The epoch or trial upon which the French next entered, that of the Hundred Years' War, falls into two very distinct parts: In the first part, which corresponds roughly to the second half of Edward III's reign in England, success ful and brilliant raids terminate in startling vic tories, and the French Crown consents to abdi cate a portion of its territory. During this first part of the wars, the armies proceeding from Britain were commanded by French-speaking nobles and a French-speaking king, and though the English language was in process of forma tion, and an English national spirit was already apparent, the whole thing was a chivalric ad venture based upon the Gallic model. Then there was a lull, corresponding roughly to the reign of Richard II in England,' during which again the English lose ground.
At the end of Richard II's reign in England the cadets of the royal line, the house of Lan caster, usurped the throne. The usurpation was downright and even cynical —it was, of course, hateful to the morals of that time, nor could the Lancastrians maintain themselves in power save by a sort of reign of terror, coupled with a strict alliance with the wealthy and official class. Of all the elements which had gone to build up the English oligarchy, with the exception of the Reformation, none has been so powerful as this Lancastrian usurpation. The experiment rap idly led, as all such experiments have in all countries, to a foreign diversion. The war with France was renewed, hut in a very different manner. The English king now claimed a real power. He was an English-speaking king, a sol dier of extraordinary capacity, and very soon became, especially after his first great victory, Agincourt, a national hero. The old mad king of France in Paris was compelled to marry his daughter to Henry V of England, and the rightful heir of France, the Dauphin, was thrust out, to the advantage of the issue of that marriage, who became the English king, Henry VI. What followed is common knowledge. Henry V of England died; a vague national sentiment rose throughout French territory, and was embodied in the person of Joan of Arc. After one of those desperate and foot to foot struggles which are characteristic of French military history, the Capetian house gradually recovered all the territory which had been lost. The final expulsion of the last English garrison coincides, roughly speaking, with the close of the Middle Ages. This great struggle was ac complished within a few years of the develop ment of printing and within a generation of the discovery of America.
A recapitulation of the main dates of the Hundred Years' War will not be without value to the reader.
Philip of Valois had his first engagement with Edward III upon the fall of Cressy in 1346. The English, though a far smaller force, gained a complete victory. Immediately after ward the town of Calais fell to Edward III. This did not lead to any immediate disintegra tion of the power of the French Crown, though that power was gravely shaken. The next years were occupied with the great plague, the Black Death, which, though its effects have been so greatly exaggerated, especially by English historians, does form so deep a division across the history of Europe. These years. indeed,
though suffering from the English attack, saw an extension of the power of the king of Paris, for Philip bought the town of Montpellier in the south and acquired in full right a province which had now for 100 years been within the French orbit, the Dauphine.
Philip died in 1350. His son, John, was 30 years old on ascending the throne. The truce which had been established between the two countries had come to an end. The king of England again took advantage of the disturbed state of France (characterized by the convoca tion of the Northern States-general in 1355) to push the attack. In 1356 the Prince of Wales, now a young man and an excellent cavalry leader (Edward the Black Prince), was ad vancing from the South while his father had sent a powerful army into Normandy. It was again a small cavalry raid supported by bow men that decided the issue. The terms offered to the French king by the Black Prince were re fused, a battle was engaged near Poitiers, and not only resulted in an overwhelming victory of the small English forces, but in the capture of the French king. The result of this dramatic victory was the temporary dismemberment of the kingdom. The wealthy merchants and some part of the commonalty attempted a government under Etienne Marciel at Paris in the absence of the king, and convoked the National Parlia ment.
In 1360 John in his captivity consented to cede the southwest in absolute sovereignty to England, and for the first time in its history a portion of the territory of Gaul was separated though temporarily, from the national sover eignty. John returned and died in 1364. In the same year his son. Charles V, not quite 30, - that is much of the same age as his f ascending the throne, took over the go He had already been the virtual head t government for several ,years. Under Guesclin, against the spirit of the tree! with England, but with great coon: capacity, attempted the reconquest of : territory. A long Fabian series of '— followed. The Spaniards defeated the fleet at La Rochelle and permitted do 4" to reoover Poitou from the English. E after the long doubt of the whole • • began to support the French cause; • England in his old age landed again. • army was exhausted by perpetual &raw tics on the part of the enemy, it was stroyed as a fighting force by disci: fatigue and ill-organization, and the old • England died, after signing a disgraceiv in 1370. Charles V of France held tht till 1380. The country was impo th. :4. the ancient power of the Crain viv I and the new king, Charles VI. on his accession from double disal&T came to the throne as a.minor and he ha oess in his blood. His very long reign ,h upon the throne for 42 years) led to . ' disaster. The weakness of his chancre a struggle between two rival factions, k• the names of their leaders as the A ,-- the Burgundians. The Duke of in 1404, but his successor, John the F. continued the struggle, seized the heirs s throne and virtually governed Paris.