The start of the Hundred Years' War – GCSE History Eduqas Revision

The start of the Hundred Years’ War

England held lands in France since William the Conqueror’s invasion in 1066, which led to tensions between the two kingdoms.
Edward III of England claimed the French throne in 1337, sparking the start of the Hundred Years’ War.
Edward was the nephew of Charles IV of France and believed his claim was legitimate, as Charles had died without a male heir.
The French nobles, however, preferred Philip of Valois, and he took the throne as Philip VI.
Edward initially accepted this, but was angered by Philip’s attempts to confiscate his lands in France.
Philip VI’s decision to seize Gascony, a region in southwest France where the English had significant territorial and economic interests, was the major trigger for the warfare.

The war was not a constant fight but made up of intermittent periods of conflict separated by long truces.
The English used a strategy of chevauchée - destructive raids aimed at weakening the enemy’s economy and morale.
Two early English victories, Creçy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), were attributed to their superior longbowmen and their use of defensive tactics, creating devastating losses for the French cavalry.
Edward’s son, the Black Prince, played a key role in the English success.
The Battle of Poitiers ended with the capture of the French King, John II, which crippled the French leadership.

In the Treaty of Brétigny (1360), King John was released in exchange for a hefty ransom and territorial concessions to England.
England gained control over much of western France, making Edward III one of the most successful Plantagenet kings in securing French lands.
However, the peaceful period following the treaty was short-lived.
In 1369, the French restarted the war under Charles V and his respected military leader, Bertrand du Guesclin.
The death of the Black Prince in 1376 and Edward III in 1377 signaled a downturn in England’s fortunes in the war.