The Hundred Years' War lasted 116 years and was not one single war.

The war started in 1337 when King Philip VI of France tried to take land from King Edward III of England. Edward then claimed he was the true King of France. The fighting lasted until 1453. This long period included many years of peace where no fighting happened at all.New weapons changed how people fought during this time. The English used longbows that could fire 10 arrows every minute. Later, the French used early cannons and gunpowder to win major battles. These tools made traditional knights in heavy armor less effective on the battlefield.Other major events stopped the fighting for years at a time. The Black Death plague arrived in 1347 and killed nearly half of the people in Europe. Famous leaders like Joan of Arc also joined the war. In 1429, she helped the French army win a major battle at Orléans in just 10 days.By the end of the 116 years, England lost almost all its land in France. The war cost huge amounts of money. When King John II of France was captured in 1356, his ransom was three times the country's yearly income. This conflict helped create the modern national identities of England and France.