AD 1250-1500 Late medieval

The long reign of St Louis IX (AD 1226-70) brought authority to the French monarchy. His grandson Philip IV (reigned 1285-1314) established the Estates General, an embryonic parliament, and clashed with the papacy over control of the French Church.

For much of the period France was devastated by the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), a series of conflicts sparked by Edward III of England’s claim to the French crown. Bands of mercenaries devastated the countryside and the French population was halved. England achieved successes with a technically superior army and a powerful ally, the Duchy of Burgundy. The French monarchy was weakened by the insanity of Charles VI (reigned 1368-1422), rivalry among the nobles and civil unrest. French armies, inspired by Joan of Arc (burnt by the English in 1431), finally rallied to Charles VII (reigned 1429-61), and Burgundy’s abandonment of the English (1435) eventually led to their expulsion in 1453.

A weak French monarchy contributed to the rise of the Duchy of Burgundy. Its Dukes succeeded in uniting the divided Low Countries under their rule, depriving the French crown of Flanders. After the death of Charles the Bold of Burgundy (1477) however, the Duchy’s territories were divided between Louis XI and Maximilian of Austria. By 1500 France was one of the strongest countries in Europe.