This bloody struggle was the longest war in European history: it became known as the Hundred Years War. ibid.
Edward III was now the undisputed master of England. ibid.
Edward was coming for Philip’s throne. ibid.
It’s difficult to imagine the scale of the disaster that took place at Cressy: more than 1,500 French lords and knights were killed and 10,000 soldiers were massacred by English arrows. The English only lost 2 knights and 80 men. ibid.
In early 1348 a plague known as the Black Death swept across France killing one third of the population. In August it jumped across the Channel. ibid.
1392: At the height of the Middle Ages the once great king of France was on his knees and struggling for life. A king went mad. A queen betrayed her people. A rampaging enemy went roaring across the land. The only hope was a peasant girl who said she was touched by God. The hundred years’ war was tearing France apart. Dan Jones, Britain’s War of Thrones: The Hundred Years War II
Henry (V) advanced towards Paris with no more than 8,000 troops. ibid.
John the Fearless had to stop Henry’s progress. ibid.
Charles trusted Joan and gave her a mission to fulfil. ibid.
Charles II was determined to kick the English out of France once and for all. ibid.
In the 15th century Europe was a vipers’ nest of faction and intrigue. England was torn apart by the Wars of the Roses. On the continent, alliances constantly shifted as ambitious rulers plotted and backstabbed one another. Dan Jones, Britain’s War of Thrones: The Hundred Years’ War III
More than 2,000 on each side had lost their lives … Louis XI returned to Paris but his enemies refused to give up … With the death of Henry, King Louis had lost a key ally, and more tragedy was to strike France. Once again, the Black Death returned. ibid.
The lands of the Duchy of Burgundy combined with those of the Holy Roman Empire were now richer and more powerful than ever before. And now they were a direct threat to the kingdom of France. ibid.
Charles’ empire stretched from the North Sea to north Africa … not bad for a 17 year old, but still this wasn’t enough. Dan Jones, Britain’s War of Thrones: The Hundred Years War IV
Charles was unanimously elected Holy Roman emperor. ibid.
For three weeks Henry [VIII] and Francis [I] were inseparable … The Field of the Cloth of Gold was ultimately a waste of time. ibid.
Francis had lost Italy, and to make matter worse, the heir to the Throne and his brother were still held hostage in Spain. ibid.
Both men [Charles & Francis] swore a ten-year truce … Europe was at peace for now. ibid.
Europe. Home to more than 700,000,000 people. This is a continent that has been transformed by humanity. It is a crowded world. But not all of it. There are still precious areas of wilderness, and living within them, some very surprising animals. Forests once covered 80% of Europe. Now only half of it remains. A brown bear: one of only 1,500 that are left in Finland’s forest. David Attenborough, Seven World, One Planet V: Europe
Gibraltar: Home to Europe’s only monkeys. Barbary Macaques. Four family troops live here. ibid.
Welcome to Luton: it’s the birthplace of militant Islam. Divided States I: Europe, Tommy Robinson, History 2019
Muslims have essentially become the new Jews. ibid. commentator
EDL mobilised a new generation of activists who were just focusing on Islam. ibid.
The worst refugee crisis in central Europe for a generation. ibid. news
According to the UN, over 5 million Syrians have been forced to flee their country since the war began in 2011. ibid. caption
The AfD gained 94 seats in the German parliament. ibid. caption
Europe’s imperial ambitions came to dominate the globe. David Olusoga, Civilisations s1e6: First Contact, BBC 2018
The world we live in was shaped by war. For hundreds of years power-hungry families fought for the right to rule, and Europe transformed. These rivalries shifted borders, destroyed cities and brought populations to their knees. A war of thrones, a tale of murder, sex and betrayal. The Real War of Thrones s1e1: War is Declared 1328-1365, 2017
In the 14th century Philip VI, king of France, saw a great new rival emerge – the Plantagenet king of England, Edward III. He intended to seize the crown from his Valois cousin … It started the longest and bloodiest war in European history: this became known as the Hundred Years War.
Edward wanted revenge. Isabel was an accomplice to all her lover’s crimes. But Edward showed her mercy and let her live. Mortimer wasn’t so fortunate. ibid.
Edward declared himself the legitimate heir to the French throne. This was nothing short of a declaration of war. ibid.
Against all odds, Edward had destroyed Philip’s army. But the 100 Year War was far from over. ibid.
A far greater killer was on the horizon. In 1348 a plague known as the Black Death swept across France and a third of the population died. In August it jumped across the channel. ibid.
On August 22nd 1350 Philip VI, the first Valois king of France, died. ibid.
At the dawn of the fifteenth century dramatic events shook an already weakened France. A king went mad. A queen sided with the enemy. The English took advantage of the confusion to invade France. The Real War of Throne s1e2: The True History of Europe: The Mad King & the Maiden 1392-1453
In the spring of 1392 the young king of France, Charles VI … suddenly he was overcome by a strange feeling of dizziness … The young king had probably inherited his madness from his mother … Now he will forever be remembered as Charles the Mad. ibid.
For seven years the Burgundians and the Armagnacs fought one another. Both sides took control of Paris and then lost it. Frenchmen fought Frenchmen and the losses were heavy. ibid.
In 1414 he [Henry V] prepared to take the [French] crown by force. The war that had started 70 years earlier was ready to begin again in earnest. ibid.
On October 24th 1415 the English and French armies arrived here at Agincourt. ibid.
Charles VII was determined to drive the English out of France once and for all. ibid.
In the second half of the fifteenth century a perfidious king was crowned in France but his throne was threatened … Marriages were arranged but one enemy would prove more formidable. The Real War of Thrones s1e3: The True History of Europe: The Marriage Game 1461-1483
In the name of the League of the Wheel, The Bold declared war on the King of France. ibid.
In those days in England two branches of the Royal Family claimed the throne. On one side the House of Lancaster whose symbol was a red rose. On the other the House of York with a white rose. ibid.
At the beginning of the renaissance the throne of France was once again under threat. The ambitious emperor wanted to dominate Europe. The king of France was prepared to do anything to save his realm. The rivalry would lead to 27 years of war. The Real War of Throne s1e4: The True History of Europe: The King & the Emperor 1515-1548
Francis would be a flamboyant monarch. The new King of France was warmly welcomed by the aristocracy. ibid.
The Cloth of Gold summit was a waste of time. ibid.
In less than four hours the French army was all but annihilated. ibid.
With King Francis behind bars, the kingdom was now more vulnerable than ever. Enemies both near and far began to circle. ibid.
In mourning as in war, Francis’s kingdom just like Charles V’ empire had to face up to a lack of money. ibid.
The wars of Religion shaped the Europe we live in today. In the sixteenth century religion and power were inextricably linked. At the time of the Renaissance the rulers of Europe’s most important nations fought each other violently in the name of God. The Real War of Thrones s2e1: The True History of Europe Game of Queens 1542-1559
At the height of the Renaissance the young Queen of Scotland was forced to flee her homeland. The King of France had Europe on tenterhooks and kicked the English out of his kingdom. Meanwhile, the largest empire in the west was breaking apart. Europe was on the verge of thirty years of bloody warfare. ibid.
Henry II was 29 years old. A year earlier he succeeded his father Francis I to the French Throne. Henry II was an ambitious, ruthless monarch whose main obsession was to gain revenge on his old arch-enemy Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. ibid.
The open war between Mary and Elizabeth was good for the King of France. ibid.
Since her marriage to Henry at 19 years old, Catherine’s main role had been to provide children for the crown. She was pregnant 10 times. The Real War of Thrones s2e2: In the Name of God 1550-1564
The Catholic King of Spain would devote his reign to eliminating Protestants from Europe. Protestants also risked being burned at the stake at the Catholic kingdom of France. ibid.
With the rise of Protestantism, Europe was plunged into bloody war. Among the Catholics, France was weakened by a regency; Spain was faced with a revolt; in Scotland, the Queen risked losing her throne for love. The Real Game of Thrones s2e3: Europe Ignites 1561-1569
1561: In France, Queen Catherine d’Medici must choose between tolerance and suppression … In six months, the Kingdom of France plunged into the first war of religion, dragging Europe behind it in a fight for faith. ibid.