The war in France and Britain was considered the last medieval war that played a significant role in English history.(Schwarz) The Hundred Years' War years was a series of wars fought between Britain and France with Burgundy playing a small role for the French. Although the conflict lasted more than a century, the war was interrupted intermittently by treaties and truces. (Goubert) There were more stalemates than actual battles. (Froissart) Real fighting didn't break out until the mid-1300s, but the conflict dates back to 1066. (Encarta) England held areas of France that the English used in exchange for service and loyalty to the king of France. These areas soon shrank until very few were left under English control in 1307, when Edward I of England died. (Encarta) One of the remaining fiefdoms was Gascony. There were often small disputes over this region due to its prized wine production. This conflict widened when Charles IV of France died leaving no direct heirs to the French throne except Edward III of England who was Philip IV's nephew. An assembly of French notables gathered to form the first royal election since 987. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Philip of Valois was chosen as King Philip VI. The French neglected Edward III for three reasons. One was still a minor, two, his mother was said to have a disgusting character and a scandalous life, and three the French declared: It should never be seen or known that the kingdom of France should be subject to the government of the king of France. England. At first Edward agreed to take an oath of homage to Philip VI, but after the conflicts in Guyenne Edward III contested the validity of his declaration of homage to the King of France since Edward's declaration of homage was made while he was still a minor. In 1337 Edward III sent Philip VI a declaration of war. There were three major conflicts in the Hundred Years' War. The first was the Edwardian War, dominated by Edward III of England. The next war was the Caroline War, controlled primarily by Charles V of France. The third and final war was the Lancastrian War, which belonged to Henry V of England and his brother John, the Duke of Bedford. The Edwardian War began disastrously for France and successfully for England. Although England was smaller and poorer than France, it was able to dominate the early stages of the war thanks to better developed fiscal processes. With a complicated and exhausting process of collecting taxes, the French often found themselves without money. Although the British dominated the early stages of the war, they still had to overcome many disadvantages. Since the English declared war and the disputes were over French territories, the battles were fought on French soil, charging the English many expensive transportation costs. Since the English could only afford to send infantrymen and infantry to France, the development of the longbow was key to English victories. The longbow could fire an arrow quickly, accurately and powerfully, allowing English archers to destroy French cavalry charges. (Froissart) Philip VI invaded the English territory of Gascony on 24 May 1337. (Schwarz)In retaliation, Edward III asserted his right to the French throne and invaded France from the north. The English were a world superpower when it came to the sea, so the destruction of a French fleet at Sluis was no surprise. This was one of the main reasons why the fighting took place on French soil. Since iFrench could not cross the Channel, invasion of the English islands was impossible. (Encarta) The Battle of Crecy in 1346 was another victory for the English. After the Battle of Crecy the English captured the French port of Calais in 1347. Edward III's son initiated the next advance of English soldiers onto French soil. Edward the Black Prince of Wales began his raid in 1355 and marched his men north until cornered by the new French king, John II, near Poitiers in western France. John II was no match for the Black Prince who annihilated the French cavalry and took John II and one of his sons hostage. England held John II hostage. The first two proposals were considered too expensive by the French, but the third was agreed upon. This agreement was known as the Treaty of Bretigny. It was signed in 1360 and gave the English a third of the French kingdom. In 1364 Charles V began his reign in France. Charles V brought the restoration back to France. Charles V appointed two new influential people to lead his armies to victory. One of the men named was Bertrand du Guesclin who was very skilled in hit and run raids and was fortunate enough to control the rebellious French soldiers of the time. The other man, Olivier de Clisson, fought on the English side during the Edwardian War, but returned to the French side for the Caroline War and brought with him many tactics used by the English and how to defend them. Both of these men would retain the position of Constable of France, or head of the army. (Encarta) At the beginning of the Carolina War the English were already at a disadvantage because their leaders were facing death. Edward III was aging and the Black Prince was in the early stages of a terminal illness. Du Guesclin and Clisson managed to lead the armies back into western France and regain control of that area. The Castilian navies helped the French regain control of the English Channel by defeating the English navy in 1372. The French and Castilian navies began attacking the English southern coast for fear of invasion. (Encarta) Charles V died suddenly leaving Charles VI the rightful heir to the throne. Charles VI was only 11 years old when his father died in 1380. Philip the Bold was Charles VI's uncle and Duke of Burgundy when he took over as leader of France. (Froissart) With such turmoil in the French kingdom, the invasions of England planned in 1385, 1386 and 1387 were canceled and the Caroline War ended in a truce. The Lancastrian War began in favor of the English. The Burgundy region played an important role in this war. John the Fearless began his reign on the French throne in terrible fashion. The first battle of the Lancastrian War was the Battle of Agincourt. In the midst of John the Fearless's turmoil, the French were easily susceptible to invasion when Henry V invaded France. The French were easily defeated without leaders like those in the Caroline War. When Henry V began his invasion of northwestern France, Philip the Good of Burgundy aided the cause. Forces loyal to the French king killed John the Fearless. John the Fearless was the father of Philip the Good, which is why Philip sided with the English. With the English tearing northern France apart, the Treaty of Troyes was forced upon them. However, the war continued because the treaty was not accepted by many southern Frenchmen. England continued to ravage France until the Battle of Orleans. This is where Joan of Arc's experience helped the French cause. In 1429, during the reign of Charles VII in France, a young peasant woman came to him to discuss foreign affairs with the English. He said to.