n.
or Philip of Valois French Philippe de Valois
born 1293
died Aug. 22, 1350, near Paris
First French king of the Valois dynasty (132850).
He continued Capetian efforts to centralize the state but made concessions to the nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie. His knights killed thousands of rebellious Flemings at the Battle of Cassel (1328). His disputes with Edward III of England led to the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War (1337). French defeats at the Battles of Sluys (1340) and Crécy (1346) caused crises in France until the spread of the Black Death (from 1348) overshadowed other considerations.