100 Years War Essay, Research Paper
The definition of the Golden Rule is that those with the gold make the regulations. In
other words, those with the gold have the power every bit good as those with the power have the
gold. History books will discourse the general grounds for war such as freedom from
hardship or freedom from faith. But the existent issue for any war is the thirst for power
and control ; and the agencies to finance them are the economic issues.
States will digest old ages of contending for power and control. France and England
fought each other for more than a 100 old ages to hold control of the Channel trade
paths. 1 This century of warring was known as The Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War and is the
longest war in record history. It began in 1337 when King Edward III invaded Normandy
and ended in 1453 when France won the Battle of Bordeaux. However, it was non a
hundred old ages of changeless conflict ; there were periods of armistices in between. 2
One cause for the Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War was the claim to the Gallic throne. The
struggle began when the direct line of sequence died without a male inheritor and the Lords
decided to go through the Crown to a cousin, Philip of Valois. But this left two other male
cousins every bit meriting of the Crown ; Charles, King of Navarre and Edward III, King of
England. 3 Edward III claimed that he himself was meriting of the throne because his
female parent was the sister of the late Gallic male monarch, while Philip VI was merely a cousin. But
harmonizing to Gallic jurisprudence, no adult females could inherit the throne, nor could the crown be
inherited through a adult female. 4
& # 8220 ; Philip of Valois opportunities of going King of France had been distant and he had
non been brought up as the hereafter lieutenant of God on Earth. Philip VI spent much of his
resources on amusement and finery with homosexual abandon. & # 8221 ; 5 This caused struggle with the
king & # 8217 ; s topics. Since the male monarch was considered to be sacred and inviolable, neither cousin
would dispute Philip VI. However, they would work the state of affairs and King Edward
III lost no clip and invaded Normandy with an ground forces of 10,000
work forces. 6
This leads to another cause for The Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War. The land along the
Channel and Atlantic seashores was England & # 8217 ; s first line of defence against an invasion.
England held claim to this district from the twelth century through the matrimony of King
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Edward III was determined to derive control of
the Gallic coastline while supplying himself with a foothold for future expeditions into
France. 7
But the major cause of The Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War was the economic involvement & # 8211 ; the
grosss to be gotten from this rich district. Wine was Gasgony & # 8217 ; s largest export merchandise
and major beginning of income to the liege. Wool was England & # 8217 ; s largest export merchandise and
the beginning of its wealth. English grazing lands produced fleeces that were the enviousness of Europe
which Flanders depended on for its wool and linen market. 8 English sheep agriculturists sold
their long all right wool to weavers in Flanders, across the English Channel. Flemish weavers
every bit good as English sheep agriculturists depended on this trade for their concern. In 1336, Philip
VI arrested all the English merchandisers in Flanders and took off all the privileges of the
Flemish towns and the trade clubs. Resulting in the Flemings revolting against the Gallic
control and doing an confederation with England. 9 Consequently, the booming market of
the industrial metropoliss of Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp and Ypres were of course coveted by the
Kings of France and England.
Furthermore, the Bordeaux seaport was within the boundary lines of English Gascony and
was the centre of the transportation and trading industry. Commodities such as grains, dairy
merchandises, dyes and salt would be shipped into Bordeaux via the Dordogne and Garonne
Rivers and the merchandisers were charged a imposts fee for these merchandises. Besides, Bordeaux
would have responsibilities on vino, whether shipped-in or grown on Gascon dirt.
Consequently, the net incomes from the tolls and imposts made Bordeaux the economic capital
of Gascony. Furthermore, control of neighbouring countries such as Guyenne and Calais were
economically critical. Their brotherhood with Bordeaux would guarantee England with a monopoly of
the transportation and trading industry from Spain, Portugal and Brittany. 10
France was the richest state in Europe and its ground forces was much larger than
England & # 8217 ; s. In add-on, France & # 8217 ; s ground forces consisted of hired soldier of fortunes. Therefore, France
should hold rapidly defeated England. But France & # 8217 ; s ground forces consisted of to a great extent armored
knights who were less nomadic against the nimble English fencers. The Gallic military
leaders shortly realized the bowman was the lone effectual when contending a pitched conflict.
Consequently, France implemented a strategic program which was to avoid active warfare and
to use the technique of diplomatic negotiations and grants. England could win conflicts, but
France could avoid them. Pitched conflicts were accepted merely when there was no
alternate. Otherwise, France would bust unprotected towns and small towns, take what they
could, so fire them to the land. 11
Meanwhile, England could depend on the trueness of her topics. The soldiers
were happy to have a salary and eager to contend on Gallic dirt. They could gain from
the looting while their places didn & # 8217 ; t endure and damage. Furthermore, England had
superior military tactics. They had perfected the contending technique of the longbow drawn
by free fencers. Even though the bowmans were below the knight on the societal ladder,
they were non ashamed to contend side by side. Subsequently, the bowman could destruct the
effectivity of a Gallic calvary charge. Besides, King Edward III was really popular with his
topics. He would contend beside his military personnels every bit good as to the folks at place. As good, his
16 twelvemonth old boy, the Black Prince, was a brilliant military leader. 12 He successfully
continued to take the English ground forcess into conflict against France. As a consequence, England won
most of the initial conflicts and kept the war in France. 13
One of the great English triumphs was the conflict at Crecy. The English were
outnumbered four to one by the Gallic, led by Philip VI. The English occupied the side
of a little hill, while the heavy figure of Gallic men-at-arms and hired Genoese
crossbowmen were at the pes of the hill on a field. The English were ready with their
new longbows at manus.
The Genovese crossbowmen attacked the English, but were excessively tired due to the
long twenty-four hours & # 8217 ; s March and because of an earlier rainstorm, their crossbow strings were free.
The English & # 8217 ; s longbow proved to be excessively much for the Genoese, so they dropped the
crossbows and began to run. King Philip was so outraged at the Genovese actions, he had
his men-at-arms kill many of them.
At one point during this conflict, the Gallic came across a group of English knights
led by the Black Prince, the boy of Edward III, dismounted from their Equus caballuss and non
prepared for conflict. As Edward III heard of his boy & # 8217 ; s bad luck, he ordered no assistance be sent
to him and his work forces. This was to be his twenty-four hours. Slowly, pieces of the Gallic ground forces began to
flee, while the English ground forces stood strong.
England had won the first great land conflict of Thursday
e long war. They had already won
control of the English Channel and a few old ages subsequently, the town of Calais surrendered to
them on September 28, 1347. For the following 10 old ages, combat was slowed. This was due
chiefly to the Black Death which killed more than a 3rd of the population. 14
Initially, England feared they would ne’er be able to support themselves against a
Gallic invasion. France had tremendous wealth, military prestigiousness and a dominant place
in European political relations. However, the Battles of Vrecy and Poiters were major triumphs for
England. In both conflicts, England was greatly outnumbered by France but, the English
bowmans were more effectual than the armour-clad Gallic knights. Therefore, the triumphs
were perceived to be granted by God because England was the rightful swayer of France. As
England continued to win the early conflicts and maintain the in France, the military & # 8217 ; s feelings of
lower status and insecurity were replaced with assurance and optimism. The first stage
of The Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War went good for England.
Finally the false sense of prosperity created by the plundering of the Gallic
towns and small towns began to surface. Besides, the common mans were going dissatisfied
with the high war disbursal. The war was a strain on England & # 8217 ; s resources and it was
get downing to acquire hard to pay the soldiers & # 8217 ; rewards every bit good as maintain the forts. The
English topics were taxed out and tired of the embezzlement of the war financess by the
corrupt royal functionaries and military commanding officers. Furthermore, the military began to worsen.
& # 8220 ; King Richard II was non a good general. Most of Edward III & # 8217 ; s captains were dead or in
imprisonment and the new coevals of officers showed small aptitude for war. & # 8221 ; 15 But King
Richard II had to contend France non merely for glorious tradition but to salvage the vino trade
with Gascony and the wool trade with Flanders. These resources were needed to assist
finance the war. However, his run ended in retreat.
The Gascons were self-seekers. They did non adhere steadfastly to one Godhead. Even
though they did better under English regulation, they were non immune to the Gallic.
Consequently, France bit by bit gained control of the Channel trade paths. Then King
Henry V renewed The Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War with a triumph at Agincourt. He was a strong,
superb military leader and continued to win conflicts against the Gallic, recapturing the
Gascon district. 16 Besides, with the matrimony to Charles VI & # 8217 ; s girl, King Henry V
achieved the end of Gallic sovereignty. He became the Gallic trustee and upon Charles
VI & # 8217 ; s decease, the King of England would win to a double monarchy. However, when
Charles VI died, the King of England was a kid. 17
Henry VI was excessively immature and inexperient to oversee a land and take an
ground forces. As a consequence, authorization did non rest in any one individual, but in all of the Godheads together.
This led to English differences and disunity. Besides, the topics believed this was the male monarch & # 8217 ; s
war and the male monarch should non finance the war through revenue enhancement but from his ain income
from Gascony. The care of a double land was a fiscal strain and England
was far in debt on military rewards. In add-on, Gascony was really hard to support and
the unstable economic conditions made it hard to run into military crises as they arose.
Consequently, the English ground forces in Gascony disbanded. 18
When it seemed as if there was no hope for France, a new visible radiation appeared for them.
She was Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans. Joan of Arc and Charles VII were able to
organize France. They invaded Gascony with an overpowering force and began to
gaining control the English towns along the Norman boundary line without being drawn into a pitched
conflict. Even after Joan of Arc & # 8217 ; s gaining control and executing by the English and Burgundians,
her spirit seemed to animate the Gallic. As a consequence, the Gallic violative spirit was
rekindled. Again, the Gallic outnumbered the English. But this clip the Gallic ground forces did
non rest, alternatively they sped sharply to the following conflict. Furthermore, the Gallic
implemented the usage of the cannon-ball. 19
Again, & # 8220 ; the commitment of the baronial households to England or France was determined
by the economic and judicial privileges of their lordships. & # 8221 ; 20 But their land and goods
were confiscated during Charles VII & # 8217 ; s invasion. Consequently, the Lords defected to
France. As England continued to lose its control of the South-West, France & # 8217 ; s ability to
temptingness the aristocracy off from England increased. & # 8220 ; In the past many had mocked the
sovereignty of France. But in the political conditions of 1442-53 they were rarely able to
defy the payoff, menaces, and countenances employed by a stronger and wealthier monarchy. & # 8221 ;
21 He who controls the Channel controls, controls the gold. Subsequently, the high rate
of the aristocracy desertion to France badly weakened England and finally caused its
prostration of district control.
It took over a hundred old ages and five English male monarchs to win the sovereignty of the
Gallic Crown and 30 old ages and one male monarch to free it. Success in warfare depends on the
combination of a male monarch who is a competent military leader, an enthusiastic opinion category
prepared to contend and command the ground forcess, and people willing to bear the cost through
revenue enhancement. For about a 100 old ages England had this combination while France did non.
The English hated the Gallic and ever feared an invasion. Besides, the high demand for
English would exports created a significant exchequer for King Edward to pay for the war.
However, the pendulum swung the other manner. As a consequence, England may hold won the
conflict, but France won the war.
Barnie, John. War in Medieval English Society. Ithaca: Cornell University Press,
1974.
Duby, Georges. France in the Middle Ages 987-1460. Paris: Blackwell, 1987.
& # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War. & # 8221 ; Compton & # 8217 ; s Online Encyclopedia. 1995.
Hutchinson, Harold F. King Henry V. New York: John Day Company, 1967.
Palmer, J.J.N. England, France and Christendom. London: University of North Carolina
Imperativeness, 1972.
Vale, M.G.A. English Gascony 1399-1453. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
The Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War
England vs. France
Notes
1. Palmer, J.J.N. , England, France and Christendom. London: University of
North Carolina Press, 23.
2. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War. & # 8221 ; Compton & # 8217 ; s Online Encyclopedia. 1995.
3. Palmer, 47.
4. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War & # 8221 ;
5. Duby, Georges. France in the Middle Ages 987-1460. Paris: Blackwell,
1987, 274.
6. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War & # 8221 ;
7. Barnie, John. War in Medieval English Society. Ithaca: Cornell University
Imperativeness, 1974, 181.
8. Palmer, 120.
9. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War & # 8221 ;
10. Barnie, 219.
11. Duby, 233.
12. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War & # 8221 ;
13. Palmer, 161.
14. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War & # 8221 ;
15. Barnie, 25.
16. Hutchinson, Harold F. King Henry V. New York: John Day Company,
1967, 214.
17. Hutchinson, 214.
18. Barnie, 245.
19. & # 8220 ; Hundred Years & # 8217 ; War & # 8221 ;
20. Vale, M.G.A. English Gascony 1399-1453. London: Oxford University
Imperativeness, 1970, 165.
21. Vale, 215.
