100 year War

The Hundred Years’ War

The Decline of Feudalism

The Hundred Years’

War

-1337-1453 England and
France fought over control of
French lands

-Weakened feudalism

-English kings claimed lands as
their own, but French
disputed this

Early English Successes

-English was outnumbered, but won most of the
early battles

-The reason was two different fighting styles

-French:

-Horse-mounted nobles or knights

-Wore heavy armor

-Could hardly move if not on horseback

-Weapons were swords or lances

-Crossbows were only effective at short range

-English:

-Light armor

-Longbows fired quicker and more accurate

Longbow

Crossbow

The French Fight Back

-1415 King Henry V invaded France after a long truce

-A truce is an agreed-upon halt in fighting

-French was stronger for a few reasons:

-Started using more modern tactics

-Recruited army from commoners and paid them

-New sense of national identity and unity

-Joan of Arc inspired nationalism (pride in your country)

-Girl claimed she heard saints telling her to save France

-Put on a suit of armor and went to fight

-Led French army to victory in Battle of Orleans

-English accused her of being a heretic and burned her at the stake

-A heretic is a person who holds beliefs contrary to the church

Impact of the Hundred Years’ War

-French defeated the English

-Joan was made a saint by the Roman Catholic
Church 500 years later

-How it contributed to the decline of
Feudalism:

-Shifted power from lords to monarchs to commoners

-Both sides collected taxes and raised large
professional armies

-Kings no longer relied on nobles to supply knights

-Military technology made knights and castles less
useful

-Nationalism shifted power away from lords