The Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War

Between 1337 and 1453, England and France fought a series of battles for control over lands in France.  Known as the  Hundred Years' War , this long conflict contributed to the erosion of feudalism in England and in France.

Multiple Choice

The Hundred years war lasted..

• Over a hundred years..

• Under a hundred years..

English monarchs had long claimed lands in France. This was because earlier English kings had actually been feudal lords over these French fiefs. French kings now disputed these claims.  When Philip VI of France declared that the French fiefs of Edward III, King of England, were part of Philip's own realm, war broke out in France.

Early English Successes 

Despite often being outnumbered, the English won most of the early battles of the war. What happened at the Battle of Crécy (KRAY-see) demonstrates why.

Two quite different armies faced each other at the French village of Crécy in 1346. The French had a feudal army that relied on horse-mounted knights. French knights wore heavy armor that made it difficult to move when not on horseback. Their weapons were swords and lances. Some of the infantry, or foot soldiers, used crossbows, which were effective only at short ranges.

In contrast, the English army was composed of lightly armored knights, foot soldiers, and archers armed with longbows. Some soldiers were recruited from the common people and paid to fight.

The longbow had many advantages over the crossbow. Larger arrows could be fired more quickly. The arrows flew farther, faster, and more accurately, and could pierce the armor of the time. At Crécy, the longbow helped the English defeat the much larger French force.

The French Fight Back 

The French slowly chipped away at the territory that the English had won in the early years of the war. In 1415, after a long truce, English King Henry V again invaded France. This time, the English were met with stronger resistance, partly because the French were now using more modern tactics. The French king was recruiting his army from commoners and paying them with money collected by taxes, just as the English did.

Another reason for increased French resistance was a new sense of national identity and unity. In part, the French were inspired by a 17-year-old peasant girl, known today as Joan of Arc.  Joan claimed that she heard the voices of saints urging her to save France.  Disguised as a boy, she put on a suit of armor and set out to fight.

In 1429, Joan led a French army to victory in the Battle of Orléans (OR-lay-uhn). The following year, the “Maid of Orléans” was captured by English allies. The English pushed certain Church leaders to accuse Joan of being a witch and a heretic and to burn her at the stake.

Joan of Arc's heroism changed the way many French men and women felt about their king and nation. Twenty-two years after Joan's death, the French finally drove the English out of France. Almost 500 years later, the Roman Catholic Church made Joan a saint.

The Impact of the Hundred Years' War

 The Hundred Years' War contributed to the decline of feudalism by helping to shift power from feudal lords to monarchs and to common people. During the struggle, monarchs on both sides had collected taxes and raised large professional armies. As a result, kings no longer relied extensively on nobles to supply knights for the army.

Multiple Choice

The Hundred Years' War contributed to the decline of feudalism by helping to shift power from feudal lords to monarchs and to common people

• True

• False

In addition, changes in military technology reduced the need for nobles' knights and castles.  The longbow proved to be an effective weapon against mounted knights.  Castles also became less effective as armies began using gunpowder to shoot iron balls from cannons and blast holes in castle walls.

The new feeling of nationalism also shifted power away from lords. Previously, many English and French peasants felt more loyalty to their local lords than to their monarch. The war created a new sense of national unity and patriotism on both sides.

In both France and England, commoners and peasants bore the heaviest burden of the war. They were forced to fight and to pay higher and more frequent taxes. Those who survived the war, however, were needed as soldiers and workers. For this reason, the common people emerged from the conflict with greater influence and power.

Multiple Choice

How did the Hundred Years’ War start?

• The war began when the king of France challenged Germanys claim to fiefs in what is now the country of France.

• The war began when the king of France challenged England’s claim to fiefs in what is now the country of France.

Multiple Choice

Why were the English able to defeat the French in early battles, such as the one at Crécy?

• The English army relied on archers armed with longbows, which had advantages over the crossbows used by soldiers fighting for France

• The English army relied on Crossbows armed with longbows, which had advantages over the arches used by soldiers fighting for France

Multiple Choice

Joan was a ...

• Male

• Female

Multiple Choice

Who was Joan of Arc?

• Joan of Arc was a 17-year-old peasant boy who claimed he heard the voices of saints urging him to save France

• Joan of Arc was a 17-year-old peasant girl who claimed she heard the voices of saints urging her to save France