What was the Hundred Years War?

The Hundred Years' War (French: La guerre de Cent Ans; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois. Over time, the war grew into a broader power struggle involving factions from across Western Europe, fuelled by emerging nationalism on both sides.

The English and French fought numerous battles from the mid-14th century to the mid-15th century, hence the name, "Hundred Years War." The two sides made conflicting claims of sovereignty over land and people in an effort to be the dominant power in Western Europe, if not all of Europe. Engaging in warfare over this extended period of time resulted in a fairly rapid evolution of warfare and how countries conducted war. For example, standing armies for each country became a standard, a new development in the nationalism.