England

Home Front

Edward had six sons, and never trouble with any of them, though he didn't necessarily like all of them. Several of their marriages established ties between the houses of Lancaster and Plantagenet.

The big story on the home front involved finances. The war was immensely expensive. Ironically, the more England succeeded on the battlefield, the more expensive the war effort became, for it meant more garrisons and castles to finance. This led to an increasingly important role for Parliament. To avoid having to go to Parliament, Edward borrowed heavily from the Italians. In 1354, he defaulted on his loans, sending two prominent Florentine banking houses crashing into bankruptcy.

Edward also employed a tactic used by other kings: he borrowed from the Jews, then when the loan payments became too onerous, had a sudden fit of religious conscience and banished the Jews from the kingdom. Significantly, he forbade them to take most of their wealth, confiscating it for the crown. And, after a few years, he allowed them to return (without, naturally, returning their possessions to them).