The Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) was a struggle for control of France between England and France. It actually consisted of a succession of wars separated by truces and treaties.

The war began in 1337. That year, King Philip VI of France declared he would take over Guyenne, and King Edward III of England, whose mother was the sister of three French kings, claimed the French throne. In the fighting that followed, the English won most of the battles. But the French won the war.

English archers and infantry won the war's greatest victory in the Battle of Crécy (1346). The English also won the Battle of Poitiers (1356). The Treaty of Brétigny in 1360 began a brief period of peace. But Henry V of England renewed the fighting and emerged triumphant at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). The Treaty of Troyes in 1420 made Henry V heir to the French crown.

After Henry V died in 1422, the French disputed the English claim to the throne, and war flared. By 1428, the English had swept through northern France and laid siege to Orleans. Joan of Arc led a French army and ended the siege in 1429. The French continued to win battles. By 1453, England had lost all its territory on the continent of Europe, except Calais. The French took Calais in 1558.

Excerpt adapted from the "Hundred Years' War" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999