War of the Scarlet and White Roses - 1455-85, internecine war in England, for the throne between two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). The death in the war of the main representatives of both dynasties and a significant part of the nobility facilitated the establishment of Tudor absolutism.

The Wars of Roses (1455-85), bloody internecine conflicts between feudal cliques in England, which took the form of a struggle for the throne between two lines of the Plantagenet royal dynasty: the Lancasters (in the coat of arms there is a scarlet rose) and the Yorks (in the coat of arms White Rose).

Causes of the war.

The causes of the war were the difficult economic situation of England (the crisis of large patrimonial farming and the fall in its profitability), the defeat of England in the Hundred Years' War (1453), which deprived the feudal lords of the opportunity to plunder the lands of France; the suppression of Jack Cad's rebellion in 1451 (see Cad Jack's rebellion) and with it the forces opposed to feudal anarchy. The Lancasters relied mainly on the barons of the backward north, Wales and Ireland, the Yorks - on the feudal lords of the economically more developed southeast of England. The middle nobility, merchants and wealthy townspeople, interested in the free development of trade and crafts, the elimination of feudal anarchy and the establishment of firm power, supported the Yorks.

Under the weak-minded king Henry VI Lancaster (1422-61), the country was ruled by a clique of several large feudal lords, which aroused discontent among the rest of the population. Taking advantage of this discontent, Richard, Duke of York, gathered his vassals around him and went with them to London. At the Battle of St. Albans on May 22, 1455, he defeated the supporters of the Scarlet Rose. Soon removed from power, he again rebelled and declared his claims to the English throne. With an army of his followers, he won victories over the enemy at Bloor Heath (September 23, 1459) and North Hampton (July 10, 1460); during the latter, he captured the king, after which he forced the upper house to recognize himself as protector of the state and heir to the throne. But Queen Margaret, wife of Henry VI, and her followers unexpectedly attacked him at Wakefield (December 30, 1460). Richard was completely defeated and fell in battle. His enemies cut off his head and displayed it on the wall of York wearing a paper crown. His son Edward, with the support of the Earl of Warwick, defeated the supporters of the Lancastrian dynasty at Mortimers Cross (February 2, 1461) and Towton (March 29, 1461). Henry VI was deposed; he and Margaret fled to Scotland. The winner became King Edward IV.

Edward IV.

However, the war continued. In 1464, Edward IV defeated Lancastrian supporters in the north of England. Henry VI was captured and imprisoned in the Tower. Edward IV's desire to strengthen his power and limit the freedoms of the feudal nobility led to an uprising of his former supporters, led by Warwick (1470). Edward fled England, Henry VI was restored to the throne in October 1470. In 1471, Edward IV at Barnet (April 14) and Tewkesbury (May 4) defeated the army of Warwick and the army of Henry VI's wife Margaret, who landed in England with the support of the French king Louis XI. Warwick was killed, Henry VI was again deposed in April 1471 and died (presumably killed) in the Tower on May 21, 1471.

End of the war.

After the victory, in order to strengthen his power, Edward IV began brutal reprisals against both representatives of the Lancastrian dynasty and the rebellious Yorks and their supporters. After the death of Edward IV on April 9, 1483, the throne passed to his young son Edward V, but power was seized by Edward IV's younger brother, the future king Richard III, who first declared himself protector of the young king, and then deposed him and ordered him to be strangled in the Tower along with his younger brother. brother Richard (August (?) 1483). Attempts by Richard III to consolidate his power caused revolts by feudal magnates. Executions and confiscations of property turned supporters of both groups against him. Both dynasties, Lancastrian and York, united around Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrians, who lived in France at the court of King Charles VIII. On 7 or 8 August 1485, Henry landed at Milford Haven, marched unopposed through Wales and joined forces with his supporters. Richard III was defeated by their combined army at the Battle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485; he himself was killed. Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty, became king. Having married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth, heiress of York, he combined scarlet and white roses in his coat of arms.

Results of the war.

The War of the Scarlet and White Roses was the last rampant of feudal anarchy before the establishment of absolutism in England. It was carried out with terrible cruelty and was accompanied by numerous murders and executions. Both dynasties were exhausted and died in the struggle. For the population of England, the war brought strife, oppression of taxes, theft of the treasury, the lawlessness of large feudal lords, a decline in trade, outright robberies and requisitions. During the wars, a significant part of the feudal aristocracy was exterminated, and numerous confiscations of land holdings undermined its power. At the same time, land holdings increased and the influence of the new nobility and merchant class, which became the support of Tudor absolutism, increased.

Causes of the war

The cause of the war was the dissatisfaction of a significant part of English society with the failures in the Hundred Years' War and the policies pursued by the wife of King Henry VI, Queen Margaret and her favorites (the king himself was a weak-willed person, moreover, sometimes falling into complete unconsciousness). The opposition was led by Duke Richard of York, who first demanded a regency over the incompetent king, and later the English crown. The basis for this claim was that Henry VI was the great-grandson of John of Gaunt - the third son of King Edward III, and York was the great-grandson of Lionel - the second son of this king (in the female line, in the male line he was the grandson of Edmund - the fourth son of Edward III), In addition, Henry VI's grandfather, Henry IV, seized the throne in 1945, forcibly forcing King Richard II to abdicate - which made the legitimacy of the entire Lancaster dynasty questionable.

Origin of Scarlet and White Roses

The frequent statement that the Scarlet Rose was the coat of arms of Lancaster and the White Rose was the coat of arms of York is incorrect. As great-great-grandsons of Edward III, the heads of both parties had very similar coats of arms. Henry VI wore the Plantagenet family coat of arms (consisting of the coats of arms of England - three leopards on a scarlet field and France - three lilies on a blue field), and the Duke of York - the same coat of arms, only with a superimposed title. The roses were not coats of arms, but distinctive badges (badges) of two warring parties. It is not known exactly who used them for the first time. If the White Rose, symbolizing the Virgin Mary, was used as a distinctive sign by the first Duke of York Edmund Langley in the 14th century, then nothing is known about the use of Scarlet by the Lancastrians before the start of the war. Perhaps it was invented to contrast with the emblem of the enemy. Shakespeare, in his chronicle Henry VI, cites a scene (probably fictional) in which the Dukes of York and Somerset, who had quarreled in London's Temple Garden, invited their supporters to pick a white and a red rose, respectively.

Main events of the war

The confrontation reached the stage of open war when the Yorkists celebrated victory at the First Battle of St. Albans, shortly after which the English Parliament declared Richard York protector of the kingdom and heir to Henry VI. However, in the Battle of Wakefield, Richard York died. The White Rose Party was led by his son Edward, who was crowned Edward IV in London. In the same year, the Yorkists won victories at Mortimer Cross and Towton. As a result of the latter, the main forces of the Lancastrians were defeated, and King Henry VI and Queen Margaret fled the country (the king was soon caught and imprisoned in the Tower).

Active fighting resumed when the Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence (the younger brother of Edward IV), who had gone over to the Lancastrian side, returned Henry VI to the throne. Edward IV and his other brother, the Duke of Gloucester, fled to Burgundy, from where they returned to. The Duke of Clarence again went over to his brother's side - and the Yorkists won victories at Barnet and Tewkesberry. In the first of these battles, the Earl of Warwick was killed, in the second, Prince Edward, the only son of Henry VI, was killed, which, together with the death (probably murder) of Henry himself that followed in the Tower that same year, became the end of the Lancastrian dynasty.

Edward IV - the first king of the York dynasty - reigned peacefully until his death, which followed unexpectedly for everyone in 1483, when his son Edward V became king for a short time. However, the royal council declared him illegitimate (the late king was a great lover of women and, in addition to his official wife, was secretly engaged to one or more women; in addition, Thomas More and Shakespeare mention rumors circulating in society that Edward himself was the son not of the Duke of York, but of a common archer), and Edward IV's brother Richard of Gloucester was crowned the same year as Richard III. His short and dramatic reign was filled with struggles against open and hidden opposition. In this fight, the king was initially favored by luck, but the number of opponents only increased. Lancastrian forces (mostly French mercenaries) led by Henry Tudor (the great-great-grandson of John of Gaunt on the female side) landed in Wales. At the Battle of Bosworth, Richard III was killed and the crown passed to Henry Tudor, who was crowned Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty. The Earl of Lincoln (nephew of Richard III) tried to return the crown to York, but was killed at the Battle of Stoke Field. Hugh de Lanois was also executed with abuse.

Results of the war

The War of the Roses actually brought an end to the English Middle Ages. On the battlefields, scaffolds and in prison casemates, not only all the direct descendants of the Plantagenets perished, but also a significant part of the English lords and knighthood.

Notes

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This term has other meanings, see English Civil War. War of the Roses Presentation of an unreliable story ... Wikipedia War of the Scarlet and White Roses - The War of the Scarlet and White Roses...

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War of the Scarlet and White Roses Date 1455 1485 Place England Result Victory of the Lancastrians and their minions. Liquidation of the Middle Ages in England... Wikipedia A long (1455 85) internecine war of feudal cliques, which took the form of a struggle for the English throne between two lines of the royal Plantagenet dynasty (See Plantagenet): Lancaster (See Lancaster) (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York... ...

Great Soviet Encyclopedia War of the Scarlet and White Roses - (1455 1485) fight for English. the throne between two lateral lines of queens, the Plantagenet dynasty Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). The confrontation between the Lancasters (the ruling dynasty) and the Yorks (the richest... ... Medieval world

in terms, names and titles 1455 85 internecine war in England, for the throne between two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty, Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). The death in the war of the main representatives of both dynasties and a significant part of the nobility made it easier... ...

Big Encyclopedic Dictionary Scarlet and White Roses, war - (Roses, Wars of the) (1455 85), an internecine feud, a war that resulted in a protracted struggle for the English throne, lasted, flaring up and then dying out, for 30 years. Its reason was the rivalry between two contenders for the English throne of Edmund Beaufort... ...

The World History WAR OF THE SCARLET AND WHITE ROSE 1455 85, internecine war for the English throne between the royal dynasties (Plantagenet branches) of Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). During the war, the Lancastrians (1399 1461) ceded power... ...

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• Books R L Stevenson The Black Arrow Tale of the Two Roses English with R L Stevenson The Black Arrow A Tale from the War of the Scarlet and White Roses In 2 parts, a set of 2 books, Bessonov A.. Everything that Dick Shelton has in his, is a faithful horse, a sharp sword, a warm, brave heart and a couple of friends faithful to the memory of his father. It’s not so little to fight for what’s worthy...

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The Wars of Roses

WAR OF THE SCARLET AND WHITE ROSE.

THE WAR OF THE ROSE (The Wars of Roses) (1455-85), bloody internecine conflicts between feudal cliques in England, which took the form of a struggle for the throne between two lines of the Plantagenet royal dynasty: the Lancasters (in the coat of arms there is a scarlet rose) and the Yorks (in the coat of arms White Rose).

Causes:

The causes of the war were the difficult economic situation of England (the crisis of the large patrimonial economy and the fall in its profitability), the defeat of England in the Hundred Years' War (1453), which deprived the feudal lords of the opportunity to plunder the lands of France; the suppression of Jack Cad's rebellion in 1451 (see Cad Jack's rebellion) and with it the forces opposed to feudal anarchy. The Lancasters relied mainly on the barons of the backward north, Wales and Ireland, the Yorks - on the feudal lords of the economically more developed southeast of England. The middle nobility, merchants and wealthy townspeople, interested in the free development of trade and crafts, the elimination of feudal anarchy and the establishment of firm power, supported the Yorks.

Progress of the war:

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.

Consequences:

The War of the Scarlet and White Roses was the last rampant of feudal anarchy before the establishment of absolutism in England. It was carried out with terrible cruelty and was accompanied by numerous murders and executions. Both dynasties were exhausted and died in the struggle. For the population of England, the war brought strife, oppression of taxes, theft of the treasury, the lawlessness of large feudal lords, a decline in trade, outright robberies and requisitions. During the wars, a significant part of the feudal aristocracy was exterminated, and numerous confiscations of land holdings undermined its power. At the same time, land holdings increased and the influence of the new nobility and merchant class, which became the support of Tudor absolutism, increased.

In the second half of the 15th century, Great Britain was shaken by a terrible Civil War between supporters of the two branches of the ruling Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster and York. Since, going into battle, Lancastrian supporters attached to their armor scarlet rose, and the symbol of York was White flower, behind the bloody events of 1455-85 light hand Walter Scott stuck poetic title"War of the Scarlet and White Roses"

Background and causes of the conflict

Henry V Lancaster ruled Great Britain from 1413-22. He was one of greatest commanders of his time and a talented ruler. Like his predecessors, Henry V fought the French on the fields of the Hundred Years' War. In this matter, Henry V achieved great success. He not only included part of the French possessions in his state and married the French princess Catherine of Valois, but also insisted that in the future his and Catherine’s son would become the king of both powers.

However, fate played with the English king cruel joke. At the age of 35, he died of illness, and his heir, Henry VI, who received the throne at the age of one, became an adult and found himself not only deprived of his father’s talents, but also mentally ill.

Henry VI was rapidly losing control of the French lands where troops under the leadership of Joan of Arc were operating. In 1453, the Hundred Years' War ended with the loss of all English possessions on the continent, with the exception of the city of Calais. However, the internal affairs of the mad king were not much better. After defeat in the Hundred Years' War, the nobles decided that Henry VI, whose mental health was in last years has seriously deteriorated and is in need of a regent. It was decided to make the king’s cousin, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, such. This proposal greatly frightened the queen, Margaret of Anjou, who believed that Richard would push her and Henry’s son, Edward, away from the throne. During periods of her husband's madness, the country was ruled by Margarita herself - an educated and powerful woman, however, she was not very popular among the British. Therefore, Margaret’s protests did not meet with support from the nobles (by that time a powerful party of large feudal lords had formed around the Duke of York) and Richard Plantagenet received the title of protector.

By 1455, Henry VI's condition had improved significantly and he decided to return to independent rule. Margaret insisted that the York party be expelled from the Great Royal Council. The Duke of York was not ready to give up his high title, so, having enlisted the support of the powerful Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, he gathered an army to regain the throne by force.

Thus, the causes of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses were:

• the results of the Hundred Years' War, which not only led to economic collapse, but also greatly affected the authority of the royal power;
• peasant uprisings 1450-51;
• the attitude of the British towards the Frenchwoman Margaret of Anjou;
• political instability associated with the health of the English king;
• the crisis of patrimonial land ownership caused by outdated feudal orders;
• the presence of different branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fighting for power.

In a broader sense, the War of the Roses was not just a clash between different representatives royal family, but rather between two ways of life and economic systems. The ruling king and his wife were supported by the northern barons - staunch conservatives, whose possessions were located in the most economically backward region of the country, and residents of the economically developed southeast of England - merchants, artisans and the most progressive nobles - spoke for York.

Course of events

The first military clash between the Yorks and the Lancastrians took place in May 1455 at St. Albans. The army of Henry VI turned out to be smaller and weaker, so the victory remained with the White Rose. Many high-ranking Lancastrian supporters fell in this battle. The victory allowed the head of the White Rose to declare himself Lord High Constable of England and heir to Henry VI. Minor skirmishes between the two parties continued until 1460, when the Yorks inflicted a crushing defeat on the Lancastrians at Northampton. The king was captured by the Yorks, so Richard York was able to enter London unhindered. However, the fight was continued by Margaret of Anjou, who escaped captivity. Through her efforts, the Lancastrian supporters managed to defeat the Yorks at Wakefield that same year. In this battle, Richard York died without receiving the coveted English crown.

After the death of the Duke of York, his eldest son, Edward, became the head of the White Rose. In 1461, the new king inflicted several defeats on the Lancastrians. The largest was the Battle of Towton, as a result of which Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower, and Margaret of Anjou and her son were forced to flee the country. After the victory, Edward York was crowned in London under the name of Edward IV, bypassing the legal heir to the throne. By decree of the new king, the Lancasters themselves and their supporters were declared traitors.

However, Edward IV could not find mutual language about your subjects. The king was distinguished by a tough character, which led to the fact that many of his supporters chose to go to the Lancastrian camp. Among the defectors were the king’s younger brother, the Duke of Clarence, and the experienced intriguer Earl of Warwick, whom his contemporaries gave him the nickname “kingmaker.”

In 1470, the Lancastrians, having secured the support of new allies, opposed Edward IV. The young king was driven to Burgundy. Meanwhile, Warwick managed to free Henry VI and return him to his former place. The Lancastrian king, whose mental state was completely shaken by that time, did not participate in any way in government affairs, the powerful Earl of Warwick had real power at court. The “Kingmaker” planned in the future to replace the mad king from the Lancaster family with his younger brother, George. To achieve this, Earl Warwick carried out yet another intrigue: having provoked the Lancastrian opponents into yet another action, he convinced Henry VI to set out on an obviously failed punitive campaign. The king fell into a trap and the cunning count took him to one of his castles, supposedly for protection. In fact, to take prisoner. Henry VI realized too late that his former ally had betrayed him, but there was nothing he could do.

Meanwhile, Edward IV raised a new army, made peace with the Duke of Clarence and renewed the fight for the throne. In 1471, he managed to inflict several serious defeats on the Lancastrians. In one of them the Earl of Warwick was killed. But the real disaster awaited the Lancasters near Tewkesbury. After the battle, this place was called the “bloody meadow.” In this battle, not only almost all Lancastrian supporters were destroyed, but also the only heir of Henry VI - Prince Edward. Margaret of Anjou and the young widow of the prince who died on the battlefield were captured by Edward IV. Henry VI outlived his son by only a few days. Shortly after the York victory in the “bloody meadow,” it was announced that Henry VI Lancaster had died of grief upon learning of the death of his son. Both historians and contemporaries of those events had every reason not to believe in the version that explained the death of the former king by natural causes. It is likely that Edward IV decided to get rid of the last legitimate contender for the English crown.

For some time, relative calm reigned in England. But in 1483 Edward IV of York died. By law, the throne was inherited by his young son under the name of Edward V of York. However, this decision was opposed by the boy’s uncle, Richard Gloucester, one of the younger brothers of the deceased king. He declared his brother's sons illegitimate and ordered that the boys be sent to the Tower. Historians know nothing more about their further fate. Apparently, the princes were killed and secretly buried on the orders of their uncle. So Richard III of Gloucester became the new English king. The new king set about establishing internal order, however, he had to face strong opposition in the form of the Yorks and the seemingly completely broken Lancasters.

The strength to resist returned to the Scarlet Rose camp after it was led by Henry Tudor, the grandson of Catherine of Valois and nephew of Henry VI. After the death of Henry V, Catherine Valois remained a young woman, so she soon began a secret affair with a Welsh nobleman, Owen Tudor. From this relationship the couple had six children, including the father of Henry Tudor.

In August 1485, Henry Tudor, who lived almost his entire life in France, set out with his army across the English Channel and landed on the English coast. Richard III met him on Bosworth Field. During the battle, many nobles left the camp of Richard III, running over to his enemy. The king himself was killed and Henry VII Tudor was proclaimed the new ruler of England. In 1487, one of Richard's nephews of Gloucester attempted to overthrow Henry VII from the throne, but the attempt failed. Thus, the civil war in England ended with the nominal victory of the Scarlet Rose, but in fact with the suppression of the Plantagenet dynasty.

Results of the War of the Roses in England

Henry VII managed to establish peace in the country. He married the daughter of Edward IV, as if uniting the Scarlet and White Roses together. However, the war ended, rather, due to the fact that the country was completely drained of blood, and from the huge noble clans only their most insignificant representatives remained, incapable of a serious struggle for power. The thirty-year conflict led to a number of varied consequences:

• establishment of Tudor power;
• complete extermination of the oldest and most distinguished English noble families. Although the Scarlet and White Roses were represented by compatriots, many of whom were related, the clashes between the two sides were marked by great bloodshed. The noble clans were slaughtered completely, including women, old people and children. No one was taken prisoner, the enemy was destroyed in the bud;
• England's complete renunciation of claims to French lands;
• the strengthening of the merchant class, which replaced the nobility and became the main social support of the Tudors.

The tragic events of the 15th century, replete with almost detective plot twists, became a source of inspiration for many authors: William Shakespeare with his plays “Henry VI” and “Richard III”, Walter Scott and George Martin.

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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. Summary their works paint 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 didn’t want to end up on the gallows - the most suitable place for traitors - and when he came to Edward’s camp, he 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 didn't have it in store for him either. for long years calm reign. 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.