England in 1348, which meant that landowners lost money due to there being too much land thus
making rent lower and the money that they were earning of rents decrease. This factor also impelled
merchants to go to war as even if they did not go to the front line of battle they could make ‘profits
of war’_ as they were able to manufacture goods such as armour, the longbow and also breed good
horses. As all these things were necessities during war, merchants could fix the prices artificially
high and make large profits. The wealth that could be obtained from war also motivated the
peasantry more than other factors such as defending English land. For example soldiers preferred to
fight against the rich nation of France rather than the poorer nations Wales or Scotland as there was
more of an opportunity for them to gain wealth, a French tract even states that the English were
through plunder and robbery, for example a French tract states that the English were ‘living by
robbery at the expense of their... neighbours’_. This is reinforced by John Bromyard when he states
that the Englishmen’s ‘desire for gain’_ makes them ‘more inclined towards the devil than to God’.
Thus war was seen by Englishmen of all classes as profitable, and making a profit during war was
more important than actually defeating France.
Another motive that impelled the English to go to war was to defend English territories both
in France and at home in England. As France had formed alliance with Scotland during the first
phases of the war, 1337-1369, and with Wales in the late 14th century (the third phases of the war),
England was placed in a very dangerous situation. These alliance meant that England was
surrounded by enemies and when France supported both the Scottish War of Independence and the
Welsh revolt in 1401 ‘the french hastened to help Owen Glyndwr [the leader of the Welsh resistance
to English domination’_ they forced England into war. Not going to war would have made England
look weak and this for a monarch was extremely dangerous as was shown when Richard II was
overthrown for being a weak military leaders in 1399 and when England had military victories,
such as the battle of Agincourt in 1415, the monarch had less trouble from the aristocracy as stated
in Jean Frossart’s chronicles, ‘The English will never love or honour their king unless he be
victorious’_. All English during this period would have understood the risks thus defending the
politics of England was a factor which impelled the English to fight the hundred years war. Thus
military victory was necessary for a King’s survival on the throne.
Another element to defence is that the Kings of England were defending what they believed
to be their rightful title as ‘King of France’. The dispute arrived when Charles V of France died
without an her and under Salic Law a women could not inherit the throne, therefore the throne
passed to Charles of Valois instead of Edward III of England, who many Englishmen believed was
the rightful heir. Therefore many Englishmen believed that they were doing God’s work and the
Cambridge Theologians’ declaration described the war as ‘holy’_ for this reason. After the first
victories of the war these beliefs would have intensified and the incentive would have grown have
grown stronger as it was a common believe during the Middle Ages that God was on the side of the
victors in battles. Thus the victories proved that the English were doing God’s work. However as
Edward III, the supposed English heir of the French throne, renounced his claim to the French
throne in 1360 in the Treaty of Bretigny in exchange for land and money it can be argued that the
monarch was not fighting ‘in defence of justice’_ but just to gain lands and money. Therefore
defending justice and fighting in the name of God was just propaganda rather than an actual motive
for war. The defence of English lands in France was however a motive for not just the monarchy but
barons and lords also. As the lands gained during war have been divided equally between the
barons, this meant that their incomes would have risen as they have have more rents and revenue.
For example the duchy of Gascony was worth around £13,000 per annum in 1324, also Jean
Froissart’s chronicle state that the Duke of Gloucester claimed ‘that he would never agree to any
peace with France... unless it secured the return of all the lands, cities, towns, castles and lordships
recaptured by the French’_. The chronicle then goes on to state that ‘several other barons were also
of this opinion’_, thus defending territory was a component that impelled the English barons and
lords to fight the hundred years war.
A factor that influenced English lords was the glory that war could bring as shown by the
chivalrous behaviour of knights. This is displayed in Jean Froissart’s chronicle when it states that
‘young bachelors, who had once eye closed with a piece of silk.. they had made a vow, i the
presence of the ladies.. that they would see with one eye only, until they had preformed some deed
of arms in France’_. Thus English knights’ motive which impelled them to go to war was to earn a
reputation which would make them more desirable at home. Glory is also shown to be a motive for
the monarchy also as the Black Prince had to ‘earn his spurs’_ at the battle of Crecy to prove
himself to be a good military ruler which in turn helped to defend the English monarchy. Therefore
although the glory of war may not have been a prime motivation it was an incentive for lords and
helped to protect the English King and his heir.
The least important factor which impelled the English to fight the hundred years war was the
violence that is associated with war as it allowed soldiers to live without social restraint and
morales became unimportant. Rape, torture, robbery and murder were all part of war and may have
attracted soldiers as John Bromyard’s ‘the sum of preaching’ states that ‘soldiers go to war in a
spirit different from former times... they incline more towards the devil than to God’_. Thus the
violence that war allowed men to extract may have attracted soldiers that felt constrained by the
social restraints.
In conclusion the main factor that impelled the english to fight the hundred years war was the profit
that could be acquired from warfare as shown mainly by the extent to which ransoms were
demanded. Whilst other factor such as defending land and politics played a part all incentives
mainly focused on making money.
word count - 1499
1 Geoffrey Baker, Chronicle. 1356_2 Contract between the Duke of Bedford and Sir `John Fasolf. 1424_3 A French Tract 1419_4 John Bromyard, The sum of preaching. 1390_5 Thomas Walsingham, ‘the English History’ 1406_6 Jean Froissart, Chronicles. 1390_7 Cambridge Theologians, declaration 1393_8 Cambridge Theologians, declaration 1393_9 Jean Froissart, Chronicles. 1390_10 Jean Froissart, Chronicles. 1390_11 Jean Froissart, Chronicle, 1337_12 Jean Froissart, Chronicle. 1346_13 John Bromyard, The sum of preaching. 1390_
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