Analysis of the Hundred Years War
Analysis of the Hundred Years WarThe definition of the Golden Rule is that those with the gold
make the rules. In other words, those with the gold have the power as
well as those with the power have the gold. History books will
discuss the general reasons for war such as freedom from adversity or
freedom from religion. But the real issue for any war is the thirst
for power and control; and the means to finance them are the economic
issues.
Nations will endure years of fighting for power and control.
France and England fought each other for more than a hundred years to
have control of the Channel trade routes. 1 This century of warring
was known as The Hundred Years' War and is the longest war in record
history. It began in 1337 when King Edward III invaded Normandy and
ended in 1453 when France won the Battle of Bordeaux. However, it was
not a hundred years of constant battle; there were periods of truces
in between. 2
One cause for the Hundred Years' War was the claim to the
French throne. The conflict began when the direct line of succession
died without a male heir and the nobles decided to pass the crown to a
cousin, Philip of Valois. But this left two other male cousins
equally deserving of the crown; Charles, King of Navarre and Edward
III, King of England. 3 Edward III claimed that he himself was
deserving of the throne because his mother was the sister of the late
French king, while Philip VI was only a cousin. But according to
French law, no women could inherit the throne, nor could the crown be
inherited through a woman. 4
"Philip of Valois chances of becoming King of France had been
remote and he had not been brought up as the future lieutenant of God
on Earth. Philip VI spent much of his resources on entertainment and
finery with gay abandon." 5 This caused conflict with the king's
subjects. Since the king was considered to be sacred and inviolable,
neither cousin would challenge Philip VI. However, they would exploit
the situation and King Edward III lost no time and invaded Normandy
with an army of 10,000
men. 6
This leads to another cause for The Hundred Years' War. The
land along the Channel and Atlantic coasts was England's first line of
defense against an invasion. England held claim to this territory
from the twelth century through the marriage of King Henry II and
Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Edward III was determined to gain control
of the French coastline while providing himself with a bridgehead for...
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