The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts fought between England and France from 1337 to 1453.

The primary cause was a dynastic dispute over the French throne, as English kings had a claim to it through intermarriage.

Another major cause was the English king's status as a vassal to the French king for territories held in France, such as Gascony.

The English won several major victories in the early phases of the war, notably at Crécy (1346) and Agincourt (1415).

These victories were largely due to the tactical superiority of the English longbow over the French heavy cavalry.

The tide of the war turned in favor of the French following the inspirational emergence of Joan of Arc in the 1420s.

The introduction and effective use of gunpowder weapons, particularly cannons, by the French played a key role in the later stages of the war.

The war was not a continuous conflict but a series of campaigns interrupted by long periods of truce.

The war fostered the development of a stronger sense of national identity in both England and France.

By the end of the war, England had lost all its continental possessions except for the port of Calais.