Question

How did the Hundred Years' War bring change to medieval Europe?


English and French monarchs increased their powers with new methods of warfare


Europeans turned to the Papacy to restore the peace


The long conflict led to the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts


Armed knights frequently defeated common foot soldiers, strengthening the position of the nobility

Answer 1

Correct answer: English and French monarchs increased their powers with new methods of warfare.

Brief explanation:
- The war stimulated centralization: monarchs raised taxes to fund professional armies, used artillery and infantry tactics (longbows, cannons) rather than relying solely on feudal levies, which strengthened royal authority over nobles.
- The Papacy did not successfully restore peace; its influence was weakened (Avignon Papacy, later the Great Schism).
- The rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts is tied more to Renaissance humanism and events like the fall of Constantinople than directly to the Hundred Years' War.
- Knights generally lost battlefield dominance to well-equipped common infantry and ranged weapons (e.g., Crécy, Agincourt), so the nobility’s military position weakened rather than strengthened.