Since the earliest days of human governments there were wars over who would get to assume — or inherit — the power to control them. French King Charles IV died without a son to take the throne as his successor. But he did have a daughter — she married King Edward II of England and gave birth to a son, named Edward III. This made young Edward III, grandson of Charles IV, by law the legitimate heir to the throne of France. At a time when he was already king of England.

On this day, January 26, 1340, Edward III declares himself to be the rightful king of France. Naturally, the concept of serving a foreign king did not please the French aristocracy much. They disputed Edward’s claim based on their interpretation of the salic law that governed power succession. So began the Hundred Years War.

The French dispute stemmed from what they considered the illegitimacy of power being transferred through a woman — it was their way of ensuring no foreign king would ever take control of their country through marrying the queen. The dispute was settled, for a time, by allowing Britain to keep some prized vineyard lands on the French coast, in exchange for Edward III relinquishing the claims to the throne. The dispute soon flared up again, however, and France and England went to war.