Analysis Of The Hundred Years War- Essay, Research Paper

Analysis of the Hundred Years War-

The definition of the Golden Rule is that those with the gold

make the rules. In other words, those with the gold have the power as

well as those with the power have the gold. History books will

discuss the general reasons for war such as freedom from adversity or

freedom from religion. But the real issue for any war is the thirst

for power and control; and the means to finance them are the economic

issues.

Nations will endure years of fighting for power and control.

France and England fought each other for more than a hundred years to

have control of the Channel trade routes. 1 This century of warring

was known as The Hundred Years’ 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

not a hundred years of constant battle; there were periods of truces

in between. 2

One cause for the Hundred Years’ War was the claim to the

French throne. The conflict began when the direct line of succession

died without a male heir and the nobles decided to pass the crown to a

cousin, Philip of Valois. But this left two other male cousins

equally deserving of the crown; Charles, King of Navarre and Edward

III, King of England. 3 Edward III claimed that he himself was

deserving of the throne because his mother was the sister of the late

French king, while Philip VI was only a cousin. But according to

French law, no women could inherit the throne, nor could the crown be

inherited through a woman. 4

“Philip of Valois chances of becoming King of France had been

remote and he had not been brought up as the future lieutenant of God

on Earth. Philip VI spent much of his resources on entertainment and

finery with gay abandon.” 5 This caused conflict with the king’s

subjects. Since the king was considered to be sacred and inviolable,

neither cousin would challenge Philip VI. However, they would exploit

the situation and King Edward III lost no time and invaded Normandy

with an army of 10,000

men. 6

This leads to another cause for The Hundred Years’ War. The

land along the Channel and Atlantic coasts was England’s first line of

defense against an invasion. England held claim to this territory

from the twelth century through the marriage of King Henry II and

Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Edward III was determined to gain control

of the French coastline while providing himself with a bridgehead for

future expeditions into France. 7

But the major cause of The Hundred Years’ War was the economic

interest – the revenues to be gotten from this rich territory. Wine

was Gasgony’s largest export product and major source of income to the

vassal. Wool was England’s largest export product and the source of

its wealth. English pastures produced fleeces that were the envy of

Europe which Flanders depended on for its wool and linen market. 8

English sheep growers sold their long fine wool to weavers in

Flanders, across the English Channel. Flemish weavers as well as

English sheep growers depended on this trade for their business. In

1336, Philip VI arrested all the English merchants in Flanders and

took away all the privileges of the Flemish towns and the craft

guilds. Resulting in the Flemings revolting against the French

control and making an alliance with England. 9 Consequently, the

flourishing market of the industrial cities of Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp

and Ypres were naturally coveted by the Kings of France and England.

Moreover, the Bordeaux harbor was within the borders of

English Gascony and was the center of the shipping and trading

industry. Commodities such as grains, dairy products, dyes and salt

would be shipped into Bordeaux via the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers and

the merchants were charged a customs fee for these products. Also,

Bordeaux would receive duties on wine, whether shipped-in or grown on

Gascon soil. Consequently, the profits from the tolls and customs

made Bordeaux the economic capital of Gascony. Furthermore, control

of neighboring areas such as Guyenne and Calais were economically

vital. Their union with Bordeaux would ensure England with a monopoly

of the shipping and trading industry from Spain, Portugal and

Brittany. 10

France was the richest country in Europe and its army was much

larger than England’s. In addition, France’s army consisted of hired

mercenaries. Therefore, France should have quickly defeated England.

But France’s army consisted of heavily armored knights who were less

mobile against the agile English swordsmen. The French military

leaders soon realized the archer was the only effective when fighting

a pitched battle. Consequently, France implemented a strategic plan

which was to avoid active warfare and to utilize the technique of

diplomacy and concessions. England could win battles, but France

could avoid them. Pitched battles were accepted only when there was

no alternative. Otherwise, France would raid unprotected towns and

villages, take what they could, then burn them to the ground. 11

Meanwhile, England could depend on the loyalty of her

subjects. The soldiers were happy to receive a salary and eager to

fight on French soil. They could profit from the plundering while

their homes didn’t suffer and damage. Moreover, England had superior

military tactics. They had perfected the fighting technique of the

longbow drawn by free swordsmen. Even though the archers were below

the knight on the social ladder, they were not ashamed to fight side

by side. Subsequently, the archer could destroy the effectiveness of

a French calvary charge. Also, King Edward III was very popular with

his subjects. He would fight beside his troops as well as to the

folks at home. As well, his sixteen year old son, the Black Prince,

was a superb military leader. 12 He successfully continued to lead

the English armies into battle against France. As a result, England

won most of the initial battles and kept the war in France. 13

One of the great English victories was the battle at Crecy.

The English were outnumbered four to one by the French, led by Philip

VI. The English occupied the side of a small hill, while the heavy

number of French men-at-arms and hired Genoese crossbowmen were at the

foot of the hill on a plain. The English were ready with their new

longbows at hand.

The Genoese crossbowmen attacked the English, but were too

tired due to the long day’s march and because of an earlier rainstorm,

their crossbow strings were loose. The English’s longbow proved to be

too much for the Genoese, so they dropped the crossbows and began to

run. King Philip was so outraged at the Genoese actions, he had his

men-at-arms kill many of them.

At one point during this battle, the French came across a

group of English knights led by the Black Prince, the son of Edward

III, dismounted from their horses and not prepared for battle. As

Edward III heard of his son’s misfortune, he ordered no aid be sent to

him and his men. This was to be his day. Slowly, pieces of the

French army began to flee, while the English army stood strong.

England had won the first great land battle of the long war.

They had already won control of the English Channel and a few years

later, the town of Calais surrendered to them on September 28, 1347.

For the next ten years, fighting was slowed. This was due mainly to

the Black Death which killed more than a third of the population. 14

Initially, England feared they would never be able to defend

themselves against a French invasion. France had enormous wealth,

military prestige and a dominant position in European politics.

However, the Battles of Vrecy and Poiters were major victories for

England. In both battles, England was greatly outnumbered by France

but, the English archers were more effective than the armor-clad

French knights. Therefore, the victories were perceived to be granted

by god because England was the rightful ruler of France. As England

continued to win the early battles and keep the in France, the

military’s feelings of inferiority and insecurity were replaced with

self-confidence and optimism. The first phase of The Hundred Years’

War went well for England.

Eventually the false sense of prosperity created by the

pillaging of the French towns and villages began to surface. Also,

the commoners were becoming dissatisfied with the high war expense.

The war was a strain on England’s resources and it was beginning to

get difficult to pay the soldiers’ wages as well as maintain the

garrisons. The English subjects were taxed out and tired of the

misappropriation of the war funds by the corrupt royal officials and

military commanders. Moreover, the military began to decline. “King

Richard II was not a good general. Most of Edward III’s captains were

dead or in captivity and the new generation of officers showed little

aptitude for war.” 15 But King Richard II had to fight France not

only for glorious tradition but to save the wine trade with Gascony

and the wool trade with Flanders. These resources were needed to help

finance the war. However, his campaign ended in retreat.

The Gascons were opportunists. They did not adhere firmly to

one lord. Even though they did better under English rule, they were

not resistant to the French. Consequently, France gradually gained

control of the Channel trade routes. Then King Henry V renewed The

Hundred Years’ War with a victory at Agincourt. He was a strong,

brilliant military leader and continued to win battles against the

French, recapturing the Gascon territory. 16 Also, with the marriage

to Charles VI’s daughter, King Henry V achieved the goal of French

sovereignty. He became the French regent and upon Charles VI’s

death, the King of England would succeed to a dual monarchy. However,

when Charles VI died, the King of England was a child. 17

Henry VI was too young and inexperienced to supervise a

kingdom and lead an army. As a result, authority did not rest in any

one person, but in all of the lords together. This led to English

disputes and disunity. Also, the subjects believed this was the

king’s war and the king should not finance the war through taxation

but from his own income from Gascony. The maintenance of a dual

kingdom was a financial strain and England was far in debt on military

wages. In addition, Gascony was very difficult to defend and the

unstable economic conditions made it difficult to meet military crises

as they arose. Consequently, the English army in Gascony disbanded.

18

When it seemed as if there was no hope for France, a new light

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 overwhelming force and began to capture the English

towns along the Norman border without being drawn into a pitched

battle. Even after Joan of Arc’s capture and execution by the English

and Burgundians, her spirit seemed to inspire the French. As a

result, the French offensive spirit was rekindled. Again, the French

outnumbered the English. But this time the French army did not rest,

instead they sped aggressively to the next battle. Moreover, the

French implemented the use of the cannon-ball. 19

Again, “the allegiance of the noble families to England or

France was determined by the economic and judicial privileges of their

lordships.” 20 But their land and goods were confiscated during

Charles VII’s invasion. Consequently, the nobles defected to France.

As England continued to lose its control of the South-West, France’s

ability to allure the nobility away from England increased. “In the

past many had mocked the sovereignty of France. But in the political

conditions of 1442-53 they were seldom able to resist the bribes,

threats, and sanctions employed by a stronger and wealthier monarchy.”

21 He who controls the Channel controls, controls the gold.

Subsequently, the high rate of the nobility defection to France

severely weakened England and ultimately caused its collapse of

territory control.

It took over a hundred years and five English kings to win the

sovereignty of the French crown and thirty years and one king to loose

it. Success in warfare depends on the combination of a king who is a

competent military leader, an enthusiastic ruling class prepared to

fight and command the armies, and people willing to bear the cost

through taxation. For almost a hundred years England had this

combination while France did not. The English hated the French and

always feared an invasion. Also, the high demand for English would

exports created a substantial treasury for King Edward to pay for the

war. However, the pendulum swung the other way. As a result, England

may have won the battle, 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.

“Hundred Years’ War.” Compton’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 Press, 1972.

Vale, M.G.A. English Gascony 1399-1453. London: Oxford University

Press, 1970.

—

Notes

1. Palmer, J.J.N., England, France and Christendom. London:

University of North Carolina Press, 23.

2. “Hundred Years’ War.” Compton’s Online Encyclopedia.

1995.

3. Palmer, 47.

4. “Hundred Years’ War”

5. Duby, Georges. France in the Middle Ages 987-1460.

Paris:

Blackwell, 1987, 274.

6. “Hundred Years’ War”

7. Barnie, John. War in Medieval English Society. Ithaca:

Cornell

University Press, 1974, 181.

8. Palmer, 120.

9. “Hundred Years’ War”

10. Barnie, 219.

11. Duby, 233.

12. “Hundred Years’ War”

13. Palmer, 161.

14. “Hundred Years’ War”

15. Barnie, 25.

16. Hutchinson, Harold F. King Henry V. New York: John Day

Company, 1967, 214.

17. Hutchinson, 214.

18. Barnie, 245.

19. “Hundred Years’ War”

20. Vale, M.G.A. English Gascony 1399-1453. London: Oxford

University Press, 1970, 165.

21. Vale, 215.