The Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a long conflict between England and France from 1337 to 1453 over the French throne.
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The Hundred Years' War was a long conflict between England and France from 1337 to 1453 over the French throne.
- Battles of Crecy and Agincourt
- Longbows helped the English
- Joan of Arc inspired the French
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is The Hundred Years' War?
Within History, which covers ancient civilisations, empires, revolutions, world wars and the making of the modern world, this topic explains The Hundred Years' War. History topics connect events, people and ideas across time, so each one here gives a clear summary and a way to test your understanding.
Check that you can explain The Hundred Years' War in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding The Hundred Years' War helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
The Hundred Years' War in detail
The Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) was a series of conflicts between England and France over the French throne and land. Edward III claimed the French crown, and early English victories at Crécy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), helped by the longbow, brought success.
Henry V won at Agincourt in 1415 against larger French forces. Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who claimed divine guidance, inspired French resistance and the lifting of the siege of Orléans in 1429, though she was captured and burned in 1431. France eventually expelled the English, except from Calais. The war built national identity and changed warfare with cannon.
How the interactive helps you understand The Hundred Years' War
Watch the timeline in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the timeline responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of The Hundred Years' War.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain the causes and consequences of The Hundred Years' War in a well-structured paragraph.
- Compare The Hundred Years' War with another event to spot patterns of change and continuity.
- Build a timeline that shows when The Hundred Years' War happened and what came before and after.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing events without explaining why they happened.
- Treating one source as the whole story when you study The Hundred Years' War.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about The Hundred Years' War
What is The Hundred Years' War?
The Hundred Years' War was a long conflict between England and France from 1337 to 1453 over the French throne.
What are the most important points about The Hundred Years' War?
The main points are: Battles of Crecy and Agincourt; Longbows helped the English; Joan of Arc inspired the French.
Why is The Hundred Years' War useful?
Understanding The Hundred Years' War helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
How can I practise The Hundred Years' War?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to The Hundred Years' War?
Related topics in History include The Incas, The Reformation, The Columbian Exchange.