1415 the events of the Hundred Years War. Main steps

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 assumed the title of king of the French. 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 position, 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 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 the same 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 their opponent's troubles 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 same 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 familiar 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 considerable 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, she repeatedly demonstrated her 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 Joan of 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, thus, 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 continued even 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).

The Hundred Years' War is a series of military conflicts between England and France that lasted approximately from 1337 to 1453.

Reasons for the start of the war

1337 - The French governor of Flanders arrested merchants from England trading here. In response, the import of wool from Flanders to England was banned, which could threaten the ruin of the Flemish cities, which lived at the expense of English trade. They rebelled against French rule, and received open support from the British.

Beginning of the Hundred Years War - 1337

1337, November - French flotilla attacked the English coast. After that, King Edward III of England declared war on France. On his mother's side, he was the grandson of King Philip IV the Handsome and claimed the throne of France.

1340, June - The British won the naval battle of Sluys at the mouth of the Scheldt River, thereby securing control of the English Channel. In this battle, the French squadron was reinforced by ships hired from the Genoese, but this did not save it from defeat. The British fleet, in turn, was reinforced by light Flemish ships. The French admirals hoped that in a cramped bay the enemy fleet would not be able to maneuver freely. But King Edward was able to rebuild his fleet downwind and break through the line of French ships. After the victory at Sluys, the British gained dominance at sea.

The English expeditionary force landed in Flanders, but failed to capture the fortress of Tournai, occupied by the French garrison. King Edward III of England signed a truce with King Philip VI of France. It lasted until 1346, when the British landed immediately in Normandy, Guyenne and Flanders.

The first successes were achieved in the south, where the British troops were able to capture almost all the castles. The main forces under the command of Edward were operating in Normandy. They numbered 4,000 cavalry, 10,000 English and Welsh archers, and 6,000 Irish spearmen. Edward moved to Flanders. The king of France came to meet him with 10,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry. Despite the fact that the French destroyed the bridges, Edward managed to force the Seine and the Somme, and in August 1346 he went to the village of Cressy, where he decided to give battle to the French pursuing him.

The English troops lined up in battle formation at a height facing the enemy with a gentle slope. The right flank was reliably covered by a steep slope and dense forest, the left - by a large forest, which would take a lot of time to bypass. Edward hastened his knights, and sent the horses to the wagon train, hidden behind the back slope of the hill. The knights stood interspersed with the archers, who lined up in a checkerboard pattern in 5 lines.

On the night of August 26, the French army entered the Abbeville area, about 20 km from the British camp. The French had a significant numerical superiority over the enemy, especially in knightly cavalry, but they were badly organized. The knights did not obey a single command well.

At 3 pm the French approached Cressy. Considering that his warriors were tired after a long march, Philip decided to postpone the attack until the next day. But, seeing the English army, the knights already rushed into battle. Then the king of France sent crossbowmen to help them. But English bows shot farther than crossbows, and archers spent less time on each shot. The crossbowmen did not have the opportunity to use their advantage in shooting accuracy and almost all fled or were killed.

Meanwhile, the French knights managed to line up in battle order. The left wing was commanded by the Count of Alençon, the right wing by the Count of Flanders. During the offensive, the mounted knights trampled on some of their crossbowmen. The French were forced to climb the hillside under a cloud of arrows. Those who managed to get to the enemy line could not withstand the fight with the dismounted English knights. The French were only able to slightly push the right flank of the British, but Edward transferred 20 knights from the center there and quickly restored the situation.

The French lost 11 princes, 1,200 knights and 4,000 ordinary cavalry and squires, as well as a significant number of foot soldiers. Philip's army retreated from the battlefield in disarray.

The British had much smaller losses, but they did not pursue the enemy. The dismounted knights needed a long time to get back on their horses, and during this time the French cavalry was already far away.

Conclusion of a truce from 1347 to 1355 (8 years)

After the victory at Cressy, Edward laid siege to Calais. The fortress fell in 1347 after an 11-month siege. The British occupied the territory between the rivers Laura and Garonne. 1347 - a truce was concluded, which lasted 8 years.

1355 - hostilities resumed. The British troops went on the offensive in the north and south. 1356 - The English, under the leadership of Edward, the "Black Prince", the eldest son of King Edward III, landed in southwestern France and laid siege to the fortress of Ramorantin near Orleans. The English army had 1,800 knights, 2,000 archers and several thousand lancers.

Soon, the King of France, John II the Good, at the head of 3,000 knights and an infantry detachment, unblocked the fortress. Edward retreated to Poitiers. He began negotiations for a truce, and then began to withdraw. The vanguard of the French pursuing the British came under fire from archers, and then was counterattacked by mounted knights.

On the shoulders of the French cavalry, the British broke into the battle formation of the main French forces. John ordered the knights to dismount, hoping to repeat the success of Edward III at Cressy, but the panic-stricken army could no longer resist. Not everyone was able to escape. Many knights, along with the king, were captured. To ransom John from captivity, a special tax had to be introduced.

The setbacks in the war and the growing tax burden caused an uprising in Paris and the cities of Northern France. 1358 - a large peasant uprising broke out, called Jacquerie, but the Dauphin (heir to the throne) Charles managed to suppress it a few months later.

Peace from 1360 to 1369 (9 years)

1360 - peace was concluded in Brétigny, according to which the French ceded Calais and the southwestern coast to the British. Returning to Paris, John began to prepare for the continuation of the struggle. He created a strong fleet, streamlined the recruitment of troops, and repaired the fortress walls. 1369 - the war resumed.

Truce in the Hundred Years' War from 1380 to 1415 (aged 35)

Now the French are on the offensive. They avoided major clashes, but carried out actions on enemy communications and blocked small detachments and garrisons of the British. 1372 - The allied Castilian (Spanish) fleet of France defeated the British fleet at La Rochelle. That made it difficult for the British to transfer reinforcements from the British Isles. By the end of 1374 they held only the cities of Calais, Bordeaux, Brest, Cherbourg and Bayonne in France. 1380 - a truce was concluded, which lasted 35 years.

1415 - A large English army under the command of King Henry V again invaded French territory. She captured the fortress of Gafleur at the mouth of the Seine and advanced to Flanders through Abbeville. But at the Somme, Henry's army was met by well-fortified French troops. The British did not force the river, but went to its upper reaches, where they could easily cross to the right bank.

The French followed a parallel march. On October 25, at Agincourt, they overtook the enemy and blocked his further movement. The French army numbered from 4 to 6,000 knights, crossbowmen and spearmen. The Duke of Brabant hurried with his army to help the main forces of the French. But he arrived with the vanguard only at the very end of the battle and could no longer influence its outcome.

The French settled down on a plowed field between two forests. Their front was about 500 m. Part of the knights dismounted, and the other part formed two cavalry detachments that stood on the flanks of the position. The British army, numbering 9,000 thousand people, had a significant numerical superiority. But the French had more mounted knights - 2–3,000 versus 1,000 from the British.

Henry hastened his knights and placed them interspersed with archers. It rained all night before the start of the battle. The British went on the offensive across a muddy plowed field, along which knights in heavy armor moved with difficulty. Heinrich ordered them to stay where they were. The archers, having approached the enemy at a distance of an effective shot, quickly built a palisade from the stakes they had and began to hit the enemy knights with arrows. The French counterattack was repulsed.

The retreating mounted knights upset the order of battle of their own infantry. Then the dismounted knights of the English arrived in time and, together with the archers, rushed to the attack. With the help of special darsonniers, the French knights were dragged off their horses. Many of them were taken prisoner. The overturned French army retreated in disorder. The English, as usual, did not pursue, because it took a long time for the dismounted knights to reach their horses in the rear.

In the following years, the French suffered a number of defeats. 1419 - The Duke of Burgundy became allies of the British. 1420 - peace was concluded in Troyes, which gave a good half of France under the control of the British, and the mentally ill king of France, Charles VI the Mad, recognized the English king Henry V as his heir. But the son of Charles the Mad, Dauphin Charles, did not recognize this agreement, and the war continued.

1421 - French troops, with the help of the allies of the Scots, defeated the British at the Battle of God. 1422 - Charles the Mad died and his son ascended the throne. But in the next two years, the French army suffered new defeats, and the British did not recognize Charles VII as the French king.

1428 - The British and their Burgundian allies occupied the capital of France and laid siege to Orleans on October 8. The stone walls of this fortress with 31 towers were considered impregnable, and the British were going to starve Orleans out. The siege lasted 7 months.

The British blockade line around Orleans stretched for 7 km and consisted of 11 fortifications. In the spring of 1429, an English detachment of 5,000 people remained near Orleans. King Charles VII of France came to the rescue of Orleans with 6,000 army. At the same time, an English detachment with a food convoy was heading towards Orleans. Charles's troops attacked this detachment near the city of Rouvre, but the British took cover behind a well-fortified palisade and well-aimed archery forced the enemy knights to retreat in disarray.

Joan of Arc in the Hundred Years War

Charles VII was about to withdraw to Provence. But here in the struggle near Orleans there was a turning point associated with the name of Joan of Arc, later nicknamed the Maid of Orleans.

18-year-old, the daughter of a peasant from the village of Domremy, in March 1429, dressed in a man's dress, arrived in the city of Chinon, where King Charles was. She told the king that she was sent by God to save him and the people.

Charles allowed Jeanne to form a detachment of volunteers to deblockade Orleans. This detachment was created in the city of Blois.

Jeanne was able to introduce iron discipline among her people. She removed women from the camp, banned robbery and foul language, and made it mandatory for everyone to attend church services. The people saw Jeanne as a new saint. In Blois, she issued a proclamation, where she addressed the British with a formidable warning: "Go away, or I will kick you out of France", "Those who do not get out kindly will be destroyed." These words encouraged the French and inspired them to believe in victory.

1429, April 27 - the campaign for the liberation of France began. At the insistence of the military leaders, Jeanne led her detachment to Orleans on the left bank of the Loire. She herself advocated the movement of the right bank. Then the French would not have had to cross the river, although they would have been forced to pass the heavily fortified castles occupied by the British.

On the morning of the 29th, the French passed the southern English fortifications. But the Loire still had to be crossed. The headwind prevented the French ships from ascending the river. Jeanne predicted that the direction of the wind would soon change. In fact, the wind soon changed to a fair one, and the ships arrived at Chessy, where Jeanne's detachment was. But there were too few of them. Jeanne crossed with only 200 horsemen, and returned the rest of the soldiers to Blois in order to continue to follow the right bank to Orleans.

Upon arrival in Orleans, Jeanne demanded that the British leave French soil. The English commander, in response, promised to burn Jeanne if she fell into his hands. On May 4, part of the Orleans garrison, led by Jeanne, left the city to meet her detachment, which had come from Blois. The French passed the English fortifications without hindrance. The English blockade force was too weak to attack them.

On May 6, the French attacked Augustine's Bastille and captured it after a fierce battle. On May 7, Jeanne led the attack on the last English fortification on the left bank of the Loire. She was wounded by an arrow, but continued to inspire the warriors until the English tower was taken. The next day, the British lifted the siege of Orleans and retreated.

On September 8, Charles allowed his army to storm Paris, but the attack ended in failure. The French retreated to the Loire. In the future, the fighting concentrated at Compiègne, where the Burgundians, allies of the British, operated. 1430 - in one of the skirmishes, the Burgundian detachment captured the Virgin of Orleans.

1431 - Joan was tried in Rouen, convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake as a witch. 1456 - as a result of a new trial, she was posthumously rehabilitated, and in 1920 the Catholic Church canonized her as a saint.

The results of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453)

The death of Joan of Arc did not change the unfavorable course of the Hundred Years War for the British. 1435 - the Duke of Burgundy went over to the side of Charles VII, which predetermined the final defeat of the British. The following year, French troops liberated Paris. Normandy came under French control by 1450 and Guyenne, with the exception of Bordeaux, by 1451. In 1453, the Hundred Years War ended with the capitulation of the English garrison of Bordeaux - without the formal signing of any peace treaty, the natural course of things. The British managed to keep only the port of Calais in France. He went to France only in 1558.

England failed to conquer France, and France failed to annex the lands of Flanders. The French kings had much more manpower than the English, and this doomed the English occupation of France to failure. The British simply did not have enough strength to hold the occupied territories. In addition, they did not succeed in attracting any of the major French feudal lords to their side for any length of time.

But the French troops, which consisted mainly of a knightly militia, were inferior in combat training to the English infantry archers. In addition, the French knights did not obey a single command well. All this did not allow the British army to inflict such a defeat that could radically suppress its power. The French could not land on the British Isles because of the English domination of the sea. There is no reliable data on the losses of the parties in the Hundred Years War.

The Hundred Years War (French Guerre de Cent Ans, English Hundred Years "War) is a series of military conflicts between England and its allies, on the one hand, and France and its allies, on the other, lasting from about 1337 to 1453. The reason for these conflicts were the claims to the French throne of the English royal Plantagenet dynasty, seeking to return the territories on the continent that previously belonged to the English kings.The Plantagenets were also connected by ties of kinship with the French Capetian dynasty.France, in turn, sought to oust the British from Guyenne, which was assigned to them Treaty of Paris in 1259. Despite initial successes, England never achieved its goal in the war, and as a result of the war on the continent, she was left with only the port of Calais, which she held until 1558.

The war lasted 116 years (with interruptions). Strictly speaking, it was rather a series of conflicts: the first (Edwardian War) continued in 1337-1360, the second (Carolingian War) - in 1369-1389, the third (Lancaster War) - in 1415-1429, the fourth - in 1429-1453. The term "Hundred Years War" as a generic name for these conflicts appeared later. Starting with a dynastic conflict, the war subsequently acquired a national connotation in connection with the formation of the English and French nations. Due to numerous military clashes, epidemics, famine and murder, the population of France decreased by two-thirds as a result of the war. From the point of view of military affairs, in the course of the war, new types of weapons and military equipment appeared, new tactical and strategic methods were developed that destroyed the foundations of the old feudal armies. In particular, the first standing armies appeared.

The reasons

The war was started by the English king Edward III, who was the maternal grandson of the French king Philip IV the Handsome from the Capetian dynasty. After the death in 1328 of Charles IV, the last of the direct branch of the Capetians, and the coronation of Philip VI (Valois) under Salic law, Edward claimed the French throne. In addition, the monarchs fought over the economically important region of Gascony, nominally owned by the English king, but actually controlled by France. In addition, Edward wanted to regain the territories lost by his father. For his part, Philip VI demanded that Edward III recognize him as a sovereign sovereign. The compromise homage concluded in 1329 did not satisfy either side. However, in 1331, faced with internal problems, Edward recognized Philip as king of France and abandoned his claim to the French throne (in exchange for this, the British retained their rights to Gascony).

In 1333, Edward went to war with the Scottish king David II, an ally of France. In conditions when the attention of the British was riveted to Scotland, Philip VI decided to seize the opportunity and annex Gascony. However, the war was successful for the British, and already in July David was forced to flee to France after the defeat at Halidon Hill. In 1336, Philip began to make plans for a landing in the British Isles for the coronation of David II on the Scottish throne, while planning to annex Gascony. Hostility in relations between the two countries escalated to the limit.

In the autumn of 1337, the British launched an offensive in Picardy. They were supported by the Flemish cities and feudal lords and the cities of southwestern France.

The state of the armed forces of France on the eve of the war

The French army at the time of the outbreak of the war consisted of a feudal knightly militia, soldiers called up for war on a contract basis (they included both commoners and representatives of the nobility with whom the government entered into oral or written contracts) and foreign mercenaries (these included and detachments of famous Genoese crossbowmen). The military elite consisted of detachments of the feudal militia. By the time the conflict began, the number of knights capable of bearing arms was 2350-4000 warriors. By that time, the knightly estate had become practically a closed caste. The system of universal conscription, which formally existed in France, had practically disappeared by the time the war began. The cities, however, were able to field large military contingents, including cavalry and artillery. All warriors were paid for their service. The infantry outnumbered the cavalry.

First stage

The start of the war was successful for Edward III. Edward during the first years of the war managed to make alliances with the rulers of the Low Countries and the burghers of Flanders, but after several unsuccessful campaigns, the alliance broke up in 1340. The subsidies allocated by Edward III to the German princes, as well as the costs of maintaining an army abroad, led to the bankruptcy of the English treasury, hitting hard on Edward's prestige. At first, France had superiority at sea, hiring ships and sailors from Genoa. This caused constant fears of a possible threat of the invasion of Philip's troops on the British Isles, which forced Edward III to go to additional expenses, buying wood in Flanders for the construction of ships. Be that as it may, 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 that, until the end of the war, the fleet of Edward III had dominance at sea, controlling the English Channel.

In 1341 the War of the Breton Succession broke out, with Edward supporting Jean de Montfort and Philip supporting Charles de Blois. During the following years, the war took place in Brittany, and the city of Vannes changed hands several times. Further military campaigns in Gascony met with mixed success on both sides. In 1346, Edward crossed the English Channel and invaded France, landing with an army on the Cotentin Peninsula. Within one day, the English army captured Caen, which caused bewilderment of the French command, which was expecting a long siege of the city. Philip, having gathered an army, moved towards Edward. Edward moved his troops north into the Low Countries. Along the way, his army plundered and looted, and the king himself did not make any efforts to systematically capture and hold the territory. Unable to outmanoeuvre the enemy, Edward positioned his forces in preparation for the coming battle. Philip's troops attacked Edward's army at the famous Battle of Crécy on August 26, 1346, which ended in a catastrophic defeat for the French troops. The English troops continued their unhindered advance to the north and laid siege to Calais, which was taken in 1347. This event was an important strategic success for the British, allowing Edward III to keep his forces on the Continent. In the same year, after the victory at Neville's Cross and the capture of David II, the threat from Scotland was eliminated.

In 1346-1351, a plague pandemic (“Black Death”) swept through Europe, claiming hundreds of times more lives than the war, and undoubtedly affecting the activity of hostilities. One of the remarkable military episodes of this period is the battle of thirty between thirty English knights and squires and thirty French knights and squires, which took place on March 26, 1351.

By 1356, England was able to restore its finances after a swept plague epidemic. In 1356, an English army of 30,000 under the command of Edward III's son the Black Prince, launching an invasion from Gascony, inflicted a crushing defeat on the French at the Battle of Poitiers, capturing King John II the Good. John the Good signed a truce with Edward. During his captivity, the French government began to fall apart. In 1359, the Treaty of London was signed, according to which the English crown received Aquitaine, and John was set free. Military failures and economic difficulties led to popular indignations - the Parisian uprising (1357-1358) and the Jacquerie (1358). Edward's troops invaded France for the third time. Using a favorable situation, Edward tried to take Paris and seize the throne. Despite the difficult situation in which France was, Edward failed to capture either Paris or Reims. The Dauphin of France, the future King Charles V, 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, Pontier, and about half of the vassal possessions of France. The French crown thus lost a third of the territory of France.

Peaceful period (1360-1369)

When the son of John II the Good, Louis of Anjou, sent to England as a hostage and guarantor that John II would not escape, fled in 1362, John II, following his knightly honor, returned to English captivity. After John died in honorary captivity in 1364, Charles V became king of France.

The peace signed at Brétigny excluded Edward's right to claim the French crown. At the same time, Edward expanded his possessions in Aquitaine and firmly secured Calais. In fact, Edward never again claimed the French throne, and Charles V began to make plans to reconquer the lands occupied by the British. In 1369, under the pretext of Edward's non-compliance with the terms of the peace treaty signed at Brétigny, Charles announced

Strengthening France. truce

Taking advantage of the respite, the French King Charles V reorganized the army, reinforced it with artillery, and carried out economic reforms. 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 War of the Breton Succession ended with the victory of the British at the Battle of Auray, the Breton dukes showed loyalty to the French authorities, and the Breton knight Bertrand du Guesclin even became the constable of France. At the same time, the Black Prince was busy with the war in the Iberian Peninsula since 1366, and Edward III was too old to command the troops. All this favored France. Pedro of Castile, whose daughters Constance and Isabella were married to the Black Prince's brothers John of Gaunt and Edmund Langley, was removed from the throne in 1370 by Enrique II with the support of the French under du Guesclin. War broke out between Castile and France, on the one hand, and Portugal and England, on the other. With the death of Sir John Chandos, seneschal of Poitou, and the capture of Captal de Bouche, England lost her best military leaders in their person. Du Guesclin, following a cautious "Fabian" strategy, in a series of campaigns, avoiding clashes with large English armies, liberated many cities, such as Poitiers (1372) and Bergerac (1377). The allied Franco-Castilian fleet won a landslide victory at La Rochelle, destroying the English squadron. For its part, the British command undertook a series of devastating predatory raids, but du Guesclin again managed to avoid clashes.

With the death of the Black Prince in 1376 and Edward III in 1377, the Prince's minor son, Richard II, succeeded to the English throne. Bertrand du Guesclin died in 1380, but England had a new threat in the north from Scotland. In 1388, the English troops were defeated by the Scots at the Battle of Otterbourne. Due to the extreme exhaustion of both sides in 1396, they concluded a truce.

Truce (1396-1415)

At this time, the French king Charles VI went mad, and soon a new armed conflict broke out between his cousin, the Duke of Burgundy, Jean the Fearless, and his brother, Louis of Orleans. After the assassination of Louis Armagnac, who opposed the party of Jean the Fearless, seized power. By 1410, both sides wanted to call on English troops to their aid. England, weakened by internal unrest and uprisings in Ireland and Wales, entered into a new war with Scotland. In addition, two more civil wars raged in the country. Richard II spent most of his reign fighting Ireland. By the time of the removal of Richard and the accession of Henry IV to the English throne, the Irish problem had not been solved. On top of that, an uprising broke out in Wales under the leadership of Owain Glyndŵr, which was finally suppressed only by 1415. For several years, Wales was actually an independent country. Taking advantage of the change of kings in England, the Scots carried out several raids into English lands. However, the English troops, who went on the counteroffensive, defeated the Scots at the Battle of Homildon Hill in 1402. Following these events, Count Henry Percy raised an uprising against the king, which resulted in a long and bloody struggle that ended only by 1408. In these difficult years, England, among other things, survived the raids of French and Scandinavian pirates, who dealt a heavy blow to her fleet and trade. In connection with all these problems, intervention in the affairs of France was postponed until 1415.

Third stage (1415-1420). Battle of Agincourt and occupation of France

From the time of his accession to the throne, the English king Henry IV made plans to invade France. However, only his son, Henry V, succeeded in realizing these plans. In 1414, he refused an alliance with the Armagnacs. His plans included the return of territories that belonged to the English crown under Henry II. In August 1415, his army landed near Arfleu and captured the city. Wanting to march to Paris, the king, out of caution, chose a different route, which ran to Calais, occupied by the British. Due to the fact that there was not enough food in the English army, and the English command made a number of strategic miscalculations, Henry V was forced to go on the defensive. Despite an unfavorable start to the campaign, at the Battle of Agincourt on October 25, 1415, the British won a decisive victory over the superior forces of the French.

Henry captured most of Normandy, including Caen (1417) and Rouen (1419). Having entered into an alliance with the Duke of Burgundy, who captured Paris after the assassination of Jean the Fearless in 1419, in five years the English king subjugated about half of the territory of France. In 1420, Henry met in negotiations with the mad King Charles VI, with whom he signed an agreement in Troyes, according to which Henry V was declared the heir to Charles VI the Mad, bypassing the legitimate heir of the Dauphin Charles (in the future - King Charles VII). After the treaty of Troyes, until 1801, the kings of England bore the title of kings of France. The following year, Henry entered Paris, where the treaty was officially confirmed by the Estates General.

Henry's successes ended with the landing of a six thousand strong Scottish army in France. In 1421, John Stewart, Earl of Buchan defeated the outnumbered English army at the Battle of Bozea. The English commander and most of the high ranking English commanders died in the battle. Shortly after this defeat, King Henry V dies at Meaux in 1422. His only one-year-old son was immediately crowned king of England and France, but the Armagnacs remained loyal to the son of King Charles, and the war continued.

In 1423, at the Battle of Cravan, the Franco-Scottish troops already suffered heavy losses. In this battle, about 4 thousand British managed to win, fighting an enemy three times their number. As a result of the defeat of the French troops, communication between Picardy and the south of France was interrupted. The territory that still supported the "legitimate king" was "cut" in half. Both parts were now forced to fight separately, unable to come to the aid of each other, which caused severe damage to the cause of Charles VII. The defeat at Cravan resulted in several more lost battles.

Continuing hostilities, in 1428 the British laid siege to Orleans. The French attack on the English supply train near the village of Rouvray near Orleans resulted in a battle, known in history as the "Battle of the Herrings" and ending with the victory of the British under the leadership of the knight John Fastolf. The year 1430 marked the emergence of Joan of Arc on the political arena.
The course of the Hundred Years War

Final fracture. Driving the British out of France

In 1424, Henry VI's uncles started a war for the regency, and one of them, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, married Jacob, Countess of Gennegau, seized Holland to restore her power over her former possessions, which led to a conflict with the Duke of Burgundy, Philip III.

By 1428, the British continued the war by laying siege to Orléans. Their forces were not enough to organize a complete blockade of the city, but the French troops that outnumbered them did not take any action. In 1429, Joan of Arc convinced the Dauphine to give her troops to lift the siege from Orleans. Raising the morale of her soldiers, at the head of the troops, she attacked the English siege fortifications, forcing the enemy to retreat, lifting the siege from the city. Inspired by Jeanne, the French liberated a number of important fortified Shortly thereafter, Jeanne defeated the English troops at Pates, opening the way to Reims, where the Dauphin was crowned as Charles VII.

In 1430 Joan was captured by the Burgundians and handed over to the British. But even her execution in 1431 did not affect the further course of the war. In 1435, the Burgundians went over to the side of the King of France, and Philip III, having signed the Treaty of Arras with Charles, gave Paris to him. The loyalty of the Burgundians was unreliable, but, be that as it may, the Burgundians, having concentrated their forces on conquests in the Netherlands, could no longer continue active hostilities in France. All this allowed Charles to reorganize the army and government. The French commanders, repeating du Guesclin's strategy, liberated city after city. In 1449, the French retook Rouen. At the battle of Formigny, the Comte de Clermont utterly defeated the English troops. On July 6, the French liberated Caen. An attempt by English troops under the command of John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury to retake Gascony, which remained loyal to the English crown, failed: the English troops suffered a crushing defeat at Castiglion in 1453. This battle was the last battle of the Hundred Years War. In 1453, the capitulation of the English garrison at Bordeaux ended the Hundred Years' War.

Consequences of the war

As a result of the war, England lost all its possessions on the continent, except for Calais, which remained part of England until 1558. The English crown lost vast territories in southwestern France that it had held since the 12th century. The madness of the English king plunged the country into a period of anarchy and civil strife, in which the warring houses of Lancaster and York were the central actors. In connection with the unfolding civil war, England did not have the strength and means to return the territories lost, as it turned out, forever, on the continent. On top of that, the treasury was devastated by military spending.

During the war, its character changed: starting with a classic feudal conflict between two claimants to lands subordinate to the French crown, it then developed into a war of two sovereign monarchs, increasingly acquiring a national character with wide involvement in the conflict of representatives of various sectors of society. The war had a strong influence on the development of military affairs: the role of the infantry increased on the battlefields, requiring less expenditure when creating large armies, and the first standing armies appeared. New types of weapons were invented, favorable conditions appeared for the development of firearms.

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:

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.

What could be worse than a war, when hundreds of thousands of people die for the interests of politicians and those in power. And all the more terrible are protracted military conflicts, during which people get used to living in conditions where death can overtake them at any moment, and human life has no value. This was precisely the reason, stages, results and biographies of the actors of which deserve careful study.

The reasons

Before studying what were the results of the Hundred Years War, one should understand its prerequisites. It all started with the fact that the sons of the French king Philip the Fourth left no male heirs. At the same time, the native grandson of the monarch from the daughter of Isabella, the English king Edward the Third, who ascended the throne of England in 1328 at the age of 16, was alive. However, he could not claim the throne of France under the Salic law. Thus, in France, she reigned in the person of Philip the Sixth, who was the nephew of Philip the Fourth, and Edward the Third in 1331 was forced to swear an oath of vassalage to him for Gascony, a French region considered the personal property of the English monarchs.

Beginning and first stage of the war (1337-1360)

6 years after the events described, Edward the Third decided to still fight for the throne of his grandfather and sent a challenge to Philip the Sixth. Thus began the Hundred Years War, the causes and results of which are of great interest to those who study the history of Europe. After the declaration of war, the British launched an attack on Picardy, in which they were supported by the inhabitants of Flanders and the feudal lords of the southwestern counties of France.

In the first years after the outbreak of the armed conflict, the fighting went on with varying success, until in 1340 there was a naval battle in Sluys. As a result of the British victory, the English Channel came under their control and remained so until the end of the war. Thus, in the summer of 1346, nothing could prevent the troops of Edward the Third from crossing the strait and capturing the city of Caen. From there, the English army followed to Crécy, where on August 26 the famous battle took place, which ended in their triumph, and in 1347 they also captured the city of Calais. In parallel with these events, hostilities were unfolding in Scotland. However, fortune continued to smile on Edward the Third, who defeated the army of this kingdom at the battle of Neville's Cross, and eliminated the threat of war on two fronts.

The plague pandemic and the conclusion of peace in Brétigny

In 1346-1351, the "Black Death" visited Europe. This plague pandemic claimed so many lives that there could be no question of continuing the fighting. The only highlight of this period, sung in ballads, was the Battle of the Thirty, when the English and French knights and squires staged a massive duel, which was watched by several hundred peasants. After the end of the pestilence, England again began military operations, which were mainly led by the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward the Third. In 1356 he defeated and captured the French king John II. Later, in 1360, the Dauphin of France, who was to become King Charles V, signed the so-called Peace of Brétigny on very unfavorable terms.

Thus, the results of the Hundred Years War at its first stage were as follows:

• France was completely demoralized;
• England acquired half of Brittany, Aquitaine, Poitiers, Calais and almost half of the enemy's vassal possessions, i.e. John the Second lost power over a third of the territory of his country;
• Edward the Third undertook, on his own behalf and on behalf of his descendants, no longer to claim the throne of his grandfather;
• the second son of John the Second - Louis of Anjou - was sent to London as a hostage in exchange for the return of his father to France.

Peaceful period from 1360 to 1369

After the cessation of hostilities, the peoples of the countries involved in the conflict received a respite that lasted 9 years. During this time, Louis of Anjou escaped from England, and his father, being a knight true to his word, went into voluntary captivity, where he died. After his death, he ascended the throne of France, who in 1369 unjustly accused the British of violating the peace treaty and resumed hostilities against them.

Second phase

Usually, those who study the course and results of the Hundred Years' War characterize the time interval between 1369 and 1396 as a series of constant battles, in which, in addition to the main participants, the kingdoms of Castile, Portugal and Scotland were also involved. During this period, the following important events took place:

• in 1370 in Castile, with the help of the French, Enrique II came to power, who became their faithful ally;
• two years later the city of Poitiers was liberated;
• in 1372, at the battle of La Rochelle, the Franco-Castilian combined fleet defeated the English squadron;
• 4 years later the Black Prince died;
• in 1377, Edward III died, and the minor Richard II ascended the throne of England;
• from 1392 the king of France showed signs of insanity;
• four years later, a truce was concluded, caused by the extreme exhaustion of the opponents.

Truce (1396-1415)

When the madness of the king became obvious to everyone, internecine strife began in the country, in which the Armagnac party won. The situation was no better in England, which entered into a new war with Scotland, which, moreover, was supposed to pacify the rebellions of Ireland and Wales. In addition, Richard II was overthrown there, and Henry the Fourth, and then his son, reigned on the throne. Thus, until 1415, both countries were unable to continue the war and were in a state of armed truce.

Third stage (1415-1428)

Those who study the course and consequences of the Hundred Years War usually call its most interesting event the emergence of such a historical phenomenon as a female warrior who was able to become the head of an army of feudal knights. We are talking about Joan of Arc, born in 1412, whose personality was greatly influenced by the events that took place in 1415-1428. Historical science considers this period the third stage of the Hundred Years War and highlights the following events as key ones:

• the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, which was won by Henry V;
• the signing of an agreement at Troyes, according to which the distraught king Charles the Sixth declared the king of England his heir;
• the capture of Paris by the British in 1421;
• the death of Henry the Fifth and the declaration of his one-year-old son as king of England and France;
• the defeat of the former Dauphin Charles, whom a significant part of the French considered the rightful king, at the Battle of Cravan;
• the British siege of Orleans, which began in 1428, during which the world first learned the name of Joan of Arc.

End of the war (1428-1453)

The city of Orleans was of great strategic importance. If the British managed to capture it, then the answer to the question "what are the results of the Hundred Years War" would be completely different, and the French could even lose their independence. Fortunately for this country, a girl was sent down to her, calling herself Jeanne the Virgin. She arrived at the Dauphin Charles in March 1429 and announced that the Lord had commanded her to stand at the head of the French army and lift the siege of Orleans. After a series of interrogations and trials, Karl believed her and appointed her commander in chief of his troops. As a result, on May 8, Orleans was saved, on June 18, Jeanne's army defeated the British army at the Battle of Pat, and on June 29, at the insistence of the Virgin of Orleans, the Dauphin's “Bloody Campaign” began in Reims. There he was crowned as Charles the Seventh, but soon after that he stopped listening to the advice of the warrior.

A few years later, Jeanne was captured by the Burgundians, who handed the girl over to the British, who executed her, accusing her of heresy and idolatry. However, the results of the Hundred Years' War were already a foregone conclusion, and even the death of the Virgin of Orleans could not prevent the liberation of France. The last battle in this war was the Battle of Castillon, when the British lost Gascony, which had been theirs for over 250 years.

Results of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453)

As a result of this protracted inter-dynastic armed conflict, England lost all its continental territories in France, retaining only the port of Calais. In addition, in response to the question of what were the results of the Hundred Years War, specialists in the field of military history answer that as a result of it, the methods of warfare changed dramatically, and new types of weapons were created.

Consequences of the Hundred Years' War

The echoes of this armed conflict predetermined relations between England and France for centuries to come. In particular, until 1801, the English, and then the monarchs of Great Britain, bore the title of kings of France, which in no way contributed to the establishment of friendly ties.

Now you know when the Hundred Years War took place, the causes, course, results and motives of the main characters of which have been the subject of study by many historians for almost 6 centuries.