Which wars did England participate in during the Middle Ages?
Okay, let's break down England's involvement in medieval wars. The Middle Ages, roughly from the 5th to the 15th century, saw England embroiled in several conflicts. Two of the most significant were the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War. The Crusades, a series of religious wars, began in the late 11th century. European Christians, including the English, aimed to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim control. English knights and kings participated, driven by religious zeal and the promise of land and glory. Then there's the Hundred Years' War, a protracted conflict with France that actually lasted 116 years, from 1337 to 1453. This war was a defining period in English history, shaping its national identity and military strategies. It was fought over the English claim to the French throne and control of French territories. The Crimean and Peninsular Wars, on the other hand, were much later conflicts, taking place in the 19th century, well outside the medieval period. So, the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War are the ones that firmly place England in the thick of medieval warfare.
Think of a religious campaign and a war that lasted more than a century.