Lecture IV
1. The crisis of kingship
2. The struggle in France.
3. The war of the Roses.


The crisis of kingship
During the 14th century towards the ends of the Middle Ages there was a continuous struggle between the Kings and their nobles. The principle that King neither to be killed nor deposed was broken in 1327 when Edward II was deposed and cruelly murdered.
King Richard II (1377-1399) eventually wrested the power from Parliament and the barons after considerable civil struggle. He seemed to have pursued a policy of revenge and high-handed despotism. He imprisoned his uncle John of Gaunt III son of Edward III, the most powerful and wealthy noble of his time.
Henry of Lancaster son of John of Gaunt, who had left England, returned and raised an army, took Richard prisoner and caused him to abdicate in his favour. There is a statement that Richard II was the last King of the House of Plantagenet but the two royal branches – the House of Lancaster’s and the King of the York family were related to them.
The 13th century was described by histories as Plantagenet Spring after a grim Norman Summer – the new Gothic style in architecture, Salisbury Cathedral, foundation of Universities, the development of the Common Law and the Parliament, and the emergence of English as the language of the nation.
But the 14th century brought the disasters of the Hundred War (with the loss of Gascony in 1453 the war was over. The English Army was twice defeated by the French who was headed by a mysterious peasant girl Joan of Arc. She claimed to hear heavenly voices. She was captured by the Burgundians and given to the English. The English gave her to the church of Rouen which burnt her as a witch in 1431. England had lost everything except Calais), the peasants’ revolt, the extermination of population by the Black Death, the punitive execution of the participants with positive achievements in literature: Geoffrey Chaucer completed the Canterbury Tales 1393), architecture and further strengthening of the English language.
The 15th century saw the continuation of the struggle for the Crown and the establishment of the Lancaster dynasty (Henry IV – King of England) when he died in 1413 he passed on to his son Henry V a Kingdom that was peaceful and united. He was brave and intelligent and was one of the English favorite Kings.


The War of the Roses
Henry VI reign (1422-1461) ended in confusion, deposition and a cruel war (the War of the Roses 1455-1485) a term given by Sir Walter Scott. England had lost a war and was ruled by a mentally ill King who was bad at choosing advisers. It was perhaps natural that nobles asked questions about who ruling the country. The war began in 1399. Barons of the North supported the Lancaster who had a red rose in his crest. The barons of the South supported the Yorks whose crest was decorated by a white rose.
The bloody struggle for the Crown and rule lasted for about 30 years with breaks. It was a merciless annihilation of the all aristocracy with rights and claims to become rulers.
In 1460 the Duke of York claimed the throne to himself and after his death in battle his son Edward took up the struggle and won the throne in 1461. Edward IV put Henry into the tower of London but 9 years later a new Lancastrian army rescued Henry and chased Edward out of the country. But he had the advantage of his population of the merchants of London and South-East of England. Edward returned to England in 1471 and defeated the Lancastrians; at last he was safe on the throne. But when Edward IV died in 1483 his own two sons were put in the tower by Richard of Gloucester. He took the Crown and became the King Richard III.
A month later two Princes were murdered. But Richard’s guilt has never been proved.
Richard III was not popular. In 1485 Henry Tudor Duke of Richmond half Welsh landed in England with Breton soldiers to claim the throne. Many discontented Lords joined them. The battle at Bossworth ended in Richard’s defeat and death.
Henry Tudor was crowned King immediately on the battle field. The War of the Roses nearly destroyed the English idea of Kingship forever. The two dynasties had been destroyed and a distant relative of a Lancaster family Henry married Elisabeth of York in 1485 and two Roses reunited. Henry Tudor was crowned King Henry VII of England (1485-1509).
The 15th century with its baronial wars could not stop the progress of the productive forces released by disintegration of the dependent feudal relations in agriculture.
The 15th century saw a development of woolen textile manufacture, steel making and trade which facilitated the growth of the navy and shipbuilding.