A War of Succession - Case Study Example

The Hundred Years War The Hundred Years War, was a prolonged conflict in history that occurred between two royal houses with the bone of contention being the French throne. The wars chief contenders were the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet. Both these houses claimed the title of the king of France. The wars between England and France which were fought between1337-1453 are generally referred to as the 100 years war. This war which was primarily a war of succession, with the English King Edward II, laying claim to the throne of France after the death of his mother’s brother, Charles IV, resulted in this century long conflict. Edward claimed the throne as his own, based on English Feudal law, which did not recognize female descendants as heirs, thus nullifying the claim of Charles IV’s daughter. The Hundred Years War is essentially divided into four phases – 1. The Edwardian War – 1337 – 1360. 2. The Caroline War – 1369 – 1389. 3. The Lancastrian War – 1415 – 1429. 4. Joan of Arc – 1412 – 1431. There were continuous conflicts between England and France and the nobility of France however did not relish the idea of crowning Edward III as the King of France. Instead they placed Philip of Valois, the senior most male member of the Capetian dynasty, on the throne of France. Edward agreed to give up his claim to the throne upon being promised the profitable lands of Gascony. But in 1337, Philip went back on his promise and reclaimed Gascony as his own, thus leading Edward to once again lay claim to the throne of France and so war thus began. The war, having being fought for more than a century, had far reaching consequences on the countries both politically as well as economically. The impact of the war was felt in many other spheres of life, such as socially, culturally and geographically. The 100 years defined some of the most sacred institutions of the day, leaving nothing untouched. It was a period of great upheaval and although during the period of the war, unpleasant incidents took place their significance in moulding certain aspects of society, negates their adverse effects. Though chiefly a dynastic conflict, the war holds great historical significance in a great number of ways. Firstly, it gave great impetus to new ideas of people belonging to both French and English nationality. On the military forefront, it saw the ushering in of new war tactics and weapons, which tended to erode the old system of the Feudal armies that were usually dominated by very heavy cavalry. The war was primarily fought on French soil, with France being the bone of contention between the warring nations, and so it bore the brunt of all the vicious the attacks. The English army raided the French countryside, destroying their farmlands and livestock. The English marauding hordes indulged in a kind of military raid, termed the Chevaucee. The main aim of the enemy was to capture a castle or a fort, but all this changed in the 100 years. The main aim of soldiers on a Chevaucee, was to pillage the crops, destroy the farms and wreak havoc on the peasantry. In such a scenario deadly epidemics broke out, famines were rampant and the marauding mercenaries used banditry as a tool to reduce the population to 2/3 its number. This pathetic condition broke the morale of the peasants while at the same time deprived the rulers of their sources of income. These soldiers came in hordes and killed innocent and unsuspecting peasants who worked hard tilling the land. By doing this, they deprived France of the strong men who were needed to make the economy progress. The death of the peasants thus led to widespread famine. Besides this, during this period, France was in the grips of the ‘Plague or Black Death’, which decimated a great part of the population of France. The plague was a direct result of the disease and pestilence brought by the war. The decaying corpses everywhere brought on the onset of many different types of diseases. Rats feeding on the human and animal carcasses carried diseases with them and hastened the deaths of the war weary population of France. The Jacquerie: The 100 Years War unleashed a chain of events which led to many rebellions and revolutions. One of the most important and significant revolutions of the time was the one of the French peasants, called the Jacquerie. This was one of the most significant changes wrought by the 100 years which led to a complete disintegration of the rigid social structure practiced in the Medieval ages. Throughout the Middle ages, the peasants worked for their feudal masters, who in turn paid taxes to the king. These feudal lords had a free hand in administrating their fiefdoms. But when the war took place, the king asked for more money from the lords, who in turn taxed their serfs heavily. The burden of heavy taxes could not be borne by the serfs, who rose in revolt leading to the Jacquerie and ultimately to the King dissolving the powers of the nobles. This led to the formation of the more centralized government. The feudal nobility allied itself with the middle class. The peasants of France were the unwilling victims of the war. Not only did they face the wrath of the English forces, but they also had to pay for the losses suffered by the French troops, in the form of high taxes. The French feudal lords, in order to supplement their depleting coffers, taxed the peasantry heavily. Caught between the English forces and their own masters, the suffering peasants rose in revolt against their selfish feudal lords. This led to the lords losing their vice like grip on their serfs, and the peasants finally found a voice of their own. On the other side of the English Channel also, the peasants rose as one and their uprising is known as The English Peasants Revolution. This uprising too resulted in changes similar to that witnessed in France. Another great institution of the Middle age – Chivalry – was also a casualty of the 100 years war. When the war began, the English and French still followed the chivalrous way of fighting, following the protocols, rules and manner of the battlefield. But with the mercenaries entering the battlefield, all past norms of fighting were thrown to the winds. Men fought only to destroy and steal and plunder. Anarchy prevailed all around and the once established rules were flouted. Changes in Warfare: The 100 years war totally changed the meaning of medieval warfare. These hundred years were a period of evolution caused due to the demands of the circumstances and also the advancement in technology. In England war was revolutionized. And this could be seen in the manner in which soldiers were recruited. Instead of the citizens joining an army out of feudal obligation, the new army was recruited by professional captains and hence the soldiers became a salaried lot .This change was effected due to necessity, as some of the barons refused to go to a Foreign land for war, citing the reason that the service of the feudal lord was limited to protecting only their own realm. Prior to the commencement of the 100 Years war, the most powerful unit of the army was the heavy cavalry. The Britishers stopped using the heavy horse. Instead the longbow was extensively used. They also began to use the fixed defensive position which proved to be a major boost for their victory gained at Crecy and Agincourt. Though the English were quick to gain grounds in France, retaining their conquest proved to be an insurmountable task. It was an age of siege warfare and the demand for garrisons increased with every conquest which in turn weakened the striking capacity of the English. The weapon used with greatest tactical advantage by the English, was the longbow. The French on the other hand used the crossbow because it required very little practice and skill for effective use. The longbow was a weapon that the English learned to use from the Scots, though in defeat. The longbow was a difficult weapon to use but was very precise. It could incapacitate knights who were plate-armored. This resulted in the dissipation of the charge, even before it reached the lines of the army. Though the longbow was difficult to use and required tremendous strength, the English could use it as their prime weapon because of its widespread use in the English Isles. Archers could be commissioned in plenty, hence the weapon could be more widely used. But with the course of the war running long, the number of people proficient in the use of the longbow dwindled. The war saw the emergence of many new weapons, the most significant being, gun powder and cannons. The first European battle to be won where artillery was the deciding factor was the Battle of Castillon fought during the 100 Years War. CHEVAUCHEE – ECONOMIC WARFARE In this warfare technique, the English sponsored guerillas known as Routiers who went about the French country side and indulged in loot, plunder, rape and such other destructive activities. Their policy was to kill the captured peasants and hold for ransom the French nobility. The main aim of the warfare technique, was triple pronged. Firstly the enemy was deprived of its resources – peasants needed to work for the nobles were killed and villages burnt. Secondly, the wealth amassed from pilfering and ransom was pumped in to boost the English economy. Finally this was a means used by the English to goad the French to come to war as they were reluctant to come out in the open after their disastrous defeat at Cressy in 1346. This war policy with its inhuman atrocities would in these modern times, be considered against the basic tenets of humanity. The Edwardian War: 1337 – 1360: King Edward the III allied with the nobles of the Low Countries and the burghers of Flanders, but the campaigns were never successful and hence the alliance fell apart in 1340. The heavy costs of maintaining an army abroad and paying heavy subsidies to the German princes was no mean task and hence led the English government into deep bankruptcy, thus damaging Edward’s prestige. The towns along the English course were disrupted and there was constant fear of a French invasion. But in 1340, while trying to stop the English army from landing, the French Fleet was almost totally destroyed in the battle of Sluys. This led to the English gaining dominance over the English Channel, putting an end to French invasions for the remaining part of the war. The treaty of Bretigny was signed in 1360 which effected a united England, but a dis-unified France. The treaty of Bretigny forced Edward to his claim of the French crown. Once again, on the assumption that Edward had failed to adhere to the terms of the treaty of Bretigny, Charles waged war once again. The French Ascendancy: Charles V – 1369 – 1389: Bertrand du Guesclin was one of the most successful generals of the French during the Hundred Years War. War erupted once again between Portugal and England on one side and Castle and France on the other. The English lost some of their best generals in France. In a series of campaigns Du Guesclin captured many towns such as Poitiers in 13 72 and Bergerac in 1377. The Black Prince died in 1376 while Edward III died in 1377, the small son of the prince succeeded him to the throne. When Du Guesclin died in 1380, the war dwindled down to a truce in 1389. English Ascendancy: Henry V- 1415 – 1429: This was the most famous phase of the Hundred Years War. As soon as Henry IV rose to the throne, there were plans laid for the declaration of war in 1399, but Henry V, his son was given the chance to do so. In 1415, he gathered an army and took Harfleur. He then opted to make an expedition across France but found himself very low on supplies, but yet had to face a much bigger French army at the Battle of Agincourt. Though he faced so many disadvantages, he came out victorious while the French suffered a catastrophic defeat. In 1420, Henry signed the treaty of Troyes by which he would marry Charles VI daughter Catherine and the heirs of Henry would thereby inherit the throne of France. After Charles death, Henry’s infant son was crowned the King of England. Joan of Arc: French Victory – 1429 – 1453: In 1428, the English were once again ready to wage war once again by laying siege to Orleans. Since the French forces were not sufficient, they remained passive. In 1429, a young but brave peasant girl called Joan of Arc, asked the Dauphin to give her permission to go undertake the siege telling him of the visions she had from God advising her to drive out the English. Joan of Arc was granted permission and she led the army bravely while raising the morale of her troops. They made a brave attack on the Redoubts driving the English to lift the siege. Inspired by Joan of Arc, several English strong points were captured by the French and defeated them. This was the first major victory of the French which paved the way for the coronation of the Dauphin as Charles VII. In 1430, Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians, sold to the English and later executed. Between the wars there were long truces helped Charles by giving him time to reorganize his government and armies making it into a more modern and professional one. All through the Hundred years war, the superiority of the English forces was always present. One of its most daring warriors was John Talbot who had gained victory for them in about forty battles and skirmishes, which was the main reason why the war extended for 100 years. The Battle of Castillon that took place in 1453 in which Talbot led a frontal attack using a small Anglo- Gascon force, on an entrenched camp, is considered to be the very last battle of the Hundred Years War. Significance of the Hundred Years War: The Hundred Years War is considered to be a period of military evolution. The meaning of war had changed once and for all with new weapons, tactics in warfare and army structure. This was partly due to the demands of the war and partly due to the great advancement in technology. England was considered to be much more modern and forward than France, with a centralized authority, the Parliament. The recruitment system in England was revolutionized, substituting a paid army instead of one drawn from the Feudal organization. Before the Hundred Years War, the strong and heavy cavalry was considered to be the army’s most powerful force, but this changed after the war because of modernization. The Hundred Years War had devastated France and stimulated deep nationalistic sentiments in them. It also served to accelerate the process of changing France from a Feudal monarchy to a state that is centralized. Strong National sentiments grew between England and France that helped to bridge the gap that existed between them. Read More