Perhaps the most significant change during the Hundred Years War was the availability of weapons to the masses. Commoners and peasants with weapons meant they have some power. We read that the commoners "the commons arrayed themselves on the west side in great battles" (Anonimalle). Even a small amount of power means a great deal and whatever power the people had, they took from nobility. Bearing arms did not mean quite the same thing as it once did and this was something that was not going to change. This change, however, was not completely bad for nobility. In fact, armies simply changed by allowing more men to fight on behalf of the king. Middle and lower class peoples found significance in this way. Mercenaries became popular and by the end of the hundred years, France and England established standing armies, something that had not been accomplished for hundreds of years. These types of armies provided kings with the power to defend kingdoms from the outside and the inside. This form of defense paved the way for new monarchies, which ultimately broke down the medieval orders. This shift meant looking at knights differently, which was another change from medieval thinking. The knights no longer held superiority when fighting. This new way of organization proved to be beneficial for the French during the last battle of these years,...

Knighthood became less and popular and useful as tactical ideas were developed. This example illustrates how change can occur even as man least expects it.
Change generally occurs when we are not looking. As we live our lives, changes and modifications are happening all around us. The Hundred Years War gives us a slice of time when we can see how advancements effected how men thought about and fought battles. From armored knights valiantly engaging in war to peasants taking weapons into their own hands, we see a type of evolution that leads to a shift in power and authority. Change can be painful for some of the parties involved but it is essential to the evolution of man. The battles that sparked the Hundred Years War existed in a medieval time but the final battles of that century carried mankind away from medieval customs, pointing to change.

Works Cited

Froissart. Jean. "Medieval Sourcebook: Jean Froissart: On The Hundred Years War." Internet

Medieval Source Book. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/froissart1.html

Information Retrieved December 11, 2009.

Anonimalle. "English Peasants' Revolt." Internet Medieval Source Book

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/anon1381.html Information Retrieved December