England, which began the Hundred Years' War with France as a strong state with a well-organized army and strong royal power, ended it shaken by bloody internal strife. After the death of King Henry V, the English throne went to his son Henry VI, but he was not yet a year old. His closest relative, the Duke of Bedford, ruled for him.
He crowned ten-year-old Henry in Paris and later married him to Margaret of Anjou. So Bedford tried to retain at least some French provinces for England, because military happiness had already left the British. But nothing helped - England was left with only one French port, Calais.
After Bedford's death Duke Richard of York declared his claims to the English throne and began a war against the weak-willed loser Henry VI. The ducal family of Lancaster, to which he belonged, stood up for the king. The War of the Roses broke out, so called because the Lancastrian coat of arms featured a scarlet rose, while the York coat of arms featured a white one.
Richard of York managed to enlist the support of the excellent commander and diplomat Earl of Warwick. He defeated the royal troops and forced parliament to recognize Richard as king. Henry VI was captured, but his wife Margaret fled to Scotland and managed to gather an army of her supporters there, which unexpectedly attacked York's troops and returned the throne to Henry. Richard York died in that battle, and his severed head was displayed for all to see wearing a jester's paper crown.
Warwick escaped and soon returned to London at the head of the White Rose army. He placed York's son Edward IV on the throne, and Henry VI and Margaret fled to the queen's homeland, France. They tried to regain the throne with the help of the French king, but Warwick was again victorious. Margaret returned to France, Henry VI was again captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London prison.
Soon the Earl of Warwick found himself in France. He quarreled with the English king Edward IV, whom he himself placed on the throne, and decided to return power to the overthrown Henry VI. He landed in England with an army and captured London. Parliament declared Henry VI king and Edward IV a traitor. For his dexterity and resourcefulness, Earl of Warwick was nicknamed “the kingmaker.” But six months later, luck changed the graph. Edward IV returned from Burgundy with an army and again seized power; Warwick died in battle.
It seemed that the crown would remain with York. After the death of Edward IV, it was supposed to go to his son Edward V. But the brother of the deceased king, the commander of the troops, the Duke of Gloucester, intervened in the matter. This decisive, insidious and cruel man terrified those around him with his very appearance. The Duke was a hunchback with a terrible face and a withered, crooked hand. He brought troops into London and forced Parliament to recognize itself as the guardian of Edward V and the ruler of the country. Soon Duke of Gloucester declared Edward and his younger brother illegitimate and crowned himself as Richard III. But the boys imprisoned in the Tower did not give him peace, and he ordered them to be killed.
Soon, Richard III killed his wife in order to marry the eldest daughter of Edward IV and thereby strengthen his rights to the crown.
Meanwhile, another representative of the Lancaster family, Henry VII, was hiding in France. He was the son of Queen Catherine, who, after the death of her husband Henry V, married Aries Tudor. When all of England shuddered from the atrocities of Richard III, Henry VII Tudor felt that the opportune moment had come to return to his homeland.
In England, Richard III marched against him at the head of a 20,000-strong army. But Richard's warriors, one after another, moved to Tudor's camp. Richard fought desperately. When a horse was killed under him, he cried out: “Horse! Half a kingdom for a horse!” It seemed to him that he could still continue the battle and save his crown. But Richard's weakened army could not withstand a long battle. Richard III himself did not want to leave the battlefield until the last moment and died.
Henry Tudor, a representative of the House of Lancaster, became king of England and married the daughter of Edward IV of the York family. Thus ended the bloody war between the Scarlet and White Roses and began the new royal dynasty of the Tudors.
©When using this article partially or fully - an active hyperlink link to the site is MANDATORY
The Wars Of The Roses
Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) - this definition is applied to a series of civil wars in England that broke out in the country one after another and provoked by a dynastic conflict between two branches of the royal house - York and Lancaster.
The Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) is a historical term for a series of civil wars that were sparked by dynastic conflict between the two main branches of the royal house of England, the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The coat of arms of the House of York was a white rose. However, the traditional claim that the Lancastrian emblem was a scarlet rose is erroneous. In the play by William Shakespeare "Henry VI" There is a moment when representatives of the opposing sides choose scarlet and white roses. This scene firmly established roses of various colors in the popular consciousness as emblems for the royal houses of Lancaster and York.
The first Lancastrian king was Henry IV, who overthrew his corrupt relative and tyrant Richard II and took the throne. Medieval concepts of succession to the throne and the king's right to the crown from God determined that Henry IV's rights to the throne, which he had essentially usurped, were not fully approved, which led to much civil unrest. His son, Henry V, devoted his noble energies to the war with France. His astonishing triumph over French forces at the Battle of Agincourt (1415) made him a national hero. One of the conditions for signing the peace treaty was his marriage to the French princess Catherine, who provided him and his descendants with the right to inherit the French crown. He died suddenly in 1422, leaving as his heir a baby he had never even seen.
During the long minority-supported minority of Henry VI, the country was torn in two by the political divisions of two rival factions. In fact, the country was under the rule of lords who had their own armies. Even after Henry came of age, he was a weak and insignificant ruler. His extreme religiosity and love of solitude were very well known, which might have made him a good monk, but as a king he was a real disaster.
His marriage to Margaret of Anjou, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Duke of Anjou, was arranged. Strong-willed and ambitious young Margarita had no problems managing her weak-willed husband. Margaret and her favorites at court tried to do everything possible to increase their wealth and influence. During their reign, the English treasury was empty. In addition to everything, the boundless corruption of Margaret's supporters led to the fact that England lost all the conquests that were hard won by the British in the war with France.
Henry VI, who had inherited his maternal grandfather's tendencies towards madness, fell into a state of catatonia in 1453. This opened up great prospects for Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (“the kingmaker”) to make Richard, Duke of York Protector of the Realm—a title essentially a regent. Ironically, Richard of York had a better claim to the throne than Henry VI, since the York dynasty descended from the second son of King Edward III, while Henry was a descendant of John of Gaunt, Edward's third son, whose heirs received the throne after Henry IV overthrew Richard II. Richard of York was also more suited to the crown as a person.
It is worth noting that Richard York never showed his claims to the throne, unlike Henry. In addition, he would never have attempted to seize power through rebellion if Queen Margaret had not tried to limit his rights, fearing that his strength and wealth would allow him to lay claim to the English throne.
In 1455, when suddenly King Henry recovered from his catatonia, he helped Margaret's supporters return to power. At this time, York was unexpectedly taken into custody, as he did not suspect how far Margarita could go, and came to the meeting with only one lightly armed bodyguard. Ultimately, he was forced to take up arms, since Margaret's supporters were a serious threat to his safety.
The first military action of the Wars of the Roses was the Battle of St Albans (22 May 1455), which ended in a landslide victory for the Duke of York. York's innocent intentions at that moment were clearly visible, since he did not take any action to overthrow the king or even to assert his claims to the throne, but simply apologized for raising his hand against the sovereign and presented a list of his demands. A fragile truce was concluded for four years.
The civil war resumed in 1459. Both sides won and suffered defeats in battle until the Earl of Warwick inflicted a final defeat on the Lancastrians at the Battle of Northampton in 1460. Before the assembled lords, York declared his claim to the crown with a spectacular gesture: walking across the entire hall and imperiously placing his hand on the throne. He was able to find the strength to overcome the ensuing silence, raising his hand in a greeting gesture. Knowing full well that he might lose support if he tried to overthrow Henry, York was content to proclaim himself the king's heir. Of course, Margaret refused to accept such a compromise, because it would deprive her son Edward of the right to succession to the throne.
Gathering her troops, Margaret continued her fight against the Yorks. In December 1460, the Lancastrian army surprised Richard of York's army at Wakefield, where Richard died. Warwick was also defeated at the Second Battle of St. Albans.
York's only son Edward, already a charismatic commander by the age of 18, defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross (1461) and captured London before Margaret's troops could get there. In March 1461 he was proclaimed King Edward IV. His armies pursued Margaret and finally defeated her forces at the Battle of Towton, forcing Henry, Margaret and their son Edward to flee to Scotland.
In the court of Edward IV, factionalism undermined unity. Warwick and Edward's younger brother George, Duke of Clarence, were “predators” who sought war with France and the return of all English conquests in France. In addition, both sought to strengthen their positions at court, hoping to receive the rewards and honor that they deserved. In addition, they had another reason for a quarrel with King Edward. The king took as his wife Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who was considered by most to be unworthy to be Queen of England due to her low birth. All Warwick's attempts to conclude an alliance with France by marrying the king collapsed in an instant when he received such news, which greatly embarrassed him.
Clarence and Warwick started trouble in the north. Edward's troops were defeated and the king was captured. Edward managed to escape and gather his forces, forcing Warwick and Clarence to flee to France. There they joined forces with Margaret and returned to England to send Edward into exile. They restored Henry VI to the throne, but Edward soon returned, having made peace with his brother Clarence, who was increasingly dissatisfied with Warwick's actions. Edward's troops won a decisive victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471), capturing Margaret and Henry. Their son Edward died and Henry died in the Tower under dubious circumstances, with King Edward likely involved. Clarence caused his brother a lot of trouble and he eventually had to kill him.
After this, Edward ruled peacefully until his death in 1483. His 12-year-old son Edward became heir as Edward V, but his uncle, Edward IV's younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, usurped the throne as Richard III. Even York supporters were outraged by Richard's bold move, especially after the boy king Edward and his younger brother were imprisoned in the Tower and died there under very mysterious circumstances.
The nobles who had turned their backs on Richard III supported Henry Tudor, the Lancastrian pretender to the throne. With their help and the help of France, his troops defeated Richard's army at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Richard was killed in this battle by a crossbow bolt in a futile attack on the rebels, and Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII, the first king of the Tudor dynasty. This event marked the end of the War of the Roses. After decades of bloody civil wars, the English people were grateful for the peace and prosperity they enjoyed under King Henry VII, who reigned until 1509 when he died of tuberculosis.
What started the “Wars of the Roses”? What is the history of military operations? What is the origin of the name of this historical period? And how was the myth of the Wars of the Roses formed? Candidate of Historical Sciences Elena Brown talks about this.
At the end of the 17th century, the English throne was seized by Henry Tudor from the Lancaster family, the founder of a new royal dynasty that remained in power for a century. This was preceded by a bloody dynastic conflict between the descendants of two branches of the ancient royal family of Plantagenets - Lancaster and York, which went down in history as the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, a brief historical description of which is the topic of this article.
Symbols of the warring parties
There is a misconception that the war owes its name to roses, supposedly depicted on the coats of arms of these opposing aristocratic families. In reality they weren't there. The reason lies in the fact that, when going into battle, supporters of both parties attached a symbolic rose to their armor as a distinctive sign - Lancasters - white, and their opponents Yorks - red. Elegant and royal.
The reasons that led to bloodshed -
It is known that the War of the Scarlet and White Roses began due to the political instability that developed in England in the middle of the 15th century. Most of society expressed dissatisfaction and demanded radical changes in government. This situation was aggravated by the incapacity of the weak-minded and often completely unconscious King Henry VI of Lancaster, under whom actual power was in the hands of his wife, Queen Margaret, and her many favorites.
Start of hostilities
The leader of the opposition was Duke Richard of York. A descendant of the Plantagenets, he had, in his own opinion, certain rights to the crown. With the active participation of this representative of the White Rose party, the political confrontation soon developed into bloody clashes, in one of which, which took place in 1455 near the city of St. Albans, the Duke’s supporters completely defeated the royal troops. Thus began the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, which lasted thirty-two years and was described in the works of Thomas More and Shakespeare. A summary of their works paints us a picture of those events.
Luck is on the side of the opposition
Such a brilliant victory of Richard of York over the legitimate authority convinced members of parliament that it was better not to irritate this thug, and they declared him protector of the state, and in the event of the death of the king, heir to the throne. It is difficult to say whether the Duke would have hastened this demise or not, but in the next battle with the troops of the party opposing him, he was killed.
After the death of the instigator of the war, the opposition was led by his son, who fulfilled his father’s long-standing dream, crowned in 1461 under the name of Edward IV. Soon his troops finally crushed the resistance of the Lancastrians, once again defeating them at the Battle of Mortimer Cross.
The betrayals that the War of the Roses knew
The summary of T. More's historical work conveys the depth of despair of the deposed Henry VI and his frivolous wife. They tried to escape, and if Margaret managed to hide abroad, then her unlucky husband was captured and imprisoned in the Tower. However, it was too early for the newly made king to celebrate victory. Intrigues began in his party, caused by the ambitious claims of the aristocrats closest to him, each of whom sought to get the largest piece in the division of honors and awards.
The wounded pride and envy of some deprived Yorkers pushed them to betrayal, as a result of which the younger brother of the new king, the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick, having violated all laws of honor, went over to the side of the enemy. Having gathered a sizeable army, they rescued the unfortunate Henry VI from the Tower and returned him to the throne. It was the turn of Edward IV, who had missed the throne, to flee. He and his younger brother Gloucester safely reached Burgundy, where they were popular and had numerous supporters.
New plot twist
The War of the Roses, briefly described by the great Shakespeare, prepared an unpleasant surprise for the Lancastrians this time. The king's brother Clarence, who had so shamefully compromised himself by betrayal and returned the throne to Henry, having learned with what strong army his relative was returning to London, realized that he was in a hurry. He clearly did not want to end up on the gallows - the most suitable place for traitors, and he, having appeared at Edward’s camp, convinced him of his deep repentance.
Reunited, the brothers and their numerous supporters from the York party twice defeated the Lancastrians at Barnet and Tewkesberry. In the first battle, Warwick died, the same one who committed treason along with Clarence, but, unlike the latter, did not have time to return to his former owner. The second battle proved fatal for the crown prince. Thus, the Lancastrian dynastic line was interrupted by the War of the Scarlet and White Roses that captured England. Read on for a summary of subsequent events.
What does history tell us about the following events?
Having won, Edward IV again sent the king he had overthrown to the Tower. He returned to his familiar and previously lived-in cell, but did not stay in it for long. In the same year, his death was announced with deep sorrow. It is difficult to say whether it was natural, or whether the new overlord simply decided to save himself from possible troubles, but since then the ashes of Henry VI, abandoned during his lifetime by both his wife and his subjects, rested in a dungeon. What can you do, the royal throne can sometimes be very shaky.
Having gotten rid of his predecessor and potential rival, Edward IV ruled until 1483, when he suddenly died of unknown causes. For a short time, his son Edward took the throne, but was soon removed from power by the royal council, as doubts arose about the legitimacy of his birth. By the way, there were witnesses who claimed that his late father was not born from the Duke of York, but was the fruit of the secret love of the mother duchess and the handsome archer.
Whether it really was true or not, they didn’t get to the bottom of it, but just in case, the throne was taken away from the young heir, and the brother of the late king Richard of Gloucester, crowned under the name Richard III, was elevated to it. Fate did not have in store for him long years of quiet rule. Very soon, an open and secret opposition formed around the throne, poisoning the life of the monarch with all its might.
Return of the Scarlet Rose
Historical archives of the 15th century tell how the War of the Scarlet and White Roses subsequently developed. A brief summary of the documents stored in them indicates that the leading representatives of the Lancastrian party were able to assemble a significant army on the continent, consisting mainly of French mercenaries. Led by Henry Tudor, it landed on the coast of Britain in 1486 and began its victorious journey to London. King Richard III personally led the army that went out to meet the enemy, but died in the Battle of Bosworth.
End of the European Middle Ages
The War of the Roses in England was nearing its end. A summary of Shakespeare's account of these events recreates the picture of how, having reached the British capital without much trouble, Tudor was crowned under the name. From that time on, the Lancaster dynasty was firmly entrenched on the throne, and their reign lasted one hundred and seventeen years. The only serious attempt to overthrow the king was made in 1487 by the Earl of Lincoln, nephew of Richard III, who rebelled but was killed in the ensuing battle.
It is generally accepted that the War of the Scarlet and White Roses (1455-1487) is the final stage of the European Middle Ages. During this period, not only all direct descendants of the ancient Plantagenet family were destroyed, but most of the English knighthood. The main disasters fell on the shoulders of the common people, who in all centuries became hostages of other people's political ambitions.
War of the Scarlet and White Roses
The rivalry between the two dynasties in England resulted in a civil war that began in 1455. Since the last months of the Hundred Years' War, two branches of the Plantagenet family - York and Lancaster - have been fighting for the throne of England. The War of the Roses (York's coat of arms had a white rose, and Lancaster's had a scarlet one) put an end to the reign of the Plantagenets.
1450
England was going through difficult times. King Henry VI of Lancaster was unable to calm down the disagreements and strife between the major aristocratic families. Henry VI grew up weak-willed and sickly. Under him and his wife Margaret of Anjou, the Dukes of Somerset and Suffolk were given unlimited power.
In the spring of 1450, the loss of Normandy signaled collapse. Internecine wars are multiplying. The state is collapsing. The conviction and subsequent murder of Suffolk does not lead to peace. Jack Cad rebels in Kent and marches on London. Royal troops defeat Cad, but the anarchy continues.
The king's brother Richard, Duke of York, who was in exile in Ireland at that time, gradually strengthened his position. Returning in September 1450, he tries, with the help of Parliament, to reform the government and eliminate Somerset. In response, Henry VI dissolved Parliament. In 1453, the king lost his mind as a result of severe fright. Taking advantage of this, Richard York achieved the most important position - protector of the state. But Henry VI regained his sanity, and the Duke's position began to shake. Not wanting to give up power, Richard York gathers armed detachments of his followers.
Lancasters vs Yorks
York enters into an alliance with the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, who are armed with a strong army, which in May 1455 defeats the royal troops in the town of St. Albans. But the king again takes the initiative into his own hands for a while. He confiscates the property of York and his supporters.
York abandons the army and flees to Ireland. In October 1459, his son Edward occupied Calais, from where the Lancasters unsuccessfully tried to dislodge them. There he gathers a new army. In July 1460, the Lancastrians were defeated at Northampton. The king is in prison, and Parliament names York heir.
At this time, Margaret of Anjou, determined to defend the rights of her son, gathers her loyal subjects in the north of England. Taken by surprise by the royal army near Wakefield, York and Salisbury are killed. The Lancastrian army moves south, devastating everything in its path. Edward, the son of the Duke of York, and the Earl of Warwick, having learned about the tragedy, hastened to London, whose inhabitants joyfully greeted their army. They defeated the Lancastrians at Towton, after which Edward was crowned Edward IV.
Continuation of the war
Taking refuge in Scotland and supported by France, Henry VI still had supporters in the north of England, but they were defeated in 1464 and the king was imprisoned again in 1465. It seems that everything is over. However, Edward IV faces the same situation as Henry VI.
The Neville clan, led by the Earl of Warwick, who placed Edward on the throne, is starting a fight with Queen Elizabeth's clan. The king's brother, Duke of Clarence, is jealous of his power. Warwick and Clarence mutiny. They defeat the troops of Edward IV, and he himself is captured. But, flattered by various promises, Warwick releases the prisoner. The king does not keep his promises, and the struggle between them flares up with renewed vigor. In March 1470, Warwick and Clarence find refuge with the King of France. Louis XI, being a subtle diplomat, reconciles them with Margaret of Anjou and the House of Lancaster.
He did this so well that in September 1470, Warwick, supported by Louis XI, returned to England as a supporter of the Lancastrians. King Edward IV flees to Holland to join his son-in-law Charles the Bold. At the same time, Warwick, nicknamed the “kingmaker,” and Clarence restore Henry VI to the throne. However, in March 1471, Edward returned with an army financed by Charles the Bold. At Barnet, he wins a decisive victory - thanks to Clarence, who betrayed Warwick. Warwick is killed. The Lancastrian Southern Army is defeated at Tewkesbury. In 1471 Henry VI died (or possibly was assassinated), Edward IV returned to London.
Union of two roses
Problems arise again after the king's death in 1483. Edward's brother, Richard of Gloucester, who hates the queen and her supporters, orders the murder of the king's children in the Tower of London, and seizes the crown under the name of Richard III. This act makes him so unpopular that the Lancasters regain hope. Their distant relative was Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, son of the last of the Lancastrians and Edmond Tudor, whose father was a Welsh captain, bodyguard of Catherine of Valois (widow of Henry V), whom he married. This secret marriage explains the interference in the discord of the Welsh dynasty.
Richmond, along with the supporters of Margaret of Anjou, weaves a web of conspiracy and lands in Wales in August 1485. The decisive battle took place on August 22 at Bosworth. Betrayed by many of his circle, Richard III was assassinated. Richard ascends the throne as Henry VII, then marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. The Lancasters become related to the Yorks, the War of the Roses ends, and the king builds his power on the union of the two branches. He introduces a system of strict control of the aristocracy. After the accession of the Tudor dynasty, a new page was written in the history of England.
The content of the article
SCARLET AND WHITE ROSE WAR. The War of the Roses was an internecine feudal conflict for the English crown in the second half of the 15th century. (1455–1487) between two representatives of the English royal Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster (an image of a red rose on the coat of arms) and York (an image of a white rose on the coat of arms), which eventually brought to power the new royal dynasty of the Tudors in England.
Prerequisites for war. Lancastrian rule.
A liberation movement began in France under the leadership of Joan of Arc, as a result of which the Hundred Years' War was lost by the British, in whose hands the only port of Calais on the French coast remained.
After the defeat and expulsion from France, the hopes of the feudal nobility of England to gain new lands “overseas” were completely lost.
Rebellion of 1450 led by Jack Cad.
In 1450, a major uprising broke out in Kent under the leadership of one of the Duke of York's vassals, Jack Cad. The popular movement was caused by rising taxes, failures in the Hundred Years' War, disruption of trade and increased oppression by the English feudal lords. On June 2, 1450, the rebels entered London and presented a number of demands to the government. One of the rebels' demands was the inclusion of the Duke of York in the royal council. The government made concessions and, when the rebels left London, the royal troops treacherously attacked them and subjected the rebels to beatings. Jack Cad was killed on June 12, 1450. The first stage of the war. Reign of York (1461–1470). After the suppression of Jack Cad's uprising, a wave of hatred and indignation towards the ruling Lancastrian dynasty swept across England. Taking advantage of this, the Duke of York ensured that in 1454 he was appointed regent under the mentally ill King Henry VI. However, the Lancasters managed to remove the Duke of York from the regency of the King of England.
In response to this, the Duke of York gathered an army of his supporters and gave battle to the king near St. Oblens. The Lancastrian supporters were defeated by the Yorks and were forced to recognize Richard of York as the heir of King Henry VI. However, already in 1457, Queen of England Margaret of Anjou (wife of the mentally ill King Henry VI), with the help of France, regained power in the kingdom.
The Duke of York's closest associate, the Earl of Warwick, defeats the French fleet that supports the Lancastrians and strengthens the port of Calais on the continent.
Following this victory, Richard of York was defeated in 1459 by the Lancastrian troops. Having surrendered to them the fortified citadel of Ledlow after a bloody assault, he retreated to the north of England. However, in the summer of 1460, the Earl of Warwick captured London and moved his troops to Northampton, where on July 10 he completely defeated the army of King Henry VI, taking the latter prisoner.
In December 1460, the Lancastrian army besieged the city of Wakefield, where the Duke of York was located and, ambushing him, destroyed his detachment. Duke Richard of York died in battle. Supporters of the Scarlet Rose dealt harshly with the vanquished, executing Edmund, the son of the Duke of York, the brother of the Earl of Warwick, and others, and the severed head of the Duke of York himself with a paper crown on his head was displayed on one of the walls of the city of York.
The head of the York party was the son of the murdered Richard of York, Edward. Already at the beginning of 1461, he defeated the Lancastrians twice, captured London and proclaimed himself King Edward IV. The deposed King Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower. Edward IV managed to seize power into his own hands for a long time (1461–1470). Unwilling to share power with his recent ally Earl of Warwick and other members of his own family and the York party, Edward lost his supporters, some of whom went over to the Lancastrian side.
Second stage of the war. Reign of York 1470–1483.
In 1470, the Earl of Warwick recaptured London, freed Henry VI from captivity and announced the return of the English throne to him. Edward IV fled to the Netherlands, and the Lancastrians retook power in England.
However, in 1471 Edward IV returned to England and defeated the army of the Earl of Warwick in the battle of Barnet. The Duke of Gloucester, the younger brother of Edward IV, the future king Richard III, distinguished himself in this battle. The Earl of Warwick himself died on the battlefield at the hands of the Duke of Gloucester. Then, at the Battle of Tewkesberry, Edward IV defeated the army of Prince Edward, the son of Henry VI. Prince Edward, like the Earl of Warwick, died during the battle, and Henry VI was again imprisoned in the Tower and killed there (presumably by the Duke of Gloucester). Edward IV regains the English crown. Having established himself on the throne, the king confiscated all the possessions of Lancastrian supporters and distributed the land to feudal lords loyal to him, and established trade that had been disrupted during the turmoil.
Soon, fighting began in the York family. In 1483, Edward IV died, and his brother Richard III seized power, killing his nephews - the children of Edward VI. The York party split.
The third stage of the war. Accession of the Tudors.
Supporters of the family of King Edward IV united with the remnants of the Lancastrian party and went on the offensive against Richard III, who had usurped power. On August 22, 1485, a general battle took place near the Bosfort between the army of Richard III and the Lancastrian troops, mostly consisting of French mercenaries. The troops of the anti-royal coalition were commanded by Henry Tudor, who was related to the Lancastrians. During the battle, the troops of Richard III were defeated, and he himself died on the battlefield. Henry Tudor immediately proclaims himself king of England under the name of Henry VII. He married the daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth of York, thereby uniting both warring parties.
Feudal unrest was of great importance in the further political development of England. The era of the country's feudal Middle Ages came to an end. During a bloody civil war, most of the old feudal nobility destroyed each other. The reign of the new royal dynasty of the Tudors finally took the form of absolutism.
