The Hundred Years' War was a long struggle between England and France for the succession to the French throne. It lasted from 1337 to 1453. The war begins with several successes by Britain, and English forces dominate France for decades. So, the fight goes back and forth. In 1360, the French are winning. From 1415 to 1422 the English win. After 1415, King Henry V of England resumed his campaign and conquered large portions of France, obtaining extraordinary political concessions. From 1422 onwards, however, the French crown reacted. Teenage Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc), an extraordinary young woman, leads French troops to reclaim their lands. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In theory, the French kings, possessing the financial and military resources of the most populous and powerful state in Western Europe, had an advantage over the smaller, more sparsely populated English kingdom. However, the English expeditionary army, well disciplined and successfully using their longbows to stop cavalry charges, repeatedly proved victorious over much larger French forces. In 1360, King John of France, to save his title, was forced to accept the Treaty of Calais, which granted complete independence to the Duchy of Guyenne. However, his son Charles V, with the help of his commander-in-chief Bertrand du Guesclin, had managed to reconquer almost all of the ceded territory by 1380, notably through a series of sieges. After a brief pause, Henry V of England renewed the war and proved victorious at Agincourt, conquered Normandy, and then attempted to have himself crowned the future king of France in the Treaty of Troyes. His military successes were not accompanied by political successes. Although allied with the Dukes of Burgundy, the majority of the French rejected English domination. Thanks to Joan of Arc, the siege of Orleans was lifted. Then Paris and l'lle-de-France were liberated, and after the French army was reorganized and reformed, Charles VII regained the duchy of Normandy and then conquered Guyenne. The end of the conflict was never marked by a peace treaty but died down because the English recognized that the French troops were too strong to be confronted directly. France, finally free from the English invaders, resumed its place as the dominant state of Western Europe. This war is significant for many reasons. The war gave impetus to the ideas of both French and English nationalism. Militarily, it saw the introduction of new weapons and tactics that broke down the old system of feudal armies dominated by heavy cavalry in Western Europe. The first standing armies in Western Europe since the time of the Western Roman Empire were introduced for warfare, thus changing the role of the peasantry. For all this, as well as its long duration, it is often seen as one of the most significant conflicts in the history of medieval warfare. In France, civil wars, deadly epidemics, famines, and mercenary armies engaged in banditry have reduced the population by about half. War also affects us today in many ways. Artillery, like the longbow before it, revolutionized military strategy to the detriment of the aristocracy, which became increasingly superfluous. By the end of the Hundred Years' War the knights of England and France had abandoned their pre-eminent military positions. Longbows replaced spears, infantry replaced cavalry, and the social contours of military service were redrawn. Unlike the people who lived under feudalism before, the people then and now feel great sense.