The Hundred Years' War

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the historical causes, key battles, major figures, and lasting impact of the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

Hundred Years' War

A conflict fought between England and France between 1337 and 1453 over the succession to the French throne.

Black Death

A plague (1347–1351) that devastated populations across Europe, reducing the labor force and creating social unrest.

William the Conqueror

The ruler who became King of England in 1066 while still ruling lands in Normandy, creating intertwined histories between England and France.

Edward III

King of England who claimed the French crown through his mother, Isabella, following the death of King Charles IV of France in 1328.

Salic Law

A legal code invoked by the French to exclude inheritance through the female line, used to reject Edward III’s claim to the throne.

Philip VI of Valois

The monarch crowned by the French after they rejected Edward III's dynastic claim.

Aquitaine

A valuable territory in France controlled by England that remained a significant point of territorial dispute.

Flanders

A region economically tied to England through the lucrative wool trade but politically connected to France.

English longbow

A military technology that shifted warfare away from feudal knights; it had a longer range and faster loading speed than the crossbow.

Battle of Crecy

A 1346 battle near Normandy where English longbowmen successfully defeated the French cavalry and crossbowmen.

Battle of Poitiers

A 1356 battle where English soldiers used a feigned retreat and hidden reserves to defeat and capture King John of France.

Battle of Agincourt

A 1415 battle where English archers protected by stakes defeated the French on a narrow, muddied battlefield.

Siege of Orleans

A major victory for France in 1428 and 1429 aided by the leadership of Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc

A teenager who claimed visions of angels and saints compelled her to lead French troops to victory at Orleans in 1429.

Battle of Castillon

The final battle of the war in 1453 where the French used guns and artillery to defeat the English.

Calais

The only territory England retained in France following the conclusion of the war.

Wars of the Roses

English civil unrest fueled by political dissatisfaction over the losses suffered during the Hundred Years’ War.