Tides of History Why the Hundred Years War Actually Lasted Two Hundred Years: Interview with Professor Michael Livingston
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Nov 20, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Professor Michael Livingston, a distinguished military historian at The Citadel, presents a fresh perspective on the Hundred Years War, arguing it actually spanned 200 years. He explores the significance of redefining the conflict’s timeline to reveal deeper connections across Europe. Topics include the implications of internal strife in England post-war, the role of France as the central actor, and the war's legacy in shaping modern statehood. Livingston's insights promise to challenge traditional narratives and enrich our understanding of medieval history.
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Reframe The War As A 200-Year Conflict
- The conventional 1337–1453 dating of the Hundred Years' War is a 19th-century label that obscures continuities.
- Michael Livingston argues a 1292–1492 frame captures the conflict's true scope and links its causes and outcomes.
1453 Was A Pause, Not A Conclusion
- The 1453 Castillon defeat didn't end English ambitions; political instability, not acceptance, halted returns.
- Labels like 'end in 1453' create false separations between related events and civil wars.
Towton Soldiers Should Have Died In France
- Patrick recalls a mass grave from the Battle of Towton and imagines a soldier meant to die in France instead dying at home.
- Livingston links the Wars of the Roses to failures in France, turning external loss into internal violence.
