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Hundred Years' War

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
Jules Eugène Lenepveu painted Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans between 1886 and 1890. The painting shows her as a heroic figure, though it is romanticized and does not show exactly what she wore in battle.

What Was It?

The Hundred Years' War was a long time when the kingdoms of England and France did not get along. It happened during the late Middle Ages, and it lasted from 1337 to 1453. That is more than a hundred years!

How It Began

The disagreements started over land, including the Duchy of Aquitaine. Edward III of England made a claim to the French throne through his mother. Many groups from across Western Europe became part of the story. People in both countries felt very proud of their homelands.

Important Times

The story was not happening all the time. There were quiet pauses, including when a serious illness called the Black Death spread across Europe. Five generations of kings from two families, including the House of Valois, were part of the story. The time is often split into three parts: the Edwardian War, the Caroline War, and the Lancastrian War.

A young helper named Joan of Arc gave French people new hope. In the end, the French kept control of their kingdom.

Why It Matters

This is one of the longest times of disagreement in European history. It helped change how countries were organized. It also gave people in both countries a stronger feeling of national pride.

Pictures

A medieval painting showing the naval battle of La Rochelle in 1372, fought between French and English forces at sea.
An old painted picture from a French manuscript showing knights and soldiers at the Battle of Patay in 1429, a battle in the Hundred Years' War.
A timeline showing the key events of the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
A medieval painting from the Great Chronicles of France showing King Edward I of England paying homage to King Philip the Fair of France in 1286, in a royal palace surrounded by the court.
A medieval painting of the Battle of Sluys in 1340, fought between English and French ships. It comes from an illuminated manuscript and shows the sailing ships and armoured soldiers of the time.
A medieval painting from the Grandes Chroniques de France showing the Battle of Crécy in 1346, fought between English and French armies during the Hundred Years' War.
A map showing France at the time of the Treaty of Brétigny, a peace agreement signed in 1360 during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
A statue of Bertrand du Guesclin, a medieval French knight and military leader, in the town of Dinan.
A historical map showing the coastal attacks on England made by joint Castilian and French fleets between 1374 and 1380, led by admirals Fernando Sánchez de Tovar and Jean de Vienne, during the Hundred Years' War.
An animated map showing how France and England's territories and key battles changed during the Hundred Years' War, from 1337 to 1453.
An old illustration showing King Edward III and his army during the Black Monday hailstorm of 1360, during the Hundred Years' War.
France in 1330.  France before 1214  French acquisitions until 1330  England and Guyenne/Gascony and other English territories as of 1330
Burgundian territories (orange/yellow) and limits of France (red) after the Burgundian War
Arms of the kings of France (France Ancien)
Blason famille fr du Guesclin 2.svg
This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:
Arms of the Kings of France (France Moderne)
Arms of Jeanne d'Arc
Blason Etienne de Vignolles (La Hire).svg
Blason Jean Poton de Xaintrailles.svg
This vector image includes elements from this file:
This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:
Blason JeanBureau.svg
Blason Gilles de Rais.svg
Arms of Isabella of France
Royal Arms of England (1340-1367).svg
Arms of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and of his successors, namely his two sons: Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster and Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, and the latter's son Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. As shown in the Heralds Roll of Arms, Page 1, row 2, no 5. Blazon: Royal arms of King Henry III with a label of three points of France
'’’Coat of Arms of the Princes of Wales’’’ with France Ancient
Arms of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
Royal Arms of England and France (1395-1399), the Coat of arms of Richard II. The Arms of England of 1340 impaled with the attributed arms of Edward the Confessor. Blazon: Per pale, I: Azure a cross flory and five martlets Or; II: Quarterly, 1 and 4: Azure semy-de-lis Or; 2 and 3: Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure.
Royal Arms of England (1399-1603).svg
Arms of Catherine of Valois
Arms of John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford
Arms of John Fastolf
Quarterly of 4: 1: Belleme 2: Talbot (modern / Mechyll) 3: Strange (of Blackmere, Shropshire) 4: Furnival
Royal Arms of England (1470-1471). Henry VI of England held claims on the French throne through both his parents but had lost the Hundred Years' War in 1453.
Arms of Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York
This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:
This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:
This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:

Keep exploring

France
England
Late Middle Ages
Duchy of Aquitaine
Western Europe
Black Death

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Hundred Years' War, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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