Glossary of terms for the Hundred Years' War

causes:

1.  feudal disputes going back to the conquest of England in 1066
by William, Duke of Normandy.  Resolved 1259 -- English retained
Aquitaine, which would become the center of dispute; French
demanded liege homage.

2. Conflicting trading interests which led to conflicting
alliances:

     England supplied Flanders, a French province, with wool and
cotton to make textiles.  Textile production was the major
industry in Flanders.

     France supported the Scots in their war with England.

3.  The French line of succession -- Edward III was a direct heir
of Philip IV; French chose Philip of Valois as King.

4.  The immediate pretext for war was the confiscation of
Aquitaine; French accused the english of being contumacious
vassals at sea -- both French and English were interested in sea
faring rights to promote trade; conflict over line of succession
complicated all this.

Matters were made worse for France by internal strife:
     Flanders
     Brittany had a succession dispute
     The Burgundians attempted to seize the throne from the
          lawful heir, Charles VII, who was in turn         
          supported by the Armagnacs.

Treaties:

Bretigny 1360:  Aquitaine ceded to English; French were to pay
ransom of 3,000,000 crowns for King John.  When these conditions
were fulfilled, England would renounce its claim to the throne;
France would give England full sovereignty in Aquitaine.  Never
fulfilled.

Troyes in 1420 -- Henry V recognized as King of France, as
Charles VI was insane and Henry was allied with the Burgundians. 
Charles VII was declared illegitimate by his own mother, and
Henry married an heiress of the French royal family, Catherine. 
When Charles VI died, Henry's heirs declared themselves kings of
England.

War ended -- 1453  

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