The Hundred Years War

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“What a hundred years is not enough to build, one day is more than enough to destroy”-author unknown (quotes.dictionary.com). This quotation explains how during the Hundred Years War there were battles where thousands of people died and whole towns were destroyed, and all of this was happening while a better country was trying to be built. The Hundred Years War was a very significant time in European history. The Hundred Years War brought the Middle Ages to a close and changed warfare considerably.
The Hundred Years War started in May 1337 (“ehistory”). One of the main causes for the Hundred Years War happened 200 years before, when Edward the III claimed the throne of France Thus the English tried to rule the French. Another of the main causes of The Hundred Years War was King Phillip VI of France’s attempt to confiscate English territories in the Duchy of Aquitaine (“ehistory”). But what were the armies that fought in this war like?
The French seemed to have the advantage in the Hundred Years War because they possessed the most powerful financial and military resources in Western Europe (“Hundred Years’ War”). The French army had hired men to fight in the war who got paid wages. The men were strong and had trained all their life to fight in wars. Yet the English, with a smaller army, somehow had the upper hand for most of the Hundred Years War.
According to BBC.com, the England had a much smaller army compared to the French. But even though they were smaller, they were victorious over much larger French armies many times. The English army was filled with voluntary recruitments, with some knights, esquires, and most importantly archers. Archery contributed to many of England’s victories. The longbow became an important factor...

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...s to desert the English and became allies to the French. Thus making France too large and heavily populated for the English, eventually driving England out of France, but not until 1453. (Heritage-History.com)
The Hundred Years War lasted for about 116 years. During this war there were many different kings and rulers. The war was hard and trying, intercepted by long periods of peace between England and France during hard political times. At many times the French became very discouraged, but with the help of a seventeen year old girl they were able to pull through one more time to become the victorious in this war. As stated in the quotation, “What a hundred years is not enough to build, one day is more than enough to destroy” (quotes.dictionary.com). It took France the hundred years war plus longer to rebuild their country after the damage of the Hundred Years War.

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