Introduction: A Dynasty Born in Controversy

The accession of Philip VI of Valois to the French throne in 1328 inaugurated nearly three centuries of Valois rule, but it also triggered the greatest crisis in French monarchical history. The new dynasty's legitimacy was immediately challenged by Edward III of England, whose claim through his mother Isabella (daughter of Philip IV) was rejected in favor of Philip VI's descent through the male line. This succession dispute would explode into the Hundred Years War, a conflict that brought the French monarchy to the brink of destruction before ultimately strengthening it through the crucible of national resistance.

The early Valois period (1328-1461) encompasses some of the most dramatic episodes in French history: crushing military defeats at Crécy and Poitiers, the captivity of King John II, the madness of Charles VI, civil war between Armagnacs and Burgundians, the Treaty of Troyes that disinherited the dauphin, and the seemingly miraculous recovery under Charles VII aided by Joan of Arc. These events tested whether the monarchical structures built by the Capetians could survive military catastrophe, dynastic challenges, and internal dissolution.

Yet the Valois monarchy not only survived but emerged transformed. The pressures of constant warfare forced administrative innovations that increased royal power. The need for regular taxation to fund military efforts created new fiscal structures. The experience of English occupation fostered nascent national consciousness focused on the monarchy. By 1461, when Louis XI succeeded Charles VII, the monarchy commanded resources and loyalty unimaginable to Philip VI. The journey from near-collapse to renewed strength illustrates both the resilience of monarchical institutions and their capacity for adaptation under extreme pressure.