1337: Diplomatic Rupture and the Beginning of War

In 1337, Franco-English rivalry crosses a threshold: what was a feudal and diplomatic tension becomes an open war. Grievances accumulate around Guyenne, alliances, and legitimacy.

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🏰 Sovereignty Against Vassalage

For the French monarchy, England is a vassal in France. For England, homage is a humiliating constraint between sovereigns. The rupture of 1337 marks the failure of this coexistence.

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⚖️ May 24, 1337: Seizure of Guyenne

On May 24, 1337, Edward III, having refused to obey a summons, is condemned to seizure of his dukedom. The Pope Benedict XII obtains a reprieve: Philip VI promises not to immediately occupy the dukedom, leaving a brief space for mediation.

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📜 All Saints 1337: The Defiance of Lincoln

At All Saints 1337, the Bishop of Lincoln, Henry Burghersh, arrives bearing a message addressed to “Philip of Valois, who claims to be King of France.” This is an explicit rupture of homage and a declaration of war: the dynastic polemic is assumed and transformed into a political defiance.

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🌍 A War of Coalitions and Economy

The Hundred Years’ War is not merely Franco-English: it mobilizes allies, merchant towns, principalities, and economic interests. Even before the declaration, Edward III prepares the ground through a commercial and financial policy (wool, cloth, privileges) that seeks to swing the northern towns and imperial princes into his camp.

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🧠 Key Points to Remember

• May 24, 1337: seizure of Guyenne, signal of rupture.
• All Saints 1337: Burghersh’s defiance, assumed declaration.
• War combines diplomacy, economy, sieges, and battles.