History
Edward III claimed French throne to escape feudal obligations to France
Triggernometry
The 100 Years' War with Historian Dan Jones
What was said
"In 1328, when there was a succession crisis in the French crown, the young king of England, Edward III, got into his head that one way around this might be to claim to be the king of France himself. That's the fundamental deep down reason English kings are saying we should be kings of France."
Dan Jones explains that the Hundred Years War began not from legitimate succession claims but as a strategic gambit. Edward III claimed the French throne in 1337 primarily to avoid paying homage to France as Duke of Gascony, turning what was a feudal dispute into a century-long conflict. This reframes the war's origins as political maneuvering rather than dynastic right.
Verification status
Attributed speaker claim
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
Source and context
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
- Programme
- Triggernometry
- Episode
- The 100 Years' War with Historian Dan Jones
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