What were the underlying and precipitating causes of the Hundred Years' war? What advantages did each side have? Why were the French finally able to drive the English almost entirely out France?

What were the underlying and precipitating causes of the Hundred Years' war? What advantages did each side have? Why were the French finally able to drive the English almost entirely out France? 

Answer:

The causes of the war where when King Edward, the English king, made a claim to the French throne. The French had no intentions of putting him on the throne. Instead they chose a first cousin of Charles IV, Philip VI of Valois. Another reason why the war started was because Edward was holding several substantial French territories as fiefs from the French King. To the French, when the English held any French land it was offensive because it endangered the royal policy of centralization. Both countries also fought over control of Flanders. Although Flanders was a French land, it was subject to political influence because its industry of cloth depended on supplies of imported English wool. Also a long history of prejudice and hostility between the people of each country, who constantly saw one another on the high seas and in ports, made the friction between the two worse. For this war both sides had good advantages.


For the Hundred Years' war both England and France had advantages. French had three times the population of England, was the wealthier of the two countries, and had the home field advantage. The English had successfully made a transition from a feudal society to a centralized "modern" state. The English also had a superior military, because they were more disciplined, and had more weapons. The French were finally able to drive the English almost entirely out of France because they took over Orleans. Then afterwards they had many more victories. Also the duke of Burgundy made peace with Charles, this allowed France to push the English back.