I do not think that word means what you think it means

[selenak]

So I recently watched a three part British documentary on the 100 yeas war, "Chivalry and Betrayal" , on the BBC iplayer. Which isn't bad as documentaries, go, covering the era, the main players etc. in a way that's accessible for newbies and historically interested people alike. BUT. The introduction speech preceding each episode claims that it's about "plucky little England" taking on "France, the number one superpower of Europe" and "refusing to back down".

The actual documentary is more differentiated than that, but the credits speech had me coughing like a madwoman each time. Aside from the blatant jingoism and playing on current day anti Europe feeling, I mean. First of all, "little"? England under Edward III? Secondly, if you're dong the invading all the time, no matter under which Salic law pretense, you don't get to play the "refusing to back down" card. And thirdly, in which dimension was 14th century France the No.1 European superpower of that era? I mean, not to pull the Empire card, but I'm totally going to pull the Empire card. Seriously though, the Habsburg emperors ruling the Holy Roman Empire which covered today's Germany, Austria, parts of Poland and Checheslovakia as well as parts of Italy would beg to differ.

(Sidenote: 17th century France duking it out with Spain & Habsburg relations for Main European Superpower and winning is a different issue, of course. But in the 14th century? No way.)

Hearing about Edward III the fearsome warrior is also a bit odd if you primarily associate him with Bobby Godwin in Susan Howatch's The Wheel of Fortune, but that's not the documentary's fault. :) It also gets across well how immensly profitable all that pillaging and scorched earth devastating of France was for the English nobility, and why they were aghast when Richard II. made it clear he wasn't interested in following Granddad's footsteps in that one (but still wanted everyone to pay taxes. It also reminded me of something else - the enduring Agincourt complex Henry VIII. later seemed to have, as in: he wanted one, and absolutely didn't get it. One thing the later Shardlake novels bring out well is how ruinous and pointless Henry's French wars were to the English people. Novels aside, they really seem to have been conducted for no better reason than Henry having an Agincourt complex and gigantic penis envy when it came to Francois II. And yet the fact he more or less kept losing, on a personal - that wrestling match with Francois in the Field of Gold - and political level alike doesn't seem to have shaken his public image (which is bad on account of the wife and councellors killings, but not because of his foreign politics). Probably because Edward III. introduced the idea of warring with France as the ultimate test of kingly manliness and everyone kept buying into it for centuries to come?

Comments

[percysowner]

It is interesting that losing Calais seemed to be such a big blow to Mary during her reign. Saying "When I am dead and opened, you shall find 'Philip' [her husband] and 'Calais' lying in my heart." seems a bit much compared with the rest of the tragedies she had endured and her utter failure to restore Catholicism to England. Apparently France was psychologically important. It may have been a good thing for Elizabeth, because it took having to defend territory in France off the table and I don't remember her having any interest in running off and taking over other countries. She waited until Spain, inadvisedly decided to invade, got lucky with the storm that helped destroy that fleet and that is about all I remember about Elizabeth's foray into war. England was over the shock of losing Calais and the drive for conquering France had died down by the time she came to the throne, IIR.

[bats_eye]

Elizabeth made an effort to regain Calais, actually.

She helped the huguenots take le havre and then refused to give it back when peace broke out unless the French swapped it for Calais. At which point the hugenots and catholic French united to retake the city from the English. So that rather backfired and soured her on continental wars.

She did send troops to support the dutch revolt prior to the armada but she refused any offer to become queen of the Netherlands herself despite it being on the table.

Of course, in terms of not having any interest in taking other over countries, she did send a huge amount of troops to Ireland. That probably killed far more people than any of Henry VIII's French wars.

[percysowner]

The Ireland part makes sense, although today we see it as part of Great Britain, so it didn't register. I admit, I didn't remember that she tried to get Calais back. Queen of the Netherlands, huh? That would have been interesting to say the least. I doubt it would have worked, long term, but maybe?