"And here I prophesy: this brawl today, Grown to this faction in the Temple garden, Shall send, between the Red Rose and the White, A thousand souls to death and deadly night.": this is how the Earl of Warwick announces the War of the Roses in Shakespeare's Henry VI. Indeed, from 1455 to 1485, the English nobility was divided by a series of civil wars, today known as the War of the Roses. The belligerents, the House of York and the House of Lancaster, which were both branches of the House of Plantagenet and descendants of Edward III, fought over the gain of the throne of England. Even if this war had firstly been a limited quarrel between powerful nobles, and did not really affect the population, it had become part of a certain myth of the Middle-Ages, and has become a legendary war. Nevertheless, if the War is seen as the embodiment of the Age of Chivalry, it also revealed the deep crisis the English monarchy went through during the Middle-Ages: we may thus wonder which have been the causes and consequences of the War of the Roses? How can it be considered as a symbol for the weakening of the Middle-Age monarchy?
[...] The War definitely undermined the nobility and the old ideal of feudalism. The noblemen nearly destroyed themselves and they opened the way for a strong kingship. The strength shifted from the noblemen to the merchants and the notables, from military power to commercial ability. The War put an end to the tough principles that prevailed during the Middle-Ages, and opened an era of culture and glory: the Renaissance. The Tudors indeed managed to build up a new order, and their dynasty is today seen as one of the most powerful among those who have reigned over England. [...]
[...] During the second part of the fifteenth century, the feudalism was coming to an end: the noblemen were very powerful, sometimes as powerful as the King, because they were allowed to keep private armies -in fact, the main part had kept the armies they had used during the 100 years war against France. For example, near 1450, the Duke of Buckingham had a private army of about 2,000 men. c. The first phase of the War: the victory of the Yorkists In 1461, Edward was victorious at the battle of Towton over the Royal Army, and he was crowned Edward IV. [...]
[...] Henry VI and his son were imprisoned and murdered in the Tower of London. Edward III had secured his throne and the victory of the Yorkists. d. The second phase: the coup of Henry Tudor But the victory of Edward did not last long. In 1477, Edward IV was said to have been warned by a soothsayer. The latter told him that he would be betrayed by a man whose name began with a G. Edward decided to prevent any attack by killing his brother George, by drowning in a butt of malmsey wine. [...]
[...] monarchy The War of the Roses was triggered by a quarrel of succession, but it was also a crisis that embodied the weakening of the English monarchy during the fifteenth century: the kingdom had to face difficulties both abroad and at home. a. Revolts in Wales One of the first issues that England had to confront was unrest at home. Indeed, at the turn of the fourteenth century, a revolt had broken out in Wales, led by Owain Glyndwr. By 1400, this rebellion had become a national war, and Glyndwr was proclaimed Prince of Wales by his supporters. [...]
[...] Nevertheless, it is worth noticing that the significance of this Civil War has been largely heightened by the Royal House of Tudors, and by his first representative, Henry VII. Indeed, the new King had to secure his position, and to do so, he showed himself as the one who had been able to unify a divided nation on the verge of collapse. He presented himself as the symbol of the unity of England. The best example of this will to reconcile noblemen is his wedding with Elizabeth of York, in 1486, the daughter of Edward IV, and eldest sister of Edward V. [...]
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