Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/562

 512 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE Moreover, this so-called " Hundred Years War" was not exactly a century in duration, but covered the period from x 337 to I 453- On the other hand, the number of years of actual warfare were much less than a hundred, since in the course of this period there were numerous long truces and two treaties of peace intended to put a stop to hostilities entirely. But at the time usually accepted as the end of the war there was no treaty. Finally, the causes of the reopen- ing of hostilities in 1337 between Edward III and Philip VI were not new, but the old problems of Guienne, Flanders, and Scotland over which Edward I and Philip IV had fought already. In 1328 the direct male line of the Capetians expired and the French had to determine to whom of the royal family The French ^e crown should go. Already in 131 6, upon the succession death of the oldest son of Philip the Fair, it had been decided that his brother rather than his daughter should succeed him and that a woman should not hold the throne in France. Hence it was now logical to de- cide that Philip of Valois, a son of Philip the Fair's brother, should become king rather than Edward III of England, whose mother was a daughter of Philip the Fair. Not only should women not succeed to the throne, but also the male descendants of a female line were excluded. Edward's mother accepted this decision, and the young King of Eng- land, who was not yet of age, did homage to the new French monarch for his fiefs on the Continent. But a few years later the inevitable quarrel with France over Guienne, and the Scottish and Flemish questions, led Edward III in 1337 to lay claim to the French crown and declare war. One of the first acts of Philip VI had been to aid the Count of Flanders and to wipe out the disgrace of the de- Opening feat °f Courtrai by the victory of Cassel over the t y h?"aJ ^emish in 1328. But now there was a demo- cratic uprising led by Jacob Artevelde of Ghent, the power of the count was overthrown, and the Flemish towns made an alliance with Edward III. The English king was also joined by many lords of the Netherlands and