The Hundred Years War History and Summary

The Hundred Years War History and Summary The Hundred Years War was a series of connected conflicts between England, the Valois kings of France, factions of French nobles and other allies over both claims to the French throne and control of land in France. It ran from 1337 to 1453; you’ve not misread that, it is actually longer than a hundred years; the name derived from nineteenth-century historians and has stuck. Context of the Hundred Years War: English Land in France Tensions between the English and French thrones over continental land dated to 1066 when William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England. His descendants in England had gained further lands in France by the reign of Henry II, who inherited the County of Anjou from his father and control of the Dukedom of Aquitaine through his wife. Tensions simmered between the growing power of the French kings and the great power of their most powerful, and in some eyes equal, English royal vassal, occasionally leading to armed conflict. King John of England lost Normandy, Anjou, and other lands in France in 1204, and his son was forced to sign the Treaty of Paris ceding this land. In return, he received Aquitaine and other territories to be held as a vassal of France. This was one king bowing to another, and there were further wars in 1294 and 1324 when Aquitaine was confiscated by France and won back by the English crown. As the profits from Aquitaine alone rivaled those of England, the region was important  and retained many differences from the rest of France. Origins of the Hundred Years War When Edward III of England came to blows with David Bruce of Scotland in the first half of the fourteenth century, France supported Bruce, raising tensions. These rose further as both Edward and Philip prepared for war, and Philip confiscated the Duchy of Aquitaine in May 1337 in order to try and reassert his control. This was the direct start of the Hundred Years War. But what changed this conflict from the disputes over French land earlier was Edward III’s reaction: in 1340 he claimed the throne of France for himself. He had a legitimate right claim- when Charles IV of France had died in 1328 he was childless, and the 15-year-old Edward was a potential heir through his mother’s side, but a French Assembly chose Philip of Valois- but historians don’t know whether he really meant to try for the throne or was just using it as a bargaining chip to either gain land or divide the French nobility. Probably the latter but, either way, he called himself the King of France. Alternate Views As well as a conflict between England and France, the Hundred Years War can also be viewed as a struggle in France between the crown and major nobles for control of key ports and trading areas and equally a struggle between the centralizing authority of the French crown and local laws and independencies. Both are another stage in the development of the collapsing feudal/tenurial relationship between the King-Duke of England and the French King, and the growing power of the French crown/tenurial relationship between the King-Duke of England and the French King, and the growing power of the French crown. Edward III, the Black Prince and English Victories Edward III pursued a twofold attack on France. He worked to gain allies among disaffected French nobles, causing them to break with the Valois kings, or supported these nobles against their rivals. In addition, Edward, his nobles, and later his son- dubbed The Black Prince- led several great armed raids aimed at plundering, terrorizing and destroying French land, in order to enrich themselves and undermine the Valois king. These raids were called chevauchà ©es. French raids on the British coast were dealt a blow by the English naval victory at Sluys. Although the French and English armies often kept their distance, there were set-piece battles, and England won two famous victories at Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356), the second capturing the Valois French King John. England had suddenly won a reputation for military success, and France was shocked. With France leaderless, with large parts in rebellion and the rest plagued by mercenary armies, Edward attempted to seize Paris and Rheims, perhaps for a royal coronation. He took neither  but brought the Dauphin- the name for the French heir to the throne - to the negotiating table. The Treaty of Brà ©tigny was signed in 1360 after further invasions: in return for dropping his claim on the throne. Edward won a large and independent Aquitaine, other land and a substantial sum of money. But complications in the text of this agreement allowed both sides to renew their claims later on. French Ascendance and a Pause Tensions rose again as England and France patronized opposing sides in a war for the Castilian crown. Debt from the conflict caused Britain to squeeze Aquitaine, whose nobles turned to France, who in turn confiscated Aquitaine again, and war erupted once more in 1369. The new Valois King of France, the intellectual Charles V, aided by an able guerrilla leader called Bertrand du Guesclin, reconquered much of the English gains while avoiding any large pitch battles with the attacking English forces. The Black Prince died in 1376, and Edward III in 1377, although the latter had been ineffectual in his last years. Even so, the English forces had managed to check the French gains and neither side sought a pitched battle; stalemate was reached. By 1380, the year both Charles V and du Guesclin died, both sides were growing tired of the conflict, and there were only sporadic raids interspersed by truces. England and France were both ruled by minors, and when Richard II of England came of age he reasserted himself over pro-war nobles (and a pro-war nation), suing for peace. Charles VI and his advisors also sought peace, and some went on crusade. Richard then became too tyrannical for his subjects and was deposed, while Charles went insane. French Division and Henry V In the early decades of the fifteenth-century tensions rose again, but this time between two noble houses in France - Burgundy and Orlà ©ans - over the right to govern on behalf of the mad king. This division led to civil war in 1407 after the head of Orlà ©ans was assassinated; the Orlà ©ans side became known as the Armagnacs after their new leader. After a misstep where a treaty was signed between the rebels and England, only for peace to break out in France when the English attacked, in 1415 a new English king seized the opportunity to intervene. This was Henry V, and his first campaign culminated in the most famous battle in English history: Agincourt. Critics might attack Henry for poor decisions which forced him to fight a larger pursing French force, but he won the battle. While this had little immediate effect on his plans for conquering France, the massive boost to his reputation allowed Henry to raise further funds for the war and made him a legend in British history. Henry returned again to France, this time aiming to take and hold land instead of carrying out chevauchà ©es; he soon had Normandy back under control. The Treaty of Troyes and an English King of France The struggles between the houses of Burgundy and Orlà ©ans continued, and even when a meeting was agreed to decide upon anti-English action, they fell out once more. This time John, Duke of Burgundy, was assassinated by one of the Dauphin’s party, and his heir allied with Henry, coming to terms in the Treaty of Troyes in 1420. Henry V of England would marry the daughter of the Valois King, become his heir and act as his regent. In return, England would continue the war against Orlà ©ans and their allies, which included the Dauphin. Decades later, a monk commenting upon the skull of Duke John said: â€Å"This is the hole through which the English entered France.† The Treaty was accepted in English and Burgundian held lands- largely the north of France- but not in the south, where the Valois heir to France was allied with the Orlà ©ans faction. However, in August 1422 Henry died, and the mad French King Charles VI followed soon after. Consequently, Henry’s nine-month-old son became king of both England and France, albeit with recognition largely in the north. Joan of Arc Henry VI’s regents won several victories as they readied for a push into the Orlà ©ans heartland, although their relationship with the Burgundians had grown fractious. By September 1428 they were besieging the town of Orlà ©ans itself, but they suffered a setback when the commanding Earl of Salisbury was killed observing the city. Then a new personality emerged: Joan of Arc. This peasant girl arrived at the Dauphin’s court claiming mystic voices had told her she was on a mission to free France from English forces. Her impact revitalized the moribund opposition, and they broke the siege around Orlà ©ans, defeated the English several times and were able to crown the Dauphin in Rheims cathedral. Joan was captured and executed by her enemies, but opposition in France now had a new king to rally around. After a few years of stalemate, they rallied around the new king when the Duke of Burgundy broke with the English in 1435. After the Congress of Arras, they recognized Charles VII as king. Many believe the Duke had decided England could never truly win France. French and Valois Victory The unification of Orlà ©ans and Burgundy under the Valois crown made an English victory all but impossible, but the war continued. The fighting was halted temporarily in 1444 with a truce and a marriage between Henry VI of England and a French princess. This, and the English government ceding Maine to achieve the truce caused an outcry in England. War soon began again when the English broke the truce. Charles VII had used the peace to reform the French army, and this new model made great advances against English lands on the continent and won the Battle of Formigny in 1450. By the end of 1453, after all, English land bar Calais had been retaken and feared English commander John Talbot had been killed at the Battle of Castillon, the war was effectively over.

Battle of Fort Washington in the American Revolution

Battle of Fort Washington in the American Revolution The Battle of Fort Washington was fought on November 16, 1776, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Having defeated the British at the Siege of Boston in March 1776, General George Washington moved his army south to New York City. Laying out defenses for the city in conjunction with Brigadier General Nathanael Greene and Colonel Henry Knox, he selected a site on the north end of Manhattan for a fort. Located near the highest point on the island, work began on Fort Washington under the guidance of Colonel Rufus Putnam. Constructed of earth, the fort lacked a surrounding ditch as American forces did not have sufficient powder for blasting out the rocky soil around the site. A five-sided structure with bastions, Fort Washington, along with Fort Lee on the opposite bank of the Hudson, was intended to command the river and prevent British warships from moving north. To further defend the fort, three lines of defenses were laid out to the south. While the first two were completed, construction on the third lagged. Supporting works and batteries were constructed on Jeffreys Hook, Laurel Hill, and on a hill overlooking Spuyten Duyvil Creek to the north. Work continued as Washingtons army was defeated at the Battle of Long Island in late August. American Commanders Colonel Robert Magaw3,000 men British Commanders General William HoweGeneral Wilhelm von Kynphausen8,000 men To Hold or Retreat Landing on Manhattan in September, British forces compelled Washington to abandon New York City and retreat north. Occupying a strong position, he won a victory at Harlem Heights on September 16. Unwilling to directly attack the American lines, General William Howe elected to move his army north to Throgs Neck and then on to Pells Point. With the British in his rear, Washington crossed over from Manhattan with the bulk of his army lest it be trapped on the island. Clashing with Howe at White Plains on October 28, he was again forced to fall back. Halting at Dobbs Ferry, Washington elected to split his army with Major General Charles Lee remaining on the east bank of the Hudson and Major General William Heath directed to take men to the Hudson Highlands. Washington then moved with 2,000 men to Fort Lee. Due to its isolated position in Manhattan, he wished to evacuate Colonel Robert Magaws 3,000-man garrison at Fort Washington but was convinced to retain the fort by Greene and Putnam. Returning to Manhattan, Howe began making plans to assault the fort. On November 15, he dispatched Lieutenant Colonel James Patterson with a message demanding Magaws surrender. The British Plan To take the fort, Howe intended to strike from three directions while feinting from a fourth. While General Wilhelm von Kynphausens Hessians were to attack from the north, Lord Hugh Percy was to advance from the south with a mixed force of British and Hessian troops. These movements would be supported by Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis and Brigadier General Edward Mathew attacking across the Harlem River from the northeast. The feint would come from the east, where the 42nd Regiment of Foot (Highlanders) would cross the Harlem River behind the American lines. The Attack Begins Pushing forward on November 16, Knyphausens men were ferried across during the night. Their advance had to be stopped as Mathews men were delayed due to the tide. Opening fire on the American lines with artillery, the Hessians were supported by the frigate HMS Pearl (32 guns) which worked to silence the American guns. To the south, Percys artillery also joined the fray. Around noon, the Hessian advanced resumed as Mathew and Cornwallis men landed to the east under heavy fire. While the British secured a foothold on Laurel Hill, Colonel Johann Ralls Hessians took the hill by Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Having gained a position on Manhattan, the Hessians pushed south towards Fort Washington. Their advance was soon halted by heavy fire from Lieutenant Colonel Moses Rawlings Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment. To the south, Percy approached the first American line which was held by Lieutenant Colonel Lambert Cadwaladers men. Halting, he awaited a sign that the 42nd had landed before pushing forward. As the 42nd came ashore, Cadwalader began sending men to oppose it. Hearing the musket fire, Percy attacked and soon began to overwhelm the defenders. The American Collapse Having crossed to view the fighting, Washington, Greene, and Brigadier General Hugh Mercer elected to return to Fort Lee. Under pressure on two fronts, Cadwaladers men soon were forced to abandon the second line of defenses and began retreating to Fort Washington. To the north, Rawlings men were gradually pushed back by the Hessians before being overrun after hand-to-hand fighting. With the situation rapidly deteriorating, Washington dispatched Captain John Gooch with a message requesting Magaw to hold out until nightfall. He hoped that the garrison could be evacuated after dark. As Howes forces tightened the noose around Fort Washington, Knyphausen had Rall demand Magaws surrender. Sending an officer to treat with Cadwalader, Rall gave Magaw thirty minutes to surrender the fort. While Magaw discussed the situation with his officers, Gooch arrived with Washingtons message. Though Magaw attempted to stall, he was forced to capitulate and the American flag was lowered at 4:00 PM. Unwilling to be taken a prisoner, Gooch jumped over the forts wall and tumbled down to the shore. He was able to locate a boat and escaped to Fort Lee. The Aftermath In taking Fort Washington, Howe suffered 84 killed and 374 wounded. American losses numbered 59 killed, 96 wounded, and 2,838 captured. Of those soldiers taken prisoner, only around 800 survived their captivity to be exchanged the following year. Three days after the fall of Fort Washington, American troops were forced to abandon Fort Lee. Retreating across New Jersey, the remains of Washingtons army finally halted after crossing the Delaware River. Regrouping, he attacked across the river on December 26 and defeated Rall at Trenton. This victory was followed up on January 3, 1777, when American troops won the Battle of Princeton.