War in France
English kings claimed the French crown within a wider struggle over territory, lordship and succession. Campaigning depended on taxation, contracts, garrisons and alliances rather than uninterrupted national war.
Henry V's victory at Agincourt in 1415 destroyed much of a larger French force and strengthened his bargaining position. Terrain, disciplined archery and French tactical choices mattered more than later myths of effortless superiority.
Victory unravels
The Treaty of Troyes recognised Henry as heir to the French throne, but his early death left an infant Henry VI. French recovery gathered around Charles VII and figures including Joan of Arc.
By 1453 England had lost nearly all its French territories. Military failure burdened royal finance and damaged confidence in a king whose government struggled to manage competing nobles.
Wars of the Roses
The labels York and Lancaster simplify a series of conflicts whose alliances changed. Claims to the throne, local feuds and the distribution of royal favour turned political disputes into intermittent warfare.
Edward IV established Yorkist rule after Towton, lost and recovered the throne, and created a period of stability. His sudden death in 1483 reopened the succession and brought Richard III to power.
Bosworth and memory
Henry Tudor defeated Richard at Bosworth in 1485 with support from defectors and uncertain magnates. His victory founded a dynasty but did not instantly end every threat.
Tudor writers shaped Richard's later reputation, while romantic accounts turned the wars into a neat national drama. Documents reveal politics driven by institutions, property and regional power as well as personality.
Why It Matters
The period explains how overseas war and domestic legitimacy interacted, while warning against treating dynastic labels or famous battles as complete explanations.