Analyze how the Hundred Years War effected the establishment of strong central monarchies in France and England.

The Hundred Years War (1336-1453) was a long struggle between the English and the French. At its close, both countries’ resources and money were exhausted. However, the War also affected the monarchies of England and France in interesting ways. France’s monarchy gained more power as a result of the war. England’s monarchy was weakened considerably.

Prior to the war, the king of France had almost no power over his people. Rather, power lay in the hands of nobles, who were feudal lords over the people. England was isolated from the rest of Europe and considered an insignificant power by other countries. Parliament had already been established. However, it was not yet superior to the king, and so, England was still primarily ruled by a king.

For centuries, the English and French had disputed over territory owned by the English in France. In the fourteenth century, a strong foundation of England’s economy was its trade of wool with the Flemings. The Flemings, however, were officially, vassals to the king of France, King Charles IV. The French threatened to cut this trade off. King Edward III of England could not allow this to happen, for without the trade of wool, England’s economy would be at a standstill. Then, in 1328, Charles IV died, leaving behind no male heirs. Edward III claimed a right to the throne. His mother Isabella was the sister of the late King Charles. However, the French nobles, not wanting Edward III to take over France, claimed that the throne could not pass through the line of a female. Instead, they selected the noble, Philip VI. Tension built between the two nations until war broke out in 1336. Another reason Edward III chose a course of war was that he was young, a good fighter, and anxious to achieve military glory.

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Edward controlled the area of Aquitaine, on the southern side of France, so he had the advantage of attacking from two sides. The French also allied with the Scottish to pin down the English as well. It was the English though, that dominated the battlefield from the war’s start, using superior tactics and weaponry. The English utilized the longbow, which although not as powerful or as far-reaching as the French crossbow, it was much easier to reload and proved to be more useful in battle. Edward III employed the tactic of total warfare, in which, his troops would attack civilian outposts, devastating the French countryside. For a large portion of the war up until the early 1400s the English were overpowering gaining a large portion of France including Paris. The momentum shifted in 1429 as Joan of Arc came to lead French troops to several key victories. Even after Joan of Arc’s execution in 1431, the French continued to be victorious until the English were driven completely out of France in 1453.

All the fighting of the Hundred Years War had been on French soil. And so, at the war’s end, the entire French countryside was devastated by years of battles and pillaging. France had taken a crippling blow to its economy, but in the long run it was strengthened. Before the war began, the common people held more allegiance to their nobles than to the king due to feudalism. When the English invaded, however, they soon found that they needed the power of the king to protect them. So as a result of the shift of power, France became united under one leader, making it stronger.

At the close of the war, England’s resources were thoroughly drained. England ended up losing the war, being driven completely from French land. This, in fact, ended up benefiting England. The English kings no longer had to focus on France, but could concentrate on expanding their territory in other parts of the world. Eventually, England grew into a significant world power. Before the war’s beginning, the king had had power over Parliament. However, the king needed money to finance the war. By law, Parliament had to approve any new tax on the people. In this way, Parliament came to have much influence over the king, being able to force him to approve laws that would diminish the king’s power. After the Hundred Years War, Parliament became more like the ruling body of present England.

The Hundred Years War had long term affects on the monarchies of England and France. In France, the war shifted power from the nobles to the king. In England, power was exchanged between the king and Parliament. While the war exhausted each country’s resources, both nations ended up benefiting.

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