Hundred Years’ War: Joan of Arc unsuccessfully besieges La Charité.

The Hundred Years’ War was a long, tangled conflict between England and France that stretched from 1337 to 1453. At its core, it kicked off because English kings claimed they also had a legitimate right to the French crown, creating a messy overlap of dynastic ambitions. On top of that, both kingdoms were jockeying for control over profitable regions—especially Aquitaine—so politics, land, and ego all blended into a rivalry that kept reigniting.

Over the decades, the war didn’t play out as one continuous clash but rather as a series of campaigns, truces, and shifting fortunes. You get iconic moments like the English victories at Crécy and Agincourt, where tactics such as the longbow helped smaller English forces punch way above their weight. Meanwhile, France dealt with internal divisions, economic strain, and the devastation of repeated invasions, all of which made it tough to sustain a consistent defense early on.

Things eventually turned around for France, especially with the rise of figures like Joan of Arc, who energized French resistance at a moment when morale was collapsing. France gradually reorganized its military, improved its use of artillery, and regained lost territories. By the end of the conflict in 1453, the French crown had consolidated its power, England had been pushed off the continent almost entirely, and both nations emerged with sharper national identities shaped in part by this long, exhausting struggle.