Historical background:
Causes
Its basic cause was a dynastic quarrel that originated when the conquest of England by William of Normandy created a state lying on both sides of the English Channel. In the 14th cent. the English kings held the duchy of Guienne in France; they resented paying homage to the French kings, and they feared the increasing control exerted by the French crown over its great feudal vassals. The immediate causes of the Hundred Years War were the dissatisfaction of Edward III of England with the nonfulfillment by Philip VI of France of his pledges to restore a part of Guienne taken by Charles IV; the English attempts to control Flanders, an important market for English wool and a source of cloth; and Philip's support of Scotland against England.
The War
The war may be dated from 1337, when Edward III of England assumed the title of king of France, a title held by Philip VI. Edward first invaded France from the Low Countries (1339¨C40), winning small success on land but defeating (1340) a French fleet at the battle of Sluis. In 1346 he won the battle of Crécy and besieged Calais, which surrendered in 1347. In 1356 the English won the battle of Poitiers, capturing King John II of France. After prolonged negotiations, the Treaty of Brétigny was signed (1360); England received Calais and practically all of Aquitaine, as well as a large ransom for the captive king.
The Gascon nobles, oppressively taxed by Edward the Black Prince, appealed (1369) to King Charles V. The war was renewed, and by 1373, Du Guesclin had won back most of the lost French territory. In 1415, Henry V of England renewed the English claims, took Harfleur, and defeated France's best knights at Agincourt. By 1419 he had subdued Normandy, with the connivance of John the Fearless, duke of Burgundy. Philip the Good, successor of John the Fearless, mediated between Henry V and Charles VI of France, and Charles recognized Henry as heir to the crown of France.
By 1429 the English and their Burgundian allies were masters of practically all France N of the Loire, but in that year Joan of Arc raised the siege of Orl¨¦ans and saw Charles VII crowned king of France at Reims. Her capture by the Burgundians and her judicial murder after extradition to the British did not stop the renewal of French successes. In 1435, Charles obtained the alliance of Burgundy. By 1450 the French reconquered Normandy, and by 1451 all Guienne but Bordeaux was taken. After the fall (1453) of Bordeaux, England retained only Calais, which was not conquered by France until 1558. England, torn by the Wars of the Roses, made no further attempt to conquer France.
Results of the War
The Hundred Years War inflicted untold misery on France. Farmlands were laid waste, the population was decimated by war, famine, and the Black Death, and marauders terrorized the countryside. Civil wars and local wars increased the destruction and the social disintegration. Yet the successor of Charles VII, Louis XI, benefited from these evils. The virtual destruction of the feudal nobility enabled him to unite France more solidly under the royal authority and to promote and ally with the middle class. From the ruins of the war an entirely new France emerged. For England, the results of the war were equally decisive; it ceased to be a continental power and increasingly sought expansion as a naval power.
THIS RP TAKES PLACE JUST BEFORE FRANCE'S CAPTURE OF ORLEANS. IT IS AN ALTERNATE TIMELINE. The object is to study what else could have happened in feudal Europe during the Hundred Year's War. Other powers hang around and can use the war as an excuse to declare war and expand their borders.
Accepted countries:
The Kingdom of England (ANGLO-FRANCE AND WESTERN GERMANY)
The Kingdom of Castille (LIBERATED COUNTIES)
Duchy of Burgundy (ARTHURISTA)
The Kingdom of France (ADENIAN)
The Most Serene Republic of Venice (THE JONATHANIAN STATES)
Papal States (THE PATRIMONY OF SANCTUS PETRUS)
Mamluk Empire (BARUNEI)
The Kingdom of Scotland (THE CHILDREN OF DOOM)
The Kingdom of Sicily (THE UNITED STATES OF CASCADIA)
Holy Roman Empire (CORN)
Marinid Tribes (ALOUITE)
Kalmar Union (NEROS)
Ottoman Empire (STATE OF QATAR)
Archduchy of Austria (GREATER SCOTTIA)
The Kingdom of Wallachia (KAZAROGKAI)
The Kingdom of Aragon (OTTOZUM EMPIRE)
The Khanate of the Golden Horde (THE REPUBLIC OF THE FGFA STARGATE LEAGUE)
The Kingdom of Ireland (JAMESSONIA)
The Kingdom of Lithuania (RALNIS)
Territories left:
Poland
Teutonic order
Lapps
Georgia
Athens
Lybian Tribes
Berber Tribes
Zayyanids
Hafsids
Portugal
Jalayirids
Naples
Genoa
Armenia
Illyria (Imaginary country assembling all of the remaining balkan territories)
Map:
Applications:
Please select only one territory. Here is a map for a reference of what Europe looked like at the height of the Hundred Year's War:
Note: Territories like Ireland that are in the same color as England are not part of England. Ignore the colors and use the titles as references when several countries have the same color. You are also allowed to combine two small territories or to change borders a bit.
Form: (Please keep everything realistic. Although this is an alternate timeline, it is based upon historical facts. Go and check Wikipedia for your information. No inventing nations, people, numbers, facts, events or army numbers that existed before at the time of the Hundred Year's War. All information is valid up to this point in history.)
Nation name:
Leader:
Capital:
Territory(ies):
Government type:
Political views on Hundred Year's War (liberty for unhistorical interpretation):
Godmodding:
It will not be tolerated. We will work on a three-strikes-and-you're-out system. Please keep everything historically accurate up to this moment in time, and do not suddenly raise 500,000 strong armies or gain 1,000,000 francs. Remember, these are the middle ages. Armies were mostly made of knights, or simpletons with just a helmet and a sword. By the 14th century knights had more or less ceased to be the decisive battle units they had once been,though, and were in quite decline by now. In the 15th century the primary units of warfare were usually pikemen, crossbowmen, and to some degree cannons, but mainly in the siege of castles. Mercenaries were also being extensively used, the most greatest of these were the legendary Swiss and Landsknechte. Economies were far smaller, armies at 10,000 men and countries far weaker. Be careful what you post.
I wish you all a happy RP...
[IC]: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=231305
