Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state in western Europe from the 10th century to 1707. Occupying the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, the kingdom included modern-day England, Wales, and for a brief period in the 15th century the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The kingdom shared a border with Scotland to the north, but otherwise was surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. At the start of the period its capital and chief royal residence was Winchester, but Westminster and Gloucester were accorded almost equal status, with Westminster gradually gaining preference and becoming the administrative capital by the beginning of the 12th century. The kingdom broadly traces its origins to the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain and the Heptarchy of petty states that followed. Unification[edit] The kingdom has no specific founding date. In 886, Alfred the Great retook London, which he apparently regarded as a turning point in his reign. Norman conquest[edit] Tudors and Stuarts[edit]
Battle of Sluys The Battle of Sluys (/ˈslɔɪz/; Dutch pronunciation: [slœys]), also called Battle of l'Ecluse, was a sea battle fought on 24 June 1340 as one of the opening conflicts of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. The encounter was during the reigns of Philip VI of France and Edward III of England, in front of the town of Newmarket or Sluis, (French Écluse), on the inlet between West Flanders and Zeeland. During the battle Philip's navy was almost completely destroyed, giving the English fleet complete mastery over the channel. Background[edit] Edward III as he was portrayed in the late 16th century. When France's Charles IV the Fair died in 1328 leaving only daughters, the nearest male relative was Edward III of England. Size of the fleets[edit] The payroll records for the English fleet have been lost, therefore historians have had to rely on the estimates of chroniclers to ascertain the size of the fleet. The battle[edit] Engraving of a cog Aftermath[edit] Notes[edit] Citations[edit]
France in the Middle Ages From the 12th and 13th centuries on, France was at the center (and often originator) of a vibrant cultural production that extended across Europe, including: the transition of Romanesque architecture to Gothic architecture (originating in 12th-century France) and Gothic art; the foundation of medieval universities (such as the universities of Paris (recognized in 1150), Montpellier (1220), Toulouse (1229), and Orleans (1235)) and the so-called "Renaissance of the 12th century"; a growing body of secular vernacular literature (including the chanson de geste, chivalric romance, troubadour and trouvère poetry, etc.) and medieval music (such as the flowering of the Notre Dame school of polyphony from around 1150 to 1250 which represents the beginning of what is conventionally known as Ars antiqua). Geography[edit] From the Middle Ages onward the French rulers believed their kingdoms had natural borders: the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Rhine. Demographics[edit] Languages and literacy[edit]
Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy (occasionally written in English as the "Battle of Cressy") took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France. It was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War because of the combination of new weapons and tactics used. The English knights knew the importance of being willing to fight dismounted elbow to elbow with the pikeman and archers, a procedure which was learned from the earlier Saxons and also by their battles with the Scots from whom they learned tactical flexibility and the adaptation to difficult terrain.[1] All of these factors made Edward III's army powerful, even when outnumbered by the French forces.[2] Background[edit] The Battle of Sluys on 24 June 1340, the first great battle of the Hundred Years' War, involved infantry fighting each other aboard ships moored side by side. Prelude[edit] The English army landed at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue on 12 July 1346. The English army was divided into three divisions. Size of forces[edit]
House of Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet (/plænˈtædʒənət/ plan-TAJ-ə-nət) was a royal dynasty that came to prominence in the High Middle Ages and lasted until the end of the Late Middle Ages. Within that period, some historians identify four distinct Royal Houses: Angevins, Plantagenet, Lancaster and York.[1] A common retrospective view is that Geoffrey V of Anjou founded the dynasty through his marriage to Matilda, the daughter of Henry I of England. From the accession of their son, Henry II in 1154, via the Treaty of Winchester that ended two decades of civil war, a long line of 14 Plantagenet kings ruled England, until 1485 when Richard III was killed in battle. The name of Plantagenet that historians use for the entire dynasty dates from the 15th century and comes from a 12th-century nickname of Geoffrey. No English dynasty was as successful in passing the crown to a succeeding generation as the Plantagenets from 1189 to 1377. Angevin origins[edit] Angevin arrival in England[edit]
House of Valois The House of Valois[1] (French pronunciation: [valwa]) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") as kings of France from 1328 to 1589. A cadet branch of the family reigned as dukes of Burgundy from 1363 to 1482. The Valois descended from Charles, Count of Valois (1270-1325), the fourth son of King Philip III of France (reigned 1270-1285). They based their claim on the Salic law, which excluded females (Joan II of Navarre) as well as male descendants through the distaff line (Edward III of England), from the succession to the French throne. Unexpected inheritance[edit] The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and after the reign of Philip IV from 1285 to 1313. In 1328 three candidates had plausible claims to the throne: Philip, Count of Valois, son of Charles of Valois, who was the closest heir in male line and a grandson of Philip III. The claimants to the French throne in 1328 List of Valois kings of France[edit] See also[edit]
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War, a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453, pitted the Kingdom of England against the Valois Capetians for control of the French throne. Each side drew many allies into the fighting. Edward responded by declaring himself to be the rightful King of France rather than Philip, a claim dating to 1328 when Edward's uncle, Charles IV of France, died without a direct male heir. Historians commonly divide the war into three phases separated by truces: Contemporary European conflicts directly related to this conflict included the War of the Breton Succession (1341–1364), the Castilian Civil War (1366–1369), the War of the Two Peters (1356–1375) in Aragon, and the 1383–85 Crisis in Portugal. The war owes its historical significance to multiple factors. Background[edit] English kings and continental dukedoms: 1066–1357[edit] John of England inherited the Angevin domains from King Richard I. Dynastic turmoil in France: 1314–28[edit] Beginning of the war: 1337–60[edit]
Battle of Poitiers (1356) The Battle of Poitiers was a major battle of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. The battle occurred on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, France. Preceded by the Battle of Crécy in 1346, and followed by the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, it was the second of the three great English victories of the war. Background[edit] Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), the eldest son of King Edward III, began a great chevauchée on 8 August 1356. Negotiations prior to the Battle of Poitiers[edit] There were negotiations before the battle of Poitiers that are recorded in the writings of the life of Sir John Chandos. Nobles and men-at-arms who fought with the Black Prince[edit] Another account states that John of Ghistelles perished at the Battle of Crécy. Nobles and men-at-arms who fought with King Jean II at, or just prior to, the battle[edit] The battle[edit] This cavalry attack was followed by infantry attack. Pre-battle manoeuvres Map of the Battle References[edit]
Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory in the Hundred Years' War.[a] The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day), near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France.[b] Henry V's victory at Agincourt, against a numerically superior French army, crippled France and started a new period in the war during which Henry married the French king's daughter and then Henry's son, Henry VI, was made heir to the throne of France. Contemporary accounts of the battle[edit] The battle of Agincourt is well documented from at least seven contemporary accounts, three of them by eye-witnesses. Campaign[edit] Henry's army landed in northern France on 13 August 1415 and besieged the port of Harfleur with an army of about 12,000. The Battle[edit] Preparation for battle[edit] The battle was fought in the narrow strip of open land formed between the woods of Tramecourt and Agincourt (close to the modern village of Azincourt). The battle of Agincourt. English deployment[edit]
Siege of Orléans The Siege of Orléans (1428–1429) marked a turning point in the Hundred Years' War between France and England. This was Joan of Arc's first major[2] military victory and the first major French success to follow the crushing defeat at Agincourt in 1415. The outset of this siege marked the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war. Background[edit] Hundred Years' War[edit] The siege of Orléans occurred during the Hundred Years' War, contested between the ruling houses of France and England for supremacy over France. Following a decisive victory at Agincourt in 1415, the English gained the upper hand in the conflict, occupying much of northern France. Geography[edit] Orléans is located on the Loire River in north-central France. Armagnac party[edit] As the capital of the duchy of Orléans, this city held symbolic significance in early 15th century politics. Preparations[edit] State of the conflict[edit] Salisbury's approach[edit] Orléans in 1428-9, the time of the Siege
Battle of Castillon The Battle of Castillon was fought on July 17, 1453 in Gascony near the town of Castillon-sur-Dordogne (later Castillon-la-Bataille). A decisive French victory, it is considered to mark the end of the Hundred Years' War. As a result of the battle, the English lost all landholdings in France, except Calais and the Channel Islands. Background[edit] The term, "Hundred Years' War" is problematic as the fighting between the English and the French during the period of 1337 to 1453 more represents a series of conflicts than a prolonged war. After the 1451, French capture of Bordeaux by the armies of Charles VII, the Hundred Years' War appeared to be at an end. Preparation[edit] Talbot left Bordeaux on July 16. Main battle[edit] The English advanced, but they ran into the full force of the French army.[11] Despite being outnumbered and in a vulnerable position, Talbot ordered them to continue the fighting.[13] Historian A.J. In the end, the French routed the English. Aftermath[edit] Notes[edit]
Edward, the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England. He was called Edward of Woodstock in his early life, after his birthplace, and since the 16th century has been popularly known as the Black Prince. He was an exceptional military leader, and his victories over the French at the Battles of Crécy and Poitiers made him very popular during his lifetime. In 1348 he became the first Knight of the Garter, of whose Order he was one of the founders. Richard Barber comments that Edward "has attracted relatively little attention from serious historians, but figures largely in popular history Life[edit] Edward, the Black Prince is granted Aquitaine by his father King Edward III. Edward was born on 15 June 1330 at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire. Edward had been raised with his cousin Joan, "The Fair Maid of Kent