"The Hundred Years’ War and the English soldier" Topic

"It is important to remember that this titanic conflict was not merely a fight between England and France, but involved almost every major power in Western Europe in some fashion, constituting what can accurately be called the "Great War" of its time. Networks of alliances and proxy battlefields are interwoven throughout the story of the war – even during times when both kingdoms were technically under ceasefire terms.

In terms of aggression, be it militarily or diplomatically, the English far outshone their opponents in initiative. After brutally gaining the upper hand in a proxy fight started by the French in Scotland, King Edward III launched an ambitious diplomatic programme on the Continent to solicit allies for his cause against the Valois. While his efforts were enthusiastically embraced by anti-French factions in the Low Countries (whose textile economy was massively dependent on English wool trade), Edward's ultimate diplomatic goal of a firm alliance with the Holy Roman Empire miscarried when German support for his war was revealed to be nothing more than talk – despite Edward having spent exorbitant amounts of cash trying to persuade them…"
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Amicalement
Armand

'A proxy fight started by the French in Scotland….' Really? Was that the one with the space goblins or the zombie Zulu cowboys? ..and how remarkable that no medieval historians have noticed this proxy war….. not one.
Edward III did start a war in Scotland, but he had lost it by the time the HYW kicked off and it had bleep-all to do with France, though it dd lead to renewing the Scoto-French treaty. The writers need a good slap.

The French sent and tried to send troops to Scotland before and during the HYW.

They sent some in 1385, but not before. The writers are ferring to the 1330s and they are talking utter rubbish.

Glup!…

Amicalement
Armand

This happens a lot Tango – people churn out a quick article without actually bothering to do any of that ..you know….'research' stuff. A good example is the medieval Scottish short bow – which did not exist until the late 19th century when Victorian romancers invented it. It keeps re-surfacing in rubbishy history books but it is a total fiction.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand