Transcript The Hundred Years` War - World His

The High to Late Middle Ages
High Middle Ages 1000-1300
Late Middle Ages 1300-1500
Y Feudalism losing its place as the basis of
society
Y Rise of nation-states
Y What is a nation-state? Centralized authority
over a state and united by cultural identity.
J Case Study: Watch England (in brief)
N Fall of Roman Empire, overrun by Anglos,
Saxons and Vikings
N European identity emerged with the
Norman conquest by William the
Conqueror in 1066
N 1215 English king John forced to sign the
Magna Carta by powerful nobles
N Enter the 100 Year’s War, emerge a
centralized nation state
National Monarchies
England:
Early Middle Ages: Anglo-Saxon and
Viking invasions
High Middle Ages:
England now had stronger kings with
centralized authority and many loyal barons.
England became the first truly unified
state under William the Conqueror. In 1066
he brought the Normans, descendents of
the Vikings, across and conquered Harold,
the Saxon King
The Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest of
Britain in 1066 AD.
William the Conqueror (aka
William of Normandy) invaded
England and in the Battle of
Hastings, he defeats his rival
and claims himself King of
England.
Although William is the King
of England, he also controls
lands in France.
From here on out, it is English
rulers’ goal to control lands in
both England and France.
King John and the Magna Carta
1215
By 1215, the English
monarchs are well
established.
Famous couple King
Henry II and Queen
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Produced Richard the
Lionhearted and King
John (Prince
Lackland!!!)
King John- wages
unsuccessful wars to
gain land in France
Thus raises taxes &
quarrels with the Pope
Irate nobles force
John to Runnymede to
sign the Magna Carta
Key contribution:
establishes notion of
limited government
used later in history
The Magna Carta- in modern
day terms
I, King John, accept that I have to govern according
to the law.
So I agree:
1. Not to imprison nobles without trial
2. That trials must be in courts; not held in
secret by me
3. To have fair taxation for the nobles
4. To let freemen travel wherever they like
5. Not to interfere in Church matters
6. Not to seize crops without paying for them
…. and lot more things too!!
By the 1300’s England and France at
war over land once more. This time
a century of war will change the
face of Europe forever…..
The Hundred Year’s
War
The Hundred Years War
The term "Hundred Years War" was a
historical term used by historians to
describe a series of events in the 14th and
15th centuries.
The conflict was between France and
England, lasting 116 years, though there
were long periods between battles.
It was fought primarily over claims by the
English kings to the French throne.
Root: 1. Desire for land and Power
A. Desire to
maintain control,
even expand
Some English kings even
marry into the French
nobility and gain more lands
through marriage.
King Henry II does this and
therefore he is king of
England and a vassal in
France.
Root: Desire for land and Power
B. Disruption of English wool
trade in Flanders
Wool from England was made into cloth in
Flanders (modern day Belgium)
When the French attempted to control
Flanders, the wool trade was disrupted,
causing a problem for the English king whose
revenues came to a large degree from a tax
on wool going to Flanders
C. Controversy Over Succession
King of France- French law forbade inheritance
Through the female line.
King Philip IV
So the French
selected Charles
Charles of Valois
Isabella of France
Edward II of England
Edward III
Philip of Valois
Controversy Over Succession
Following the death of King
Philip IV in 1314, the French
nobility selected Philip of
Valois, a nephew of the last
king through the male line to
become the new king.
Y He was chosen in preference
to King Edward III of
England, whose mother was the
daughter of the late king.
In 1340, Edward III claimed
the title “King of France.” and
the war starts…
A Struggle for National Identity
France was
NOT a united
country before
the war began.
The French king
only controlled
about half of
the country.
Military Characteristics
The War was a series of
short raids and expeditions
punctuated by a few major
battles, marked off by
truces or ineffective
treaties.
Y The relative strengths of each
country dictated the sporadic
nature of the struggle.
French Advantages
Population of about 16,000,000.
Far richer and more populous than
England.
At one point, the French fielded an
army of over 50,000  at most,
Britain mustered only 32,000.
Heavier armor
British Advantages
Weapons Technologies- longbow
In almost every engagement, the
English were outnumbered.
Y Britain’s most successful strategies:
/ Avoid pitched battles.
/ Engage in quick, profitable raids
N Steal what you can.
N Destroy everything else.
N Capture enemy knights to hold
for ransom.
Early English Victories
The Battle of Crecy, 1346
The beginning of the end of classic chivalry.
French knights were exhausted from riding
all day to the battle field, only to have to
then storm up a hill while being cut down by
English archers.
The battle also saw the first use of cannons
on a European battlefield.
The outnumbered English completely
decimated the larger French army. The
French suffered over 15,000 casualties
compared to just a few hundred English.
Many French nobles are captured and held
for ransom following the battle.
The Effective Use of the
Cannon at Crecy, 1346
The Cannon
Long tubular piece of artillery that uses
gunpowder to launch a projectile.
The cannon transforms siege tactics and
the ways forts will be built to withstand
such power.
Later the large cannons would be replaced
by smaller cannons with wheels that were
much more maneuverable.
The Battle of Poitiers, 1356
Edwards the III son, Edward IV (known as
the “Black Prince of Whales” due to his
choice of armor) invaded France from
Gascony.
The Black Prince’s army soundly defeated
the French army due to a new technology,
the longbow.
The Black Prince was also able to capture
the new king of France, John II, and force
him to sign a treaty that gave French lands
to the English.
Without a king, France plunges into chaos.
The Battle of Poitiers, 1356
The Longbow as a Weapon
The use of the English
defensive position was
the use of the
longbow.
Its arrows had more
penetrating power
than a bolt from a
crossbow.
Y Could pierce an inch
of wood or the armor
of a knight at 200
yards!
A longbow could be
fired more rapidly.
Y 6 arrows per minute.
King Henry V
Renewed his family’s
claim to the French
throne.
At Agincourt in
1415, the English, led
by Henry himself,
goaded a larger
French army into
attacking a fortified
English position.
Y With the aid of
the dukes of
Burgundy, Henry
gained control
over Normandy,
Paris, and much of
northern France!
of England
A Burgundian Presence
Treaty of Troyes (1420)
Charles VI
Charles VII
Henry V
Catherine
Charles VI’s son [the
future Charles VII], was
declared illegitimate and
disinherited.
Henry V married Catherine,
the daughter of Charles VI.
Y Henry was declared
the legitimate heir to
the French throne!
A final English victory
seemed assured, but both
Charles VI and Henry V
died in 1422.
This left Henry’s infant
son, Henry VI [r. 14221461], to inherit BOTH
thrones.
The French “Reconquest”
The two kings’ deaths
ushered in the final stage
of the 100 Years’ War
[1422-1453].
Y Even though in 1428 the
military and political power
seemed firmly in British
hands, the French reversed
the situation.
In 1429, with the aid of
the mysterious Joan of
Arc, the French king,
Charles VII, was able to
raise the English siege of
Orleans.
Y This began the reconquest
of the north of France.
Joan of Arc (1412-1432)
The daughter of prosperous
peasants from an area of
Burgundy that had suffered
under the English.
Like many medieval mystics,
she reported regular visions
of divine revelation.
Y Her “voices” told her to go
to the king and assist him
in driving out the English.
She dressed like a man and
was Charles’ most
charismatic and feared
military leader!
Siege of Orleans: The Turning Point
Joan of Arc leads
the siege against the
English stronghold.
Joan is wounded
during the battle
but her faith and
charisma help lead
the French to a
victory.
The first major
French success to
follow the crushing
defeat at Agincourt
in 1415.
Cannons Used at Orleans
Joan Announces the Capture of
Orleans to the King
Joan of Arc (1412-1432)
She brought inspiration and a sense of national
identity and self-confidence.
With her aid, the king was crowned at Reims
[ending the “disinheritance”].
She was captured during an attack on Paris and
fell into English hands.
Y Because of her “unnatural dress” and claim to
divine guidance, she was condemned and burned
as a heretic in 1432.
Y She instantly became a symbol of French
resistance.
The End of the War
Despite Joan’s capture, the French
advance continued.
By 1450 the English had lost all their
major centers except Calais.
In 1453 the French armies captured
an English-held fortress at Castillon.
Y This was the last battle of the war.
There was not treaty, only a cessation
of hostilities.
Timeline of Occupation
The Hundred Years War
Rise of nation-states
Y What is a nation-state? Centralized authority over a
state and united by cultural identity.
Y Gives strong national identities to both England and
France.
Saw the introduction of new weapons such as the longbow, gunpowder
and the cannon. Military tactics would in turn be changed. (No more
knights in heavy armor on horseback).
Both countries see the weakening of feudal lords and the rise of
peasantry which would eventually lead to a middle class.
Along with the war, plague and famine would lead people to look for
answers that the Church could not provide. This shifted people’s
thinking and paved the way for the Reformation.
France Becomes a Unified Nation!
France in 1453