Hundred Years’ War Timeline: Causes, Battles and Outcome
The Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453) was a sequence of conflicts between the English and French crowns separated by truces.
Context and meaning
Claims to the French succession, control of territory and dynastic power helped drive conflict. The war’s later name conceals its interruptions and shifting alliances.
How it worked
Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt (1415) were famous English victories. Yet sieges, taxation, diplomacy and military organisation mattered beyond these battlefield episodes.
What changed or what historians debate
Joan of Arc was influential around Orléans in 1429. French successes eventually ended English control of almost all their possessions in France by 1453, with Calais remaining under English control.
A timeline of turning points
1337: Edward III’s conflict with Philip VI marks the conventional opening. 1346: Crécy brings an English victory. 1356: the French king John II is captured at Poitiers. 1360: the Treaty of Brétigny alters territorial claims.
1415: Henry V wins at Agincourt. 1420: the Treaty of Troyes proposes a disputed succession. 1429: the relief of Orléans and Charles VII’s coronation campaign strengthen the French cause. 1453: major French victories end the main campaigns.
Why the English won major battles
English armies sometimes used defensive positions and large numbers of archers effectively. Yet terrain, command decisions, army composition and the surrounding campaigns influenced outcomes.
The English also suffered defeats, and holding conquered territory required garrisons, money and diplomacy. A sequence of famous battles does not explain the war on its own.
Civilian and political consequences
Raids, sieges, ransom demands and taxation burdened communities. Political unrest, local loyalties and disease shaped both kingdoms.
The conflict helped change methods of raising revenue and maintaining armies while reinforcing developing royal institutions.
How the course of the war changed
English victories in the fourteenth century did not translate into permanent control of France. Maintaining garrisons was expensive, alliances shifted and French forces gradually regained ground. The Treaty of Brétigny in 1360 altered claims and territories without settling the rivalry permanently.
In the fifteenth century Henry V renewed English advances, culminating in the Treaty of Troyes in 1420. Yet the eventual success of Charles VII’s forces illustrates why the war is better understood through institutions, resources and political legitimacy than as a series of famous longbow battles.
A turning point beyond the famous battles
Royal Armouries traces the changing political and military situation in the fifteenth century. After Joan of Arc’s campaigns, the Duke of Burgundy shifted to the French side in 1435, and the English lost Paris the following year. French success at Formigny in 1450 further weakened English control of Normandy.
These changes show why a timeline limited to Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt misses the eventual outcome. Alliances, sieges and the capacity to hold territory mattered alongside battlefield victories.
Source: Royal Armouries — War chronology.
Why battles alone do not explain the outcome
Narratives of Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt foreground memorable victories, but armies also depended on funding, garrisons and alliances. Royal Armouries records Burgundy’s change of allegiance in 1435, the English loss of Paris in 1436 and the French victory at Formigny in 1450. These political and territorial developments are central to explaining why early English successes did not secure a lasting conquest of France.
Key terms and distinctions
| Term or date | Meaning or significance |
|---|---|
| 1337 | Conventional start of the conflict |
| 1346 | English victory at Crécy |
| 1356 | English victory at Poitiers |
| 1415 | English victory at Agincourt |
| 1429 | Relief of Orléans and Joan of Arc’s campaigns |
| 1453 | Conventional end of the main conflict |
Frequently asked questions
Did the war last continuously for 116 years?
No. Campaigns were interrupted by truces and changing circumstances.
Who won the Hundred Years’ War?
The French crown ultimately regained most English-held territory in France.
Sources and related history
For context and source checking, consult the historical reference overview and the Middle Ages guide.
Editorial scope: European medieval history; customs differed by century and region.
