The Fight Off the Battlefield: The Importance of the Support of the People in the Hundred Years\u27 War

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between military preparedness and the function of popular attitude for the war between France and England during the late medieval period. This paper will begin with the study of the history of the English army immediately prior to the Hundred Years\u27 War. The English had advanced their strategy, tactics and weapons while fighting the Welsh (1274-1275) and the Scottish. Also, they developed new means of enlisting men to fight, no longer heavily relying upon the feudal system. These innovations led to a better and more willing army of the English. Next, the major battles and campaigns of the Hundred Years\u27 War will be considered, which show the supremacy of the English army. In the second part of my study, I will examine the support of the people in the two countries. At the start of the war, the English king, Edward III, was supported by the people of England, especially after his defeat of the Scots. The French king, Philip VI, did not have support comparable to that of Edward because he was not the direct heir to the throne. However, the supporting roles ofthe people began to switch as early as 1381. In 1381, the Peasants\u27 Revolt in England began to turn the people of England against each other and the monarchy. The English, still relatively strong after the revolt in England, saw the rise of French unity in 1429 with the arrival of Joan of Arc. The Continental allies of England throughout the war began to abandon the king, such as the Duke of Burgundy in 1435