with an expedition to France, but, busy defending his throne and generally turmoil in England itself, could not fulfill this. his son HenryV, having calmed the state, decided to take advantage of the illness of Charles VI and the strife between the applicants for the regency in order to renew the claims of his great-grandfather to the French crown. He sent ambassadors to France to ask for the hand of Princess Catherine, daughter of Charles VI. This proposal was rejected, which served as a pretext for the vigorous resumption of the Hundred Years' War.

King Henry V of England, hero of the Hundred Years War

Battle of Agincourt 1415

Henry V (with 6 thousand cavalry and 20-24 thousand infantry) landed near the mouth of the Seine and immediately began the siege of Garfleur. Meanwhile, the constable d "Albret, who was on the right bank of the Seine and watching the enemy, did not try to help the besieged, but ordered the call to be trumpeted throughout France so that the accustomed to arms noble people gathered to him to continue the Hundred Years War. But he himself was inactive. The ruler of Normandy, Marshal Boucicault, having only negligible forces, also could not do anything in favor of the besieged, who soon surrendered. Henry supplied Garfleur with supplies, left a garrison in it, and, thanks to this, having received a base for further operations in the Hundred Years' War, moved to Abbville, intending to cross the Somme there. However, the significant efforts required to capture Garfleur, illness in the army due to bad food, etc., weakened the English army that fought in the theater of the Hundred Years War, the situation of which worsened even more from the fact that the English fleet, having crashed, had to retire to the shores of England . Meanwhile, reinforcements coming from everywhere brought the French army to a large number. In view of all this, Henry decided to go to Calais and from there restore more convenient communications with the fatherland.

Battle of Agincourt. 15th century miniature

But it was difficult to carry out the decision made, due to the approach of the French, and all the fords on the Somme were blocked. Then Henry moved up the river, in order to find a free passage. Meanwhile, d "Albret was still inactive at Peronne, having 60 thousand people, while a separate French detachment followed parallel to the British, devastating the country. On the contrary, Henry during the Hundred Years War maintained the strictest discipline in his army: robbery, desertion and the like crimes were punished by death or demotion. Finally, he approached the ford at Betancourt, near Gam, between Peronne and Saint-Quentin. Here, on October 19, the British crossed the Somme without hindrance. Then d "Albret moved from Peronne to block the enemy's path to Calais, which led October 25 to the third main battle of the Hundred Years War - at Agincourt, which ended in the complete defeat of the French. Having won this victory over the enemy, Henry returned to England, and instead of himself left the Duke of Bedford. The Hundred Years War was again interrupted by a truce for 2 years.

Hundred Years' War in 1418-1422

In 1418, Henry again landed in Normandy with 25 thousand people, took possession of a significant part of France and, with the assistance of the French Queen Isabella (Princess of Bavaria), forced Charles VI to conclude with him on May 21, 1420 peace in Troyes, by which he received the hand of the daughter of Charles and Isabella, Catherine, and was recognized as heir to the French throne. However, the Dauphin Charles, son of Charles VI, did not recognize this treaty and continued the Hundred Years' War. 1421 Henry landed in France for the third time, took Dreux and Mo and pushed the Dauphin beyond the Loire, but suddenly fell ill and died (1422), almost simultaneously with Charles VI, after which Henry's son, an infant, took the thrones of England and France HenryVI. However, the Dauphin was also proclaimed King of France by his few adherents under the name KarlaVII.

End of the Hundred Years War

At the beginning of this period of the Hundred Years' War, the whole of Northern France (Normandy, Ile-de-France, Brie, Champagne, Picardy, Pontier, Boulogne) and most of Aquitaine in the southwest were in the hands of the British; the possessions of Charles VII were limited only to the territory between Tours and Orleans. The French feudal aristocracy was finally humiliated. In the Hundred Years War, it repeatedly demonstrated its failure. Therefore, the aristocrats could not serve as a reliable support for the young king Charles VII, who relied mainly on the heads of mercenary gangs. Soon he entered the service, with the rank of constable, Earl Douglas with 5 thousand Scots, but in 1424 he was defeated by the British at Verneuil. Then the duke of Brittany was appointed constable, to whom the management of state affairs also passed.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Bedford, who ruled France as regent for Henry VI, was trying to find funds to end the Hundred Years' War in favor of the English, recruiting new troops in France, transporting reinforcements from England, expanding the boundaries of Henry's dominions, and finally proceeded to lay siege to Orleans, the last stronghold of the defenders of an independent France. At the same time, the Duke of Brittany quarreled with Charles VII and again took the side of the British.

It seemed that the loss of the Hundred Years War by France and her death as an independent state were inevitable, but from that time her revival began. Excessive misfortunes aroused patriotism among the people and put forward Jeanne d "Arc to the theater of the Hundred Years War. She made a strong moral impression on the French and their enemies, which served in favor of the legitimate king, delivered a number of successes to his troops over the British and opened the way for Charles himself to Reims, where he was crowned.Since 1429, when Jeanne liberated Orleans, not only was an end to the successes of the British, but in general the course of the Hundred Years War began to take an increasingly favorable turn for the French king.He renewed his alliance with the Scots and the Duke of Brittany, and in 1434 Mr. entered into an alliance with the Duke of Burgundy.

Jeanne d "Arc during the siege of Orleans. Artist J. E. Lenepve

Bedford and the English made new mistakes, which increased the number of supporters of Charles VII. The French began to gradually take away conquest from their enemy. Disappointed by this turn of the Hundred Years' War, Bedford died, and after him the regency passed to the incapable Duke of York. In 1436, Paris expressed its obedience to the king; then the British, having suffered a series of defeats, concluded a truce in 1444, which lasted until 1449.

When, in this way, the royal power, having restored the independence of France, also strengthened its position, it became possible to lay a solid foundation for the internal and external security of the state by establishing standing troops. Since then, the French army could already boldly compete with the British. This was not long in coming to light in the last outbreak of the Hundred Years' War at the end of the reign of Charles VII, which ended in the complete expulsion of the English from France.

Charles VII, King of France, victorious in the Hundred Years' War. Artist J. Fouquet, between 1445 and 1450

Of the clashes of this period of the Hundred Years War, the most remarkable are: 1) The battle of August 15, 1450 at Formigny, in which the dismounted archers of the ordonnance companies went around the British from the left flank and rear and forced them to clear the very position on which the French frontal attack was repelled. This made it possible for the gendarmes of the ordinance companies, with a decisive attack on horseback, to inflict a complete defeat on the enemy; even freestyle shooters acted quite well in this battle; 2) the last major battle of the Hundred Years War - July 17, 1453 at Castiglione, where the same free shooters, in shelters, threw back and upset the troops of the old English commander Talbot.

Charles VII was also favored by the fact that Denmark entered into an alliance with him, and in England itself, internal turmoil and civil strife again began. Although the struggle between the two states still continued after the death of Charles VII and Henry VI, and the English king did not cease to call himself the king of France, he no longer sought to enter the French throne, but only to divide the state of the Capet-Valois. - thus, the end date of the Hundred Years War itself is usually recognized as 1453 (still under Charles VII).

La guerre de cent ans is a tragic period in the history of France that claimed the lives of many thousands of French people. Armed conflict between England and France, which lasted intermittently for 116 years (from 1337 to 1453), and if not for Joan of Arc, who knows how it could have ended.

Today we will try to understand the causes and consequences of this war, which ended with the victory of France, but what did it cost her? So, we get comfortable in the time machine and go back in time, to the XIV century.

What were the causes of the conflict?

In the first half of the 14th century, namely after the death of the last representative of the royal Capetian dynasty (Les Capétiens) Charles IV in 1328, a difficult situation arose in France: the question arose, to whom to transfer the throne if not a single Capet in the male line remained?

Fortunately, the Capetian dynasty had relatives - the Counts of Valois (Charles of Valois was the brother of Philip IV the Handsome). The council of representatives of the noble French families decided that the crown of France should be transferred to the Valois family. Thus, thanks to the majority of votes in the Council, the Valois dynasty ascended the French throne in the person of its first representative, King Philip VI.

All this time, England closely watched the events in France. The fact is that the English king Edward III was the grandson of Philip IV the Handsome, so he considered that he had the right to claim the French throne. In addition, the British were haunted by the provinces of Guienne and Aquitaine (as well as some others) located on French territory. Once these provinces were the domain of England, but King Philip II Augustus returned them, having won back from England. After Philip VI of Valois was crowned in Reims (the city where the French kings were crowned), Edward III sent him a letter in which he expressed his claims to the French throne.

At first, Philip VI laughed when he received this letter, because this is incomprehensible to the mind! But in the autumn of 1337, the British launch an offensive in Picardy (a French province), and no one laughs in France anymore.

The most striking thing about this war is that throughout the history of the conflict, the English, that is, the enemies of France, from time to time support various French provinces, seeking their own advantage in this war. As the saying goes, "To whom is war, and to whom is mother dear." And now England is supported by the cities of the south-west of France.

From all of the above, it follows that England acted as the aggressor, and France had to defend its territories.

Les causes de la Guerre de Cent ans: le roi anglais Eduard III prétend àê tre le roi de France. L'Angleterre veut regagner les territoires françaises d'Auquitaine et de Guyenne.

French Armed Forces

Knight of the Hundred Years War

It should be noted that the French army of the XIV century consisted of a feudal knightly militia, which included both noble knights and commoners, as well as foreign mercenaries (famous Genoese crossbowmen).

Unfortunately, the system of universal conscription, which formally existed in France, had practically disappeared by the beginning of the Hundred Years' War. Therefore, the king had to think and wonder: will the Duke of Orleans come to my aid? Will some other duke or earl help with his army? However, the cities were able to field large military contingents, which included cavalry and artillery. All warriors were paid for their service.

Les forces armées françaises se composaient de la milice féodale chevaleresque. Le système de conscription universelle, qui existait formellement en France, au début de la guerre de Cent Ans presque disparu.

The beginning of the war

The beginning of the Hundred Years War, unfortunately, was successful for the enemy and unsuccessful for France. France suffers several defeats in a number of significant battles.

The French fleet, which prevented the landing of English troops on the continent, was almost completely destroyed in the naval battle of Sluys in 1340. After this event, until the end of the war, the British fleet had dominance at sea, controlling the English Channel.

Further, the troops of the French King Philip attacked Edward's army in the famous battle of Crécy August 26, 1346. This battle ended in a catastrophic defeat for the French troops. Philip then remained almost completely alone, almost the entire army died, and he himself knocked on the doors of the first castle he came across and asked for an overnight stay with the words “Open the unfortunate king of France!”

The troops of England continued their unhindered advance to the north and laid siege to the city of Calais, which was taken in 1347. This event was an important strategic success for the British, it allowed Edward III to keep his forces on the continent.

In 1356 took place battle of poitiers. France is already ruled by King John II the Good. The 30,000-strong English army inflicted a crushing defeat on France at the Battle of Poitiers. The battle was tragic for France also because the front ranks of the French horses were frightened by gun salvos and rushed back, knocking down the knights, the hooves and armor crushed their own soldiers, the crush turned out to be incredible. Many soldiers died not even at the hands of the British, but under the hooves of their own horses. In addition, the battle ended with the capture of King John II the Good by the British.

Battle of Poitiers

King John II is sent to England as a prisoner, and confusion and chaos reign in France. In 1359, the Peace of London was signed, according to which England received Aquitaine, and King John the Good was set free. Economic difficulties and military setbacks led to popular uprisings - the Parisian uprising (1357-1358) and the Jacquerie (1358). With great effort, these unrest were pacified, but, again, it cost France significant losses.

English troops freely moved through the territory of France, demonstrating to the population the weakness of French power.

The heir to the French throne, the future King Charles V the Wise was forced to conclude a humiliating peace for himself in Brétigny (1360). As a result of the first stage of the war, Edward III acquired half of Brittany, Aquitaine, Calais, Poitiers, and about half of the vassal possessions of France. The French throne thus lost a third of the territory of France.

The French king John had to return to captivity, as his son Louis of Anjou, who was the guarantor of the king, fled from England. John died in English captivity, and King Charles V, whom the people will call Wise, takes the throne of France.

La bataille de Crécy et la bataille de Poitiers se termèrent par une défaite pour les Français. Le roi Jean II le Bon est capture par les Anglais. Le trône français a perdu un tiers du territoire de la France.

How France lived under Charles V

King Charles V of France reorganized the army and introduced important economic reforms. All this allowed the French in the second stage of the war, in the 1370s, to achieve significant military successes. The British were driven out of the country. Despite the fact that the French province of Brittany was an ally of England, the Breton dukes showed loyalty to the French authorities, and even the Breton knight Bertrand Du Guesclin became the constable of France (commander-in-chief) and the right hand of King Charles V.

Charles V the Wise

During this period, Edward III was already too old to command an army and wage war, and England lost her best military leaders. Constable Bertrand Dugueclin, following a cautious strategy, in a series of military campaigns, avoiding clashes with large English armies, liberated many cities, such as Poitiers (1372) and Bergerac (1377). The allied fleet of France and Castile won a landslide victory at La Rochelle, destroying the English squadron in the process.

In addition to military successes, King Charles V of France was able to do a lot for his country. He reformed the taxation system, managing to reduce taxes and, thereby, make life easier for the common people of France. He reorganized the army, putting it in order and making it more collected. He carried out a number of significant economic reforms that made life easier for the peasants. And all this - in a terrible time of war!

Charles V le Sage a réorganisé l'armée, a tenu une série de réformes économiques visant à stabiliser le pays, a réorganisé le système fiscal. Grace au connétable Bertrand du Guesclin il a remporté plusieurs victoires importantes sur les Anglais.

What happened next?

Unfortunately, Charles V the Wise dies, and his son Charles VI takes over the French throne. At first, the actions of this king were aimed at continuing the wise policy of his father.

But a little later, Charles VI goes crazy for unknown reasons. Anarchy began in the country, power was seized by the uncles of the king, the dukes of Burgundy and Berry. In addition, a civil war broke out in France between the Burgundians and the Armagnacs due to the murder of the king's brother, the Duke of Orleans (Armagnacs are relatives of the Duke of Orleans). This situation could not but take advantage of the British.

England is ruled by King Henry IV; V battle of Agincourt October 25, 1415 the British win a decisive victory over the superior forces of the French.

The English king captured most of Normandy, including the cities of Caen (1417) and Rouen (1419). Having entered into an alliance with the Duke of Burgundy, in five years the English king subjugated approximately half of the territory of France. In 1420, Henry met in negotiations with the mad King Charles VI, with whom he signed a treaty at Troyes. According to this agreement, Henry V was declared the heir to Charles VI the Mad, bypassing the legitimate Dauphin Charles (in the future - King Charles VII). The following year, Henry entered Paris, where the treaty was officially confirmed by the States General (French Parliament).

Continuing hostilities, in 1428 the British laid siege to the city of Orleans. But 1428 marked the appearance on the political and military arena of the national heroine of France, Joan of Arc.

La bataille d'Azincourt a eté la défaite des Français. Les Anglais sont alles plus loin.

Joan of Arc and the victory of France

Joan of Arc at the coronation of Charles VII

Having besieged Orleans, the British realized that their forces were not enough to organize a complete blockade of the city. In 1429, Joan of Arc met with the Dauphin Charles (who at that time was forced to hide with his supporters) and convinced him to give her troops to lift the siege of Orleans. The conversation was long and sincere. Carl believed the young girl. Jeanne managed to raise the morale of her warriors. At the head of the troops, she attacked the English siege fortifications, forced the enemy to retreat, lifting the siege from the city. Thus, inspired by Jeanne, the French liberated a number of important fortified points in the Loire. Shortly thereafter, Jeanne and her army defeated the English armed forces at Pat, opening the way to Reims, where the Dauphin was crowned under the name of King Charles VII.

Unfortunately, in 1430, the folk heroine Jeanne was captured by the Burgundians and handed over to the British. But even her execution in 1431 could not influence the further course of the war and pacify the fighting spirit of the French.

In 1435, the Burgundians went over to the side of France, and the Duke of Burgundy helped King Charles VII take possession of Paris. This allowed Charles to reorganize the army and government. The French commanders liberated city after city, repeating the strategy of constable Bertrand Du Guesclin. In 1449, the French retook the Norman city of Rouen. At the Battle of Formigny, the French utterly defeated the English troops and liberated the city of Caen. An attempt by the English troops to retake Gascony, which remained loyal to the English crown, failed: the English troops suffered a crushing defeat at Castillon in 1453. This battle was the last battle of the Hundred Years' War. And in 1453, the capitulation of the British garrison in Bordeaux put an end to the Hundred Years' War.

Jeanne d'Arc aide le Dauphin Charles et remporte plusieurs victoires sur les Anglais. Elle aid Charles aê tre couronné à Reims et devenir roi. Les Français continuent les succès de Jeanne, remportent plusieurs victoires et chassent les Anglais de France. En 1453, la reddition de la garnison britannique à Bordeaux a terminé la guerre de Cent Ans.

What are the consequences of the Hundred Years War?

As a result of the war, England lost all its possessions in France, except for the city of Calais, which remained part of England until 1558 (but then he returned to the bosom of France). England lost vast territories in southwestern France, which she had owned since the 12th century. The madness of the English king plunged the country into a period of anarchy and internecine conflicts, in which the warring houses of Lancaster and York were the main characters. The War of the Scarlet and White Roses began in England. In connection with the civil war, England did not have the strength and means to return the lost territories in France. In addition to all this, the treasury was devastated by military spending.

The war had a significant impact on the development of military affairs: the role of infantry increased on the battlefields, which required less cost in creating large armies, and the first standing armies appeared. In addition, new types of weapons were invented, favorable conditions appeared for the development of firearms.

But the main outcome of the war was the victory of France. The country felt its power and strength of its spirit!

Les Anglais ont perdu les territoires françaises. La victoire definitive de la France.

The theme of the Hundred Years War and the image of the national heroine Joan of Arc became fertile ground for works of cinema and literature.

If you are interested in how it all began, what was the situation in France before the Hundred Years War and its first period, then be sure to pay attention to the Cursed Kings series of novels by Maurice Druon. The writer describes with historical accuracy the characters of the kings of France and the situation before and during the war.

Alexandre Dumas also writes a series of works about the Hundred Years' War. The novel "Isabella of Bavaria" - the period of the reign of Charles VI and the signing of peace in Troyes.

As for the cinema, you can watch the film by Luc Besson "Joan of Arc", based on the play by Jean Anouillet "The Lark". The film does not quite correspond to the historical truth, but the battle scenes are shown on a large scale.

In the 14th century, a series of large-scale military clashes between the British and French began, which went down in history as the Hundred Years War. Consider in our article the important points and the main participants in the conflict.

Reasons to start

The reason for the start of the Hundred Years War was the death of the French king Charles ΙV (1328), who was the last direct heir to the ruling dynasty of the Capetians. The French crowned Philip VΙ. At the same time, the English king Edward ΙΙΙ was the grandson of Philip ΙV (the indicated dynasty). This gave him the right to claim the French throne.

Edward ΙΙΙ is considered the instigator of the conflict between England and France, which was provoked in 1333 by his campaign against the Scots, who were allies of the French. After the British victory at Halidon Hill, King David II of Scotland took refuge in France.

Philip VΙ planned an attack on the British Isles, but the English invaded northern France in Picardy (1337).

Rice. 1. King of England Edward ΙΙΙ.

Chronology

The designation "Hundred Years War" is rather arbitrary: these were scattered armed clashes between the British, the French and their allies, which took place over 116 years.

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Conventionally, the hostilities of this period are divided into four stages, covering certain years of the Hundred Years War:

• 1337-1360;
• 1369-1396;
• 1415-1428;
• 1429-1453.

The main battles and significant episodes of the Hundred Years War between England and France are presented in the table:

date	Event
	The advantage is on the side of England. She acts in alliance with the Netherlands, Flanders
	Battle of Sluys. The British won the naval battle, gained control of the English Channel
	Conflict in the Duchy of Brittany: two pretenders to rule. England supported one earl, France another. Success has been variable
	The British captured the city of Caen in the northwest (Cotentin Peninsula)
August 1346	Battle near the town of Kresy. The defeat of the French and the death of their ally Johann of Luxembourg
	The British took the port city of Calais by siege. Battle of Neville's Cross. Scottish defeat. David ΙΙ captured by the British
	bubonic plague pandemic. Military operations are almost non-existent
	Fight thirty. Each side fought 30 knights. The French have won
	Battle of Poitiers. The troops of Edward the "Black Prince" (eldest son of the English king Edward ΙΙΙ) defeated the French, captured King John ΙΙ (son of Philip VΙ)
	A truce has been signed. England passed the Duchy of Aquitaine. French king released
	Peace treaty signed at Brétigny. England received a third of the French territories. Edward made no claims to the French throne
	World supported
	The new French king Charles V declared war on the British. The Black Prince at that time fought in the Iberian Peninsula. The French put their henchman on the royal throne of Castile, displacing the English. Castile became an ally of France, and England was supported by Portugal
	The French under the command of Bertrand du Guesclin liberated Poitiers
	Naval battle of La Rochelle. The French have won
	The French took back Bergerac
	A major peasant uprising by Wat Tyler began in England
	Battle of Otterburn. The Scots defeated the British
	Truce. Internal conflicts in France. England is at war with Scotland
August 1415	English King Henry V begins military operations against France. Capture of Honfleur
October 1415	Battle near the town of Azenruk. The British won
	The British, in alliance with the Duke of Burgundy, captured about half of the French lands, including Paris
	Treaty of Troyes, by which the English king Henry V becomes the heir of Charles VΙ
	Battle for God. Franco-Scottish troops defeated the British
	Henry V passed away
	Battle of Cravan. The British defeated the superior forces of the enemy
	The British laid siege to Orleans
	The French army under the command of Joan of Arc removed the English siege from Orleans. Battle of Pat. French victory
	Burgundy sided with the French. The Treaty of Aras was signed between the French king Charles VΙΙ and Philip ΙΙΙ of Burgundy. The French took back Paris
	The French liberated Rouen
	Battle of Formigny. The French have won. Caen city liberated
	The last decisive battle at Castiglion. The British lost. English garrison at Bordeaux surrendered

The war ended in fact. An official peace treaty was not signed in the coming years. England did not attempt to attack France until 1475 due to serious internal conflicts. The military campaign of the new English king Edward ΙV against the French was fleeting and disastrous. In 1475, Edward ΙV and Louis XΙ signed an armistice agreement in Piquini.

Rice. 2. Battle of Castiglion.

results

The end in 1453 of a long military confrontation between England and France in favor of the second led to the following results:

• The French population decreased by more than 65%;
• France regained the southwestern territories that belonged to England under the Treaty of Paris (1259);
• England lost its continental possessions, except for the city of Calais with its environs (until 1558);
• On the territory of England, serious armed conflicts began between influential aristocratic dynasties (the Wars of the Roses 1455-1485);
• The English treasury was practically empty;
• Improved weapons and equipment;
• There was a standing army.

An outstanding personality of the Anglo-French confrontation is undoubtedly Joan of Arc, who became the national heroine of France. According to legend, the Maid of Orleans received the divine gift of foresight, which helped the French cope with the British besieging Orleans and rally for new decisive actions. In 1430 Jeanne was captured, and in 1431 she was recognized by the British as a heretic and burned.

Rice. 3. Joan of Arc.

What have we learned?

From an article on history (grade 6), we learned briefly about the Hundred Years War, which lasted about 116 years, taking into account truces. We found out its reasons, who won, the significance for both countries; traced the course of hostilities from 1337 to 1453.

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