Hundred Years War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hundred Years War - Essay Example and Henry VI2. In the Hundred Years' War France and Spain were allied and supported the Scottish cause of independence from the English crown. England was allied with Portugal and Burgundy and controlled large sections of Aquitaine and northern France"3. The Hundred Years' War was initiated by the King Philip VI of France in 1337 when he stabbed to impound the territories of England which were situated in the southwestern France. The war was ended in 1453 with the victory of France that resulted in expelling of English from the continent. During the war many new weapons and war tactics were used by the French and English army. The historians consider the Hundred Years' War as the most significant conflict of the medieval warfare that further defined the history of both England and France. "The war was consisted of a series of set backs and victories for each side as well as a multitude of shifting alliances between the major and minor powers of Europe in the region"4. "The significance of the Hundred Years' War is the rise of nationalism it engendered, compared to earlier medieval conflicts"5. The English military secured victories in several battles fought during the war but at times they were also defeated by France. "The war laid waste to much of France and caused enormous suffering; it virtually destroyed the feudal nobility and thereby brought about a new social order. By ending England's status as a power on the continent, it led the English to expand their reach and power at sea"6. The English defeat in Hundred Years' War possesses several important aspects and reasons behind it which are going to be discussed after the background, causes and other information about the war. About Hundred Years' War The background for Hundred Years' War was stated preparing 400 years as a result of conflicts occurring between the English and French King. "The conflicts arise because the King of England being a vassal of French King, rules the territory of France more than the King of France himself"7. The French attempted to resolve the problem in three decisive wars including the conquest of Normandy in 1214, The Saintonge War in 1242 and the War of Saint-Sardos in 1324. These wars resulted in the end of English hold on the continent. The conflicts between the two countries grew along with time. "One of the major conflicting issues between England and France was regarding the duchy of Aquitaine which was located in Southwestern France"8. In 1259, the Treaty of Paris designated that Henry III held the duchy as a fief of the French king Charles IV, King of France who will pay liege homage to the king but the situation become complicated with the death of Charles IV, King of France in 1328 without a male heir. Edward III, the King of England claimed that he has a right to take the thorn as his mother was the sister of King Charles. In 1337, the war was started when Edward III raided into French territory and became the King of France. This action of King Edward III initiated the series of war which spread over a century. There were many battles fought during the war period including the Battle of Crecy and Battle of Poitiers which were

German Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

German Population - Essay Example (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008) Another reason is that it was very active in World War I and II and as a result, it got separated into two regions, West Germany and East Germany. By the studying the population change over the last 50 years, we will be able to find out how this separation affected the population distribution. Another factor which makes Germany stand out and ideal for this case study is the fact that Germany is listed as the host of the third-highest percentage of international migrants worldwide. (United Nations Population Fund, 2006) Besides this, Germany's population is changing in a way where the birthrates are much lower than the death rates which is causing the population to age. Therefore, studying this will help us learn a lot about one of the most pressing problems for countries all over the world. These were all the facts that made Germany ideal for a population change case study. I also have a few personal reasons for why I have selected Germany as my country under study. Firstly, every year I hear about Berlinale, F1 race, Internationales Beethovenfest and Oktoberfest, which are makes me very interested in Germany. However, the main reason for choosing Germany is that a few of my friends and I are planning to go Germany for a vacation after this spring term, so this assignment is a great chance for me to discover more about Germany before I go there. Germany also has alot of amazing buildings, such as Neuschwanstein Castle, which was built by Knig Ludwig II based on the idea of a fairly tales castle. Therefore, I'm really interested in Germany, as it is a place with so much things to learn about. Introduction According to the July 2008 estimates, the population of Germany is approximately 82,315,548. (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008) The total population figure has also been falling recently. In 1958, the population of Germany was 72,031,000. Out of these, 54,719,000 were in West Germany while 17,312,000 were in East. As we can see, the population has risen by approximately 10,284,548 since then.However, if we look at the yearly trends, the population growth rate fluctuated a lot. The population growth rate was not positive through out. From 1958 the population change rate has been mostly increasing, although, there have been years when this rate was negative. There has been no drastic percentage change in the population throughout these 50 years. The maximum increase has been 1 percent and the maximum decrease has been 0.5 percent. From 1950 till 1973, the population kept on increasing. This pattern change when the population started to fall till 1985. Then it started to increase agai n, reached its maximum in 2003 and since then it has been falling. (Population Reference Bureau)Also, another change can be seen in the distribution on population within East and West Germany. In 2006, the population in West Germany was 65,667,000 and the population of East Germany was 16,648,000. As we compare this with 1958's data, we notice that the population in West Germany has increased while the population in East Germany has decreased. (Federal Statistical Office, 2007) Factors Affecting Population and Change The projection of population carried out by the Federal Statistical Office show that the population will keep on falling in future and by 2050, the lower limit of the expected population will