Photo: Unknown - Ms 6 f.243 Battle of Agincourt, 1415, English with Flemish illuminatio · Public domain
116
The Hundred Years' War actually lasted 116 years.
5 min readLast updated
The short answer
Yes. The conflict known as the Hundred Years' War ran from 1337 to 1453, which is 116 years. It was a series of wars and truces between England and France rather than continuous fighting.
Why it's true
The war began in 1337 when King Philip VI of France seized lands held by Edward III of England, and Edward pressed his own claim to the French throne through his mother. It is usually dated as ending in 1453, after French victory at the Battle of Castillon and the loss of Bordeaux, England's last major stronghold in southwestern France. Count the years and you get 116.
Fighting was not constant. There were long truces, outbreaks of plague, and stretches when both kingdoms were busy with internal troubles. Historians usually break it into phases, often called the Edwardian, Caroline and Lancastrian wars, after the rulers driving each stage.
The name Hundred Years' War is a later label, popularised in the nineteenth century, that rounds the number down for convenience.
By the numbers
1337
War begins
1453
War ends after Castillon
116
Years from start to finish
1429
Joan of Arc lifts the siege of Orléans
The backstory
English kings had held land in France since William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, took the English crown in 1066. Later marriages brought them vast territories such as Aquitaine. That created an awkward situation: the King of England was also a vassal of the King of France for some of his lands, a recipe for repeated disputes about loyalty, borders and wealth.
The war produced some of the most famous episodes of medieval history. English longbowmen helped win at Crécy in 1346, Poitiers in 1356 and Agincourt in 1415. Later, Joan of Arc helped lift the siege of Orléans in 1429, turning the tide for France. By the end, England held only Calais, which it lost in 1558.
What the war left behind
The war drained both kingdoms and was soon followed in England by the Wars of the Roses, a struggle between rival royal families. In France, the crown emerged stronger, with a permanent army and new taxes to pay for it.
Language shifted too. English steadily replaced French as the language of England's court and law during this period, another sign of a growing separate identity.
Worth remembering
- The Hundred Years' War ran from 1337 to 1453, a span of 116 years.
- It included long truces and several distinct phases.
- France won, leaving England only Calais until 1558.
In context
Long, on and off conflicts were common in medieval Europe, where wars were often fought over inheritance rather than nations in the modern sense. Over the course of this one, however, people in both kingdoms began to see themselves more clearly as English or French, and many historians see the war as an important step in forming those national identities.
It also changed warfare. The power of massed archers, the spread of gunpowder weapons and the growth of professional armies all marked the gradual shift away from the age of armoured knights.
A closer look
The longbow advantage
English and Welsh archers could shoot many arrows a minute over long distances. At Crécy and Agincourt, massed volleys broke up attacks by heavily armoured French knights, especially on muddy or narrow ground.
Training took years, which is why English law encouraged regular archery practice among ordinary men.
Joan of Arc's role
Joan, a teenager from Domrémy, said she heard divine voices urging her to help the French heir Charles. In 1429 she joined the relief of Orléans, which broke the English siege, and then saw Charles crowned at Reims.
She was captured in 1430, tried by a pro-English church court, and burned in 1431. She was later declared innocent and made a saint in 1920.
Cannons change the game
By the final phase, French artillery was decisive. At Formigny in 1450 and Castillon in 1453, cannons helped defeat English forces.
Castillon is often described as one of the first European battles where field artillery played a central role.
Related facts
At the opposite extreme the shortest war lasted under 45 minutes.
For how England's French connection began in 1066 the Bayeux Tapestry is really embroidery.
More medieval English history four copies of Magna Carta survive.
Another famous label that does not match the facts Napoleon was not short.
Key terms
- Vassal
- A person who held land from a lord in return for loyalty and service.
- Truce
- An agreement to stop fighting for a set period, without ending the war.
- Longbow
- A tall, powerful bow used to great effect by English armies.
Myth vs reality
Myth
England and France fought nonstop for a hundred years.
Reality
The conflict spanned 116 years but included long truces and several distinct phases.
People also ask
Why is it called the Hundred Years' War if it lasted 116 years?
The name is a round number chosen by later historians. It became popular in the nineteenth century as a convenient label for a long series of connected conflicts.
Who won the Hundred Years' War?
France. By 1453 England had lost almost all its French lands except Calais, which France recaptured in 1558.
What started the Hundred Years' War?
Disputes over English-held lands in France and Edward III's claim to the French crown. In 1337 Philip VI confiscated Aquitaine, and Edward responded by asserting his claim.
Was there fighting every year?
No. Long truces and periods of peace punctuated the war, and the Black Death in the late 1340s disrupted everything. It is best understood as a series of wars.
What were the most famous battles?
Crécy in 1346, Poitiers in 1356 and Agincourt in 1415 were famous English victories. The siege of Orléans in 1429 and the Battle of Castillon in 1453 were key French successes.
