The Ascendancy of the Capetian Dynasty

By the late 13th century, the Capetian dynasty had transformed from a regional power confined between the Seine and Loire rivers into a dominant force stretching from Lorraine to the Atlantic. Through shrewd political maneuvering, military conquests, and strategic marriages, the Capetians absorbed once-powerful duchies and counties, either as direct royal domains or under the control of cadet branches.

Philip IV (“the Fair”), one of France’s most formidable medieval monarchs, sought to expand his influence further. In 1297, while England’s Edward I (“Longshanks”) was preoccupied with subduing Scotland, Philip turned his attention to the wealthy County of Flanders—a region economically tied to England through the lucrative wool trade. His swift annexation of Flanders, however, sowed the seeds of rebellion.

The Revolt of Flanders and the Battle of the Golden Spurs

Flemish resentment against French rule reached a boiling point on March 18, 1302, when Bruges’ citizens massacred French officials in a violent uprising. Philip IV, enraged, dispatched a professional army of 2,500 knights, 1,000 crossbowmen, and 1,000 spearmen—a force expected to crush the 9,000-strong rebel militia.

The ensuing Battle of the Golden Spurs (July 11, 1302) near Kortrijk defied expectations. The Flemish rebels, armed with improvised geldons (short pikes), exploited marshy terrain to neutralize French cavalry charges. In a stunning reversal, over 1,000 French knights were slaughtered, their gilded spurs collected as trophies. This battle marked a symbolic end to knightly dominance and foreshadowed the rise of infantry-based warfare.

Philip IV’s Iron-Fisted Legacy

Undeterred, Philip IV pursued absolutism with ruthless efficiency:
– 1303: He arrested Pope Boniface VIII, leading to the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377), where the Church became a French puppet.
– 1306: He expelled Jews and confiscated their wealth.
– 1312: He annihilated the Knights Templar, seizing their vast treasures.

His death in 1314 triggered a succession crisis. Within 14 years, his three sons died without male heirs, extinguishing the direct Capetian line. The throne passed to Philip VI of Valois, whose contested legitimacy ignited tensions with England’s Edward III.

The Hundred Years’ War Begins: Crécy and Poitiers

### The Naval Prelude: Sluys (1340)
Edward III, claiming the French crown, blockaded Flanders. At the Battle of Sluys, English longbowmen decimated the French-Genoese fleet, securing Channel dominance.

### Crécy (1346): The Longbow’s Triumph
At Crécy, Edward III’s disciplined longbowmen and defensive stakes annihilated Philip VI’s disorganized cavalry charges. French losses exceeded 2,000 knights, while English casualties were minimal. The victory showcased the longbow’s supremacy and exposed feudal armies’ obsolescence.

### Poitiers (1356): A King Captured
Edward’s son, the Black Prince, repeated Crécy’s success at Poitiers. French King John II, fighting on foot to avoid arrow storms, was captured after his sons abandoned him. The defeat plunged France into chaos, compounded by the Jacquerie peasant revolt (1358) and the Black Death.

Social Upheaval and the War’s Legacy

### England’s Peasant Revolt (1381)
The Wat Tyler Rebellion erupted over oppressive labor laws and poll taxes post-plague. Though crushed, it accelerated the decline of serfdom and destabilized the Plantagenets, culminating in Richard II’s deposition (1399).

### France’s Resurgence
Charles V (r. 1364–1380) reformed France’s military and taxation, reclaiming most lost territories by 1374. However, the war’s cyclical violence resumed under Charles VI’s madness, setting the stage for Henry V’s later victories.

Conclusion: The End of Feudal Warfare

The Hundred Years’ War dismantled medieval warfare’s feudal foundations. The victories of Flemish townsmen, English yeomen, and Swiss pikemen heralded a new era where discipline and technology trumped knightly valor. Politically, it forged centralized monarchies in both nations, yet its scars—economic ruin, social unrest, and dynastic strife—endured for generations. The conflict’s legacy persists in modern nationalism, military doctrine, and the enduring rivalry between England and France.