The Social Impact of the Hundred Years War on the Societies of England and France

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The Social Impact of the Hundred Years War on the Societies of England and France University of Central Florida STARS Honors Undergraduate Theses UCF Theses and Dissertations 2016 The Social Impact of the Hundred Years War on the Societies of England and France Kody E. Whittington University of Central Florida Part of the European History Commons, and the Medieval History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the UCF Theses and Dissertations at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Undergraduate Theses by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Whittington, Kody E., "The Social Impact of the Hundred Years War on the Societies of England and France" (2016). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 115. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/115 THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR ON THE SOCIETIES OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE by KODY E. WHITTINGTON A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in History in the College of Arts and Humanities and in the Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2016 Thesis Chair: Dr. Peter Larson ABSTRACT The Hundred Years War was a series of conflicts from 1337 to 1453 waged between the House of Plantagenet of England and the House of Valois of France. This thesis will analyze the affect that the Hundred Years War had on the societies of both England and France, and in doing so will show that the war was a catalyst for bringing England and France out of what is recognized as the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance and Early Modern Period. The thesis will do this by looking at three sections of English and French society: the royalty and nobility who commanded and who arguably started the war, the soldiers and mercenary companies who fought the war, and the non-combatants who either contributed to the war or were affected by it in positive or negative ways. The evolution in the power and role of the monarchs will be analyzed, while the nobility will be analyzed in their capacity as the leaders during the war and how their station in society was affected by the war. Analysis of those that served and fought in the war are of equal importance, as the Hundred Years War saw the rise of paid professional armies comprised mostly of the peasantry. Mercenary companies will also be looked at, especially in France where they contributed much to pillaging and acts of violence against the people. While the experiences of the combatants are important to understanding the history of the war, the experiences of those that did not directly engage in the war is important to understanding how the war affected society as a whole. Those peasants whose farms were destroyed by raiding armies, mercenaries, or bandits suffered greatly because of the war. Yet some, such as merchants, profited from the war and became greatly enriched. The church and its ii role in attempting to mediate and bring peace, while others of the cloth served as outlets of propaganda in support of their kingdom, will also be looked at in this thesis. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: THE KING AND THE NOBILITY ......................................................................9 Kings ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Knights and Nobles ............................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 3: SOLDIERS AND MERCENARIES ................................................................... 26 Army Organization ................................................................................................................ 27 The Soldiers .......................................................................................................................... 37 Mercenaries ........................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 4: THE NON-COMBATANT ................................................................................. 53 Those Who Lost .................................................................................................................... 54 Those Who Gained ................................................................................................................ 65 The Church ............................................................................................................................ 70 CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 75 France ................................................................................................................................... 75 England ................................................................................................................................. 76 Nationalism ........................................................................................................................... 77 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 82 iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The Hundred Years War was a series of conflicts from 1337 to 1453 waged between the House of Plantagenet of England and the House of Valois of France over the throne of France. The roots of this conflict stretch back to the Norman conquest of England in 1066, as the King of England was now also the Duke of Normandy, and thus was a vassal to the King of France, which resulted in a conflict between the two monarchs as the French kings attempted to rein in their English counterpart and reduce the French land held by said English monarch. A more direct reason came after the death of Charles IV of France in 1328, when England’s Edward III claimed a right to the French throne through his mother Isabella. This claim was rejected in favor of Philip VI of the House of Valois. Edward III reluctantly acknowledged and paid homage to Philip VI for nine years, but after Philip’s interference with Edward’s war with Scotland and his confiscation of Aquitaine, Edward reasserted his claim to the French throne. Edward and an invasion fleet sailed across the English Channel in 1340, destroying the defending French fleet in the Battle of Sluys, which marked the opening battle to what would come to be known as the Hundred Years War. In 1346, Edward mounted a more substantial invasion, landing in Normandy and marching through France pillaging and burning rather than attempting to hold territory in an effort to demoralize the populace, deny anything useful to the enemy, and subverting the authority of Philip. But in August of 1346, Philip forced a confrontation with Edward in what is called the Battle of Crecy. The Battle of Crecy was a triumph for the English, and it served as a proving ground for their longbow men, signaling their rise in importance in the coming years of 1 the war. Edward then proceeded north and captured Calais in 1347, which remained in English hands throughout the rest of the war and served as a useful strategic asset for keeping troops in northern France. A third English invasion, this time under the command of Edward III’s son, Edward the Black Prince, was launched from Gascony in 1356. It was during this invasion that the Battle of Poitiers was fought. English archers once again proved their worth in this battle, stopping a French cavalry charge and greatly aiding in the ability of the English army to gain ground. It was also during this battle that the French king John II was captured. John was held for ransom, and it seemed that the throne of France was all but won. John’s capture and the ransom paid for his release would have a profound impact on the war and the French monarchy for years to come. The final English invasion of the first phase of the war was largely unsuccessful, especially when compared to previous campaigns. Failing to take either Reims or Paris, and after several unforeseen circumstances that hindered the English ability to fight, Edward consented to negotiating with the French and accepted the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360. The terms of the treaty included that Edward renounce his claim to the throne of France in exchange for increased land in Aquitaine. Following a dispute over the implementation of a hearth tax by the Black Prince in Aquitaine, France’s King Charles V summoned the Black Prince to Paris, to which the Black Prince responded that he would only come with an army behind him. In 1369, Charles declared war and that all English possessions in France were confiscated, and Edward III once again claimed the title of King of France. This phase of the war went poorly for the English, largely due to the fact that Edward III was elderly and in poor health, and the Black Prince was deathly
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