Who was the French king at the start of the Hundred Years’ War in 1337?

The story behind the answer

The first Valois king took the throne in 1328 after the last direct Capetian, Charles IV, died without a male heir. His accession rested on applying Salic Law, which barred inheritance through the female line—undercutting the claim of England’s Edward III, grandson of Philip IV through his mother, Isabella. Tensions over feudal homage and control of Aquitaine escalated when the French crown confiscated the duchy in 1337, triggering the conflict.

Context: The war wasn’t a single continuous fight but a series of campaigns over more than a century, driven by feudal obligations, trade (especially in wool and wine), and dynastic prestige. The other options ruled later: John II from 1350 and Charles V from 1364; Charles IV died in 1328.