The Feudal Powder Keg: Roots of Anglo-French Tensions

The confrontation between England and France that erupted in 1337 had been simmering for centuries within the complex feudal relationships of medieval Europe. At its core lay a structural conflict emerging from the transformation of medieval feudal states into modern monarchies. The collapse of Carolingian rule in the 10th century had shattered public order across France, allowing powerful dukes and counts to transform from royal administrators into hereditary rulers who actively undermined royal authority.

This “feudal revolution” created a patchwork of semi-independent territories where local lords like the Duke of Aquitaine maintained their own courts, armies, and legal systems. French kings found themselves largely confined to their modest royal domain around Paris, while powerful vassals like the Plantagenets controlled vast territories that often rivaled the crown itself. The 1152 marriage between Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine proved particularly consequential, creating an “Angevin Empire” that stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees.

The Angevin Empire and Capetian Resurgence

The 12th century saw French monarchs begin the painstaking process of rebuilding royal authority. Louis VI and his successors employed a combination of strategic marriages, feudal law, and military pressure to gradually expand their influence. However, the rise of Henry II as both King of England and ruler of vast French territories through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine created a formidable rival to French royal power.

While England developed strong centralized institutions under Norman and Plantagenet rule, the Angevin holdings in France remained governed through traditional feudal bonds. This structural weakness became apparent when Philip II of France exploited divisions within the Plantagenet family to dismantle their continental empire. The 1200 Treaty of Le Goulet marked a turning point, formally recognizing the French king as overlord of Plantagenet territories. Subsequent conflicts saw Normandy, Anjou, and other key regions fall back under French control.

The Shrinking Duchy: Aquitaine Under Pressure

By the 13th century, English holdings in France had been reduced primarily to Gascony and Guyenne in the southwest. These regions maintained strong economic ties with England through the wine trade and enjoyed considerable autonomy under distant English rule. However, French monarchs like Philip IV viewed this semi-independent duchy as both a challenge to royal authority and a potential source of revenue.

Tensions came to a head in 1293-94 when Gascon sailors clashed with Norman fleets. Philip IV used the incident as pretext to summon Edward I to Paris and ultimately confiscate the duchy. The ensuing war (1294-1303) revealed England’s strategic dilemma – projecting power across the Channel proved enormously expensive, while France could quickly mobilize forces near the contested territory. Despite temporary reconciliations like the 1303 Treaty of Paris, the fundamental conflict over Aquitaine remained unresolved.

Scotland and France: The Emerging Alliance

Edward I’s simultaneous campaigns in Scotland created another front in the growing Anglo-French rivalry. After deposing John Balliol in 1296, English attempts to directly rule Scotland met fierce resistance from figures like William Wallace. The 1295 Auld Alliance between Scotland and France established a pattern that would endure for centuries – whenever England fought France, the Scots would attack from the north, and vice versa.

The Scottish wars also strained England’s resources at critical moments. Edward I’s 1297 campaign in Flanders had to be abandoned due to Wallace’s uprising and domestic opposition to war taxes. These interconnected conflicts demonstrated how England’s continental ambitions were increasingly at odds with its island nation’s priorities.

The Road to War: 1303-1337

The early 14th century saw periodic truces but no lasting resolution. French kings continued to assert authority over Gascony through legal maneuvers and administrative pressure, while English monarchs chafed at performing homage for territories they considered ancestral rights. The 1324 War of Saint-Sardos provided another preview of coming conflicts, with Charles IV of France confiscating Aquitaine before its partial restoration.

When Philip VI of France definitively confiscated Aquitaine in 1337, citing Edward III’s failure to fulfill feudal obligations, he unwittingly set in motion what would become the Hundred Years’ War. Neither side could have imagined this would begin a conflict lasting 116 years, but the structural tensions had been building for generations. The stage was set for a clash that would transform both kingdoms and redefine European warfare.

Legacy of the Early Conflicts

These pre-1337 struggles established patterns that would characterize the Hundred Years’ War:
– The difficulty of maintaining cross-Channel territories
– The strategic importance of Gascony’s wine trade
– Scotland’s role as France’s northern ally
– The tension between feudal obligations and national sovereignty
– The financial strain of continental warfare on England

The conflicts also demonstrated how both kingdoms were evolving from feudal collections of territories toward more centralized nation-states, making the traditional feudal relationships increasingly anachronistic. When Edward III finally claimed the French crown in 1340, he wasn’t just pressing a personal claim – he was challenging the entire framework of Anglo-French relations that had developed over the previous two centuries.