Perhaps one of the first things to notice about the Hundred Years War was that it consisted of a number of periods of peace or truces. These often extended for many years for example the First Peace lasted from 1360 to 1369 and the Second from 1389 to 1415. So, although the conflict consisted of a number of major battles the fighting wasn’t constant.
Take a look at the timeline above and use your mouse to scroll left and right through the entries.
The second thing to notice from the timeline is that other events were happening at the same time during the conflict. Notably the Black Death which lasted from 1346 to 1353 with some estimates that it killed up to 200 million people throughout Europe. This would have had a large impact on the conflict by weakening armies on both sides but, as the disease spread, not at a constant rate.
The Hundred Years War was greatly affected by the rulers of each country. When Henry V came to power in England you can see a noticeable increase in the engagements and he tried and largely succeeded in asserting his authority in France.
The last stages of the conflict were dominated by France especially after the appearance of Joan of Arc. This despite Henry VI crowning himself King of France.
References:
Books
A Brief History of the Hundred Years War: The English in France, 1337-1453 (Brief Histories) (Paperback)
by Mr Desmond Seward
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