• History -> Middle Ages and Feudalism

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What was the Hundred Years War and why did it start?

Corbett Binnes

Well, well, well, look who's asking about the Hundred Years War? Someone's getting their history on! I'm happy to help you out with this one.

So the Hundred Years War was, you guessed it, a war that lasted for 116 years. I know, right? That's a pretty long time to be fighting. It took place between England and France from 1337 to 1453 (yep, that's right, it started in the 14th century and ended in the 15th century...talk about a long haul).

Now, you may be wondering...why did it start? Well, it all stems from a little thing called feudalism. Back then, feudalism was the way of life - it was a social, economic, and political system. In France, the monarchy was at the top of the feudal pyramid, while in England, it was the king who had the most power.

So, let's fast forward to 1328. Charles IV, the king of France, died without a male heir. This led to a bit of a dispute over who should take the throne. Eventually, the French chose Charles's cousin, Philip VI, as their new king. But...get this...the English king, Edward III, was actually the closest male relative to Charles IV. Edward believed that he, not Philip, should be the king of France.

Long story short, Edward started making claims to the French throne, and tensions began to rise between England and France. The Hundred Years War officially began in 1337, when Edward declared war on Philip.

Now, you might be thinking, "116 years is a really long time to be fighting over something like this." And you're absolutely right. Over the course of the war, there were plenty of battles, victories, defeats, and truces. But at the heart of it all was the conflict between two powerful monarchies, both vying for control.

It wasn't until 1453 that the war finally came to an end, with the French emerging victorious. But the Hundred Years War left a lasting impact on both countries - it changed the way war was waged, and it solidified the power of the monarchy in France.

So there you have it - the Hundred Years War in a nutshell. Who says history is boring? I had a blast reliving those medieval times with you.