Editing History of France (section)

=== Early Valois Kings and the Hundred Years' War (1328–1453) ===
[[File:Capture Jean II.jpg|thumb|The capture of the French king [[John II of France|John II]] at [[Battle of Poitiers (1356)|Poitiers]] in 1356]]
{{Multiple image
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| image1            = BNF NAF 4811, folio 55 verso - couronnement de Charles VII.jpg
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| caption1          = Coronation of Charles VII as King of France in Reims 17 July 1429 [reign 21 October 1422 – 22 July 1461]
| image2            = Sacre Henry6 England-France 02.jpg
| width2            = 240
| caption2          = Coronation of English King Henry VI as Henri II King of France in Paris 16 December 1431 [reign 21 October 1422-19 October 1453]
}}

The tensions between the Houses of [[Plantagenet]] and [[Capetian dynasty|Capet]] climaxed during the so-called [[Hundred Years' War]] (actually several distinct wars over the period 1337 to 1453) when the Plantagenets claimed the throne of France from the Valois. This was also the time of the [[Black Death in France]], as well as several devastating civil wars. In 1420, by the [[Treaty of Troyes]] [[Henry V of England|Henry V]] was made heir to Charles VI. Henry V failed to outlive Charles so it was Henry VI of England and France who consolidated the Dual-Monarchy of England and France.

It has been argued that the difficult conditions the French population suffered during the Hundred Years' War awakened French nationalism, a nationalism represented by [[Joan of Arc]] (1412–1431){{Whom|date=January 2025}}. Although this is debatable, the Hundred Years' War is remembered more as a Franco-English war than as a succession of feudal struggles{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}. During this war, France evolved politically and militarily.

Although a Franco-Scottish army was successful at the [[Battle of Baugé]] (1421), the humiliating defeats of [[Battle of Poitiers (1356)|Poitiers]] (1356) and [[Battle of Agincourt|Agincourt]] (1415) forced the French nobility to realise they could not stand just as armoured knights without an organised army. [[Charles VII of France|Charles VII]] (reigned 1422–61) established the first French standing army, the [[Compagnies d'ordonnance]], and defeated the Plantagenets once at [[Battle of Patay|Patay]] (1429) and again, using cannons, at [[Battle of Formigny|Formigny]] (1450). The [[Battle of Castillon]] (1453) was the last engagement of this war; [[Calais]] and the [[Channel Islands]] remained ruled by the Plantagenets.