Conflict and Upheaval in Europe, 1337–1453
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Key facts
Impact on Wales
Welsh archers and spearmen served in large numbers in English armies, including at Crécy (1346) and Agincourt (1415), where massed longbowmen proved decisive.
The Hundred Years' War
England captured Calais in 1347 after an eleven-month siege; the town became England's bridgehead in France and the centre of the wool staple until its loss in 1558.
Conflict and Upheaval in Europe 1337–1453
By 1453 the English had lost almost all of their French territory except Calais, which they held for another century until 1558.
The Peasants' Revolt 1381
John Ball was a radical priest whose preaching of social equality helped justify the rebellion; his question "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?" became its rallying cry.
The Hundred Years' War
At Crécy (1346) English longbowmen devastated charging French heavy cavalry, demonstrating that the armoured knight was vulnerable to massed infantry archery.
Conflict and Upheaval in Europe 1337–1453
From 1429 Joan of Arc inspired French resistance to English occupation, claiming divine guidance and leading the relief of the siege of Orléans.
The Peasants' Revolt 1381
Around 60,000 rebels marched on London during the revolt, opened the prisons, and burned John of Gaunt's Savoy Palace.
The Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War began in 1337 when Philip VI confiscated English-held Gascony; Edward III responded by pressing his claim to the French throne through his mother Isabella (sister of the last direct Capetian king), with the Flemish wool trade and the French alliance with Scotland as further causes.
Conflict and Upheaval in Europe 1337–1453
Joan of Arc was the French heroine who helped lift the siege of Orléans in 1429, the strategic turning point of the war.
The Peasants' Revolt 1381
The immediate trigger of the 1381 revolt was the Poll Tax demanded after the Black Death: its third imposition in four years.
Practice questions with answers
A taste of the 28 questions in this topic, answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
Who was the French heroine who helped lift the siege of Orléans in 1429?
- •Catherine of Valois
- •Isabella of France
- ✓Joan of Arc
- •Margaret of Anjou
Why did Welsh archers become so important to English armies in the Hundred Years' War?
- •The Pope ordered Welsh archers to serve every Christian army campaigning against France
- •Welsh archers fought for free in return for the right to graze sheep on royal forest land
- ✓Welsh archers served in large numbers in English armies, whose massed longbowmen proved decisive at Crécy and Agincourt
- •Welsh archers wielded the only crossbows available in Britain and outranged French knights
Why did the Hundred Years' War between England and France begin in 1337?
- •France invaded England and Edward III declared war to defend his kingdom
- ✓Philip VI seized Gascony and Edward III pressed his claim to the French throne
- •Pope Benedict XII ordered England to attack France after France refused a Crusade
- •The war began over a marriage dispute: Edward was refused the French king's daughter
What were the underlying causes of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381?
- •A terrible harvest left peasants facing starvation: the sole trigger
- ✓The 1381 Poll Tax triggered years of frustration at serfdom and wage controls
- •The peasants were inspired by the French Revolution and wanted a republic
- •The revolt was caused solely by the Poll Tax: there were no other grievances
What weapon gave English armies a decisive advantage at Crécy (1346) and Agincourt (1415)?
- •Gunpowder cannon, which blasted gaps in French armour formations
- •Steel plate armour, which made English knights impervious to French arrows
- •The crossbow, with a longer range and heavier bolt than the French arbalest
- ✓The longbow, which could fire rapidly and penetrate armour at distance
What was significant about the English victory at Crécy (1346)?
- •Crécy was significant because gunpowder cannon first won a battle there
- •Crécy was significant because it was the first time an English king led his army
- ✓English longbowmen devastated French cavalry: the knight was vulnerable to infantry
- •The English victory at Crécy ended the Hundred Years' War
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