Start of the Hundred Years' War
1337 - 1453 · Medieval
The Hundred Years' War began conventionally on May 24, 1337, when French King Philip VI confiscated the English-held Duchy of Guyenne, and ended with the French victory at Castillon on October 19, 1453. The conflict originated in English King Edward III's claim to the French throne through his mother Isabella, which was rejected under Salic law in favor of Philip VI, a Valois cousin. Over 116 years of intermittent warfare fought primarily on French soil, England lost nearly all its continental holdings except Calais. The prolonged conflict accelerated the decline of feudal cavalry and the adoption of infantry-based tactics.
Key Figures
Edward III of EnglandPhilip VI of FranceEdward, the Black PrinceJohn II of France
Locations
Crécy-en-PonthieuPoitiersCalais
Topics
ChivalryHundred Years' WarFranceEnglandMiddle Ageswarfare
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The Hundred Years' War's evolution from feudal cavalry charges to gunpowder warfare culminated at Formigny, where French cannons and culverins decisively defeated English longbowmen, marking the final transformation of medieval warfare that began in 1337 Battle of Formigny
Gunpowder weapons and steel armor perfected during the Hundred Years' War gave Spanish conquistadors decisive technological superiority over Inca forces, enabling a handful of Europeans to topple an empire Battle of Cajamarca
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