Hundred Years War Timeline

(1337–1453)

The Hundred Years War was a series of conflicts fought between the kingdoms of England and France from 1337 to 1453, driven by disputes over succession to the French throne and territorial claims. The war saw famous figures like Edward III, Henry V, and Joan of Arc, and pivotal events such as the Battles of Crécy, Agincourt, and Orléans. It reshaped medieval warfare, fostered national identities in both countries, and ended with France reclaiming nearly all English-held territories on the continent. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Causes and Origins

Philip II of France seizes English-held Normandy

1204

King Philip II of France confiscated the Duchy of Normandy from King John of England after John's failures as a vassal. The loss of most English continental possessions fueled a lasting Anglo-French rivalry over territory and sovereignty in France.

Image source: First Hundred Years' War

Death of Charles IV of France ends direct Capetian line

Feb 1, 1328

The death of King Charles IV without a male heir triggered a succession crisis. French nobles applied Salic law to crown Philip VI of Valois, bypassing Edward III of England, who claimed the throne through his mother Isabella of France.

Image source: Charles IV of France

Edward III claims the French crown

1337

Citing his descent from Philip IV of France, Edward III formally claimed the French throne in 1337, challenging Philip VI's legitimacy. This dynastic dispute marked the traditional start of the Hundred Years' War.

Image source: Edward III of England

First outbreak of the Black Death in Europe

1347 - 1351

The Black Death pandemic swept through Europe, killing a third or more of the population. The devastation forced both England and France to suspend major campaigns and reshaped economies and societies during the war.

Image source: Black Death

Death of Edward the Black Prince

Jun 8, 1376

The death of the Black Prince deprived England of its greatest commander. His young son Richard II succeeded Edward III the following year, ushering in a period of political instability and reduced English effectiveness in the war.

Image source: Edward the Black Prince

Deaths of Henry V and Charles VI

Aug 31, 1422 - Oct 21, 1422

Henry V died just weeks before Charles VI, leaving the infant Henry VI nominally king of both England and France. The Dauphin Charles contested this arrangement, continuing the war over the dual monarchy.

Image source: Henry V of England

English Victories

Naval Battle of Sluys

Jun 24, 1340

Edward III destroyed the French fleet at Sluys in Flanders, securing English naval dominance in the Channel for decades. The decisive victory protected England from invasion and allowed Edward to campaign freely on the continent.

Image source: Battle of Sluys

English capture Calais

Aug 1346 - Aug 3, 1347

After a year-long siege following Crécy, Edward III captured Calais, which became a vital fortified English stronghold on the continent for over two hundred years.

Image source: Siege of Calais (1346–1347)

Battle of Crécy

Aug 26, 1346

Edward III's army, using longbows and dismounted men-at-arms, crushed a much larger French force under Philip VI at Crécy. The battle demonstrated the superiority of English tactics and devastated French chivalric pride.

Image source: Battle of Crécy

Battle of Poitiers

Sep 19, 1356

Edward, the Black Prince, led an outnumbered English army to victory over King John II of France, capturing the king himself. John's ransom and captivity plunged France into political crisis.

Image source: Battle of Poitiers

Battle of Agincourt

Oct 25, 1415

Henry V's exhausted army defeated a far larger French force in muddy terrain near Agincourt, with English longbowmen inflicting catastrophic losses on the flower of French knighthood. The battle became legendary in English military history.

Image source: Battle of Agincourt

End of the War

Treaty of Brétigny

May 8, 1360

The Treaty of Brétigny granted Edward III extensive territories in Aquitaine and a large ransom for King John II in exchange for renouncing his claim to the French throne, marking the end of the war's first phase.

Image source: Treaty of Brétigny

Treaty of Troyes

May 21, 1420

Under the Treaty of Troyes, Henry V was recognized as heir to the French king Charles VI, disinheriting the Dauphin Charles. Henry married Catherine of Valois, seemingly uniting the crowns of England and France.

Image source: Treaty of Troyes

Congress of Arras

1435 - Sep 21, 1435

Diplomats gathered at Arras to negotiate peace. When talks failed, Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy abandoned his English alliance and reconciled with Charles VII, fatally weakening the English position in France.

Image source: Congress of Arras

Battle of Castillon

Jul 17, 1453

At Castillon, French artillery devastated the attacking army of John Talbot, who was killed in action. This decisive French victory ended effective English resistance and is often considered the final battle of the Hundred Years' War.

Image source: Battle of Castillon

Fall of Bordeaux ends English rule in Aquitaine

Oct 19, 1453

The surrender of Bordeaux on October 19, 1453, left England holding only Calais on the continent. The date is traditionally regarded as the end of the Hundred Years' War, concluding over a century of conflict.

Image source: Aquitaine

Outbreak of the Wars of the Roses in England

1455 - 1487

Defeat in France and the loss of continental possessions deepened instability in England, contributing to the outbreak of civil wars between the houses of Lancaster and York known as the Wars of the Roses.

Image source: Wars of the Roses

Treaty of Picquigny

Aug 29, 1475

Edward IV of England agreed to withdraw his invading army in return for an annual pension from Louis XI, effectively ending English ambitions to reconquer France and formalizing peaceful relations between the kingdoms.

Image source: Treaty of Picquigny

Loss of Calais ends English presence in France

Jan 1558

France recaptured Calais, England's last remaining foothold on the continent, under Francis, Duke of Guise. After two hundred years, the final territorial remnant of the Hundred Years' War era returned to French control.

Image source: Siege of Calais (1558)

French Resurgence

Bertrand du Guesclin begins reconquest of France

1369

Constable Bertrand du Guesclin led a successful French counteroffensive using guerrilla tactics, avoiding pitched battles and gradually retaking territories ceded at Brétigny, reversing English gains by the mid-1370s.

Image source: Bertrand du Guesclin

Peasants' Revolt in England

May 30, 1381 - Nov 1381

Heavy taxation to fund the war sparked the Peasants' Revolt, one of England's largest popular uprisings. Rebels stormed London before being suppressed, highlighting the domestic costs of prolonged warfare.

Image source: Peasants' Revolt

Siege of Orléans

Oct 12, 1428 - May 8, 1429

The English besieged Orléans, a strategic city controlling access to southern France. Joan of Arc arrived to rally French forces, and the siege was lifted in May 1429, marking a decisive turning point in the war.

Image source: Siege of Orléans

Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans

Apr 29, 1429 - May 8, 1429

Joan of Arc, a teenage peasant girl claiming divine guidance, inspired the French garrison and relief forces to break the English siege of Orléans. Her arrival galvanized French morale and transformed the momentum of the war.

Image source: Joan of Arc

Coronation of Charles VII at Reims

Jul 17, 1429

Following victories along the Loire, Joan of Arc escorted Charles VII to Reims Cathedral, the traditional coronation site of French kings. His consecration strengthened his legitimacy against the infant Henry VI's claim.

Image source: Reims Cathedral

Capture of Joan of Arc by Burgundians

May 23, 1430

Joan of Arc was captured at Compiègne by Burgundian forces allied with England. She was sold to the English, tried by a pro-English church court, and burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431, as a heretic.

Image source: Trial of Joan of Arc

French reconquest of Normandy

1449 - Aug 1450

Charles VII launched a well-planned offensive that recovered all of Normandy within a year. The rapid collapse of English defenses ended over thirty years of English occupation of the duchy.

Image source: Normandy campaign of 1449–1450

Battle of Formigny

Apr 15, 1450

French forces under the Count of Clermont annihilated an English relief army in Normandy at Formigny, effectively destroying England's ability to defend its remaining continental possessions.

Image source: Battle of Formigny

French invasion of Gascony begins

1451

Charles VII turned south to conquer Gascony, the last great English possession in France. Bordeaux fell in June 1451, though the Gascons, preferring English rule, briefly rebelled and invited back the English under John Talbot.

Louis XI annexes the Duchy of Burgundy

1477

After the death of Duke Charles the Bold at Nancy, Louis XI seized the Burgundian heartland, consolidating French royal power. The elimination of the powerful Burgundian state secured France's eastern flank.

Image source: Burgundian State

Key Facts

The war began in 1337 when Edward III of England claimed the French crown, disputing Philip VI's succession to the Capetian dynasty.
English longbowmen proved decisive at the Battles of Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and Agincourt (1415), revolutionizing medieval warfare.
Joan of Arc's leadership helped lift the Siege of Orléans in 1429, marking a major turning point in France's recovery.
The conflict was not continuous but consisted of intermittent phases of fighting punctuated by truces, such as the Treaty of Brétigny (1360).
The war ended in 1453 with the Battle of Castillon, leaving England with only Calais in France and strengthening both nations' emerging national identities.

Source

This Hundred Years War timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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