# Hundred Years’ War begins (1337)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1337-hundred-years-war-begins
Location: France
Categories: battle, main-event

Edward III pressed his claim to the French crown as Anglo-French hostilities escalated into prolonged war. Within the broader Late Medieval France period, The Valois kingdom endured the Hundred Years’ War, plague, civil conflict and English occupation before recovering under Charles VII and Louis XI. Military and fiscal reforms strengthened the crown by the late fifteenth century. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Philip VI (King of France). Hundred Years’ War begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Hundred Years’ War begins mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Philip VI](https://history-france.com/rulers/philip-vi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Hundred Years’ War begins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Hundred+Years%E2%80%99+War+begins&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Hundred Years’ War begins](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Hundred+Years%E2%80%99+War+begins)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)