In 1308, Edward II became king of England and proceeded to let the government fall into the hands of dishonorable people while he devoted himself to pleasure. Edward II was deposed for this in 1326, and was murdered the following year. Consequently, his 15 year old son, Edward III was crowned king and it was under his reign that parliament was first used. At this time, the king had the authority to summon or dissolve parliament, but he did not have the right to change a law passed by the assembly.
John Wyclif (1320-1384) was a priest and professor at Oxford University and was one of the first people to promote the idea of predestination, which would later be pushed by reformationists like John Calvin. Wyclif stated that all Christians are priests, someone in a state of sin should lose all their rights, and a church or priest owning property defies the teachings of Christ. A party inside the English parliament adopted Wyclif’s teachings and aimed to forcefully take property from churches, monasteries, and clergy. Wyclif urged that the Church of England separate from the Catholic Church. After the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, the government abandoned support for Wyclif.
In France, King Phillip IV was succeeded by his son Louis X, who died in 1316, leaving his brother Phillip V as monarch. Some rival factions tried to elect Louis X’s four-year-old daughter as Queen, but they were ruled against by Phillip V’s supporters. Phillip V died without a son in 1322, which led to his brother Charles IV being installed as king.
Ever since William the Conquerer invaded England in 1066, English kings had controlled portions of Northern France. During the 13th century, France had taken back much of this territory. Both sides claimed the Duchy of Flanders (modern-day Belgium), while there was also a dispute over Gascony. After French king Charles IV died without an heir in 1328, English king Edward III claimed the French throne for England. Phillip VI of France contested Edward who accepted the loss, but later tried to take France again in 1337. Eventually, Phillip VI and Edward III declared war on each other, starting the Hundred Years War.
Although the English were outnumbered two to one (30,000 to 15,000) they defeated the French at the Battle of Crecy in 1346, inflicting heavy casualties. In the early stages of the war, there were many English victories and England made significant gains in Northern France. At the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, the English destroyed half of the French army and captured their king, John the Good.
France’s new king, Charles V, slowly pushed the English back slowly over the next 50 years and reduced them to small holdouts in Northern France. However, Charles V’s successor, Charles VI “The Mad” (r. 1380-1422), reduced France to infighting and civil strife. A second phase of the war started in the early 15th century and English king Henry V won at the Battle of Agincourt, where the English were again heavily outnumbered (8,000-25,000) but managed to kill 8,000 Frenchmen while only taking 600 casualties. After this major victory, the Burgundians allied with the English, who had taken most of Northern France by 1428.
The English army made it all the way to the city of Orleans in central France, which they besieged for 6 months. The French, commanded by Joan of Arc, broke the blockade and destroyed the English army in 1429. In 1453, a peace treaty ended the war, and the English only retained the city of Calais in far Northern France.
Meanwhile, there was a call for the Pope and the cardinals to become Italian or “Roman.” The cardinals agreed to elect an Italian Pope, Urban VI, who was usually known for his even temperament, yet randomly denounced Church officials and even assaulted one. Therefore, the cardinals chose a French Pope, Clement VII to replace him, but Urban refused to abdicate, which started the Western Schism. After more than 30 years, the Catholic Church was reunited after the Council of Constance (1414-1418) and the election of Pope Martin V. The Western Schism damaged the unity and image of the Church, and lessened the Pope’s power.
