Medieval England and the Hundred Years War

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Medieval English history, the Viking Age, Norman Conquest, Angevin Empire, and the Hundred Years War.

Lindisfarne

The Anglo-Saxon 'holy island' on the east coast of England that was raided by the Vikings in 793.

Viking Raids (Pre-850 vs. Post-850)

Until 850, Vikings launched sudden, brutal raids to steal treasure and take slaves before sailing away; after 850, they began remaining in England and seizing territory.

Scandinavian Push Factors

Difficult farming conditions due to hilly and sandy terrain in Denmark and Norway, coupled with growing overcrowding across Scandinavia.

Scandinavian Inheritance Laws

Customs dictating that only the eldest son could inherit land, compelling younger sons to travel abroad on Viking raids to seek wealth.

Wessex

The sole Anglo-Saxon kingdom that had not been conquered by the Vikings by the year 866.

Guthrum

The Viking leader in England who fought against King Alfred and eventually converted to Christianity following his defeat.

Battle of Eddington (878)

The pivotal battle where King Alfred, having secretly trained his army, dealt the Vikings a massive and unexpected defeat to save England.

The Danelaw

The northern and eastern territory of England ceded to Viking rule after Alfred's division of the country.

Burhs

Defensive fortified settlements—the basis for modern 'boroughs'—established by King Alfred alongside the Royal Navy to safeguard England.

Athelstan

King Alfred's grandson under whose leadership England finally became a unified nation.

Alfred the Great

The unofficial title bestowed on King Alfred by the Victorians a thousand years after his reign, honoring him as 'the man who made England'.

Danegeld

Tribute payments made by King Ethelred 'the Unready' to Scandinavian Vikings in an attempt to buy off their attacks.

St. Brice's Day Massacre

A cold-blooded overnight slaughter of as many Vikings as possible organized by King Ethelred, provoking unified Scandinavian retaliation.

Sven Forkbeard

The Viking king who united forces to conquer England after his sister was killed in the St. Brice's Day Massacre.

Cnut

The Viking king who took the English throne in 1016, governing peacefully and fairly while permitting loyal English subjects to hold positions in government.

North Sea Empire

The combined realm ruled by King Cnut, consisting of England, Denmark, Norway, and portions of Sweden.

Emma of Normandy

An influential historical figure who was married to King Ethelred and subsequently to King Cnut.

Edward the Confessor

The King of England from 1042 until 1066 whose death sparked competing claims to the English throne.

Harald Hardrada

The Viking ruler who claimed the English crown following the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066.

Harold Godwinson (King Harold II)

The final Anglo-Saxon monarch of England who claimed the throne in 1066 prior to the Norman invasion.

Battle of Hastings (1066)

The decisive conflict in which Duke William of Normandy defeated the Anglo-Saxon army to take control of England.

Norman Castles

Over 500 fortifications erected by William the Conqueror across England to maintain control and intimidate the population.

Harrying of the North

William the Conqueror's systematic devastation of northern England following rebellions, characterized by mass casualties, slaughter of livestock, and destruction of crops to cause deliberate starvation.

The Feudal System

A hierarchical social order introduced by the Normans in which the crown held all land and distributed it among barons, knights, and peasants in return for services and mutual duties.

Angevin Empire

The extensive lands controlled by King Henry II from 1154, combining England, northern France from his father, and southern France through his wife.

English Conquest of Ireland (1171)

The invasion led by Henry II in 1171 that placed England in control of Ireland until southern Ireland attained independence in 1922.

King John ('Soft Sword')

Son of Henry II known for a disastrous military record that resulted in the loss of nearly the entire Angevin Empire except Gascony.

Magna Carta (1215)

A legal charter that rebel barons forced King John to sign, compelling the monarch to rule fairly and respect the law.

Gascony

The sole remaining English territory in southwest France, considered essential to English royal pride and a vital source of revenue from wine sales and taxes.

Auld Alliance

The military partnership between France and Scotland that provoked King Edward III and helped initiate the Hundred Years War.

Battle of Crecy (1346) and Battle of Poitiers (1356)

Two major military victories won by King Edward III against the French during the Hundred Years War.

Battle of Agincourt (1415)

A celebrated battle in which King Henry V led an outnumbered English force to an overwhelming victory against France.

Island Mentality

The cultural outlook that developed in England after losing continental lands in the Hundred Years War, causing the English to feel distinct from mainland Europe and turn toward global exploration.

Permanent Standing Army (France)

Europe's first full-time professional army, created as a consequence of the Hundred Years War when the French crown's authority was strengthened.

Military Revolution of the Hundred Years War

The replacement of cavalry charges by thousands of archers firing arrows, accompanied by gunpowder weapons like handguns and cannons that rendered traditional castles obsolete.