The Hundred Years War was a long series of conflicts between England, France and their allies, fought from 1337 to 1453. Dynastic claims to the French crown lay at the heart of the conflict, but the war developed into a much wider struggle involving battles, sieges, naval warfare, diplomacy, domestic politics, revolts and competing alliances across western Europe.
This site explores the Hundred Years War through its major events, battles, people, politics, religion and wider European conflicts.
Explore the Hundred Years War
Timeline
Follow the Hundred Years War from its origins in the fourteenth century to the final loss of English territory in France in 1453.
Battles and Sieges
Explore the major battles, sieges and campaigns that shaped the course of the war.
Naval Warfare
Discover the naval battles, fleets, ports and maritime strategy that influenced the conflict.
People
Meet the kings, commanders, politicians and other figures who shaped the Hundred Years War.
Women
Explore the roles played by queens, noblewomen, political leaders, soldiers and other women during the conflict.
Treaties and Truces
Explore the agreements, truces and negotiations that repeatedly attempted to manage the conflict.
Revolts
Discover the rebellions and uprisings that affected England, France and other territories during the war.
Domestic Politics
Explore kingship, royal authority, Parliament, factions and political upheaval during the war.
The Wider War
Discover how Scotland, Brittany, Navarre, Castile and other powers became involved in the wider conflict.
Religion and the Church
Explore the Papacy, the Western Schism, crusading, religious authority and the Church during the war.
The Hundred Years War in Context
The conflict was not simply a continuous war between England and France. Alliances changed, periods of intense fighting were followed by truces, and political struggles within and between kingdoms repeatedly altered the course of the war.
The site therefore looks beyond the famous battles to the political, military, religious and social developments that shaped the conflict.
Featured Topics
Battle of Crécy
One of the most important English victories of the first phase of the war.
Battle of Agincourt
Henry V’s famous victory in 1415 and a turning point in the Lancastrian phase of the war.
Joan of Arc
Explore the trial of Joan of Arc and the religious and political controversy surrounding her.
Castile and the Battle of Montiel
The conflict extended into Iberia, where English, French and Castilian interests collided.
Medieval Literature
The Hundred Years War also shaped the literature and culture of medieval England. The Canterbury Tales provides an important insight into English society during the period, while the site’s wider literature collection explores medieval writing in its historical context.