EP: Why was Edward IV able to beat the Lancastrians in 1471 Flashcards
1
Q
Introduction
A
Introduction:
- October 1470- Warwick, Margaret of Anjou and Clarence reinstate Henry VI to the throne- Edward in to exile
- 14th April 1471- Battle of Barnet and deaths of Warwick and Montagu
- 4th May 1471- Battle of Tewkesbury and deaths of Somerset and Prince Edward
- 21 May 1471- Edward reinstated and Henry VI murdered in the tower
- Lancastrian disunity is the most important reason
2
Q
3 paragraphs for the question “Reasons why Edward IV was successful in defeating the Lancastrians in 1471 “
A
- Lancastrian disunity
- Good fortune
- Edward’s leadership and skill
3
Q
All of Lancastrian disunity
A
- Cook: “An uneasy alliance between Warwick, Clarence and the lancastrians.”
- Best example is Clarence’s defection on 3rd April 1471 at Banbury- Edward gains momentum and 5-7,000 men
- Pollard: “The decisive moment occurred when Clarence… threw his lot in with Edward”
- Percy, a diehard Lancastrian, did not attack Edward when he landed in Yorkshire, probably because Edward reinstated him as Earl of Northumberland in 1470
- Warwick and Margaret of Anjou publically reconciled on 22nd July 1470 at Angers in France, Neville-Lancastrian alliance cemented by marriage of Prince Edward of Lancaster (Margaret’s son) and Anne Neville (Warwick’s daughter)
- Warwick was not trusted, Duke of Somerset, Earl of Devon, Jasper Tudor were not present at Barnet
- Edward able to march South as it was not clear who should engage
- Margaret of Anjou’s late arrival mean Lancastrians never fight on a united front. Warwick’s forces at Barnet, Margaret’s forces at Tewkesbury
- Earl of Devon did not engage for the Lancastrians at Tewkesbury
- BUT: Some may be attributed to fortune, such as Margaret’s late arrival
4
Q
All of Good fortune
A
- If Edward had landed in East Anglia as originally envisaged, he would have not been able to make such rapid progress towards London
- Gillingham: “Edward was undeniably lucky”
- Landing in Yorkshire was a huge gamble as Percy or montagu could have moved against him. (Fortunate for Lancastrian disunity)
- Most significantly, storms in the channel delayed Margaret’s arrival as they landed on the same day as the battle of Barnet and Warwick’s death
- If she arrived earlier, her forces and others who would have rallied to her side would have surely overwhelmed Edward
- Battle of Barnet was also undeniably fortunate as mist and fog meant that once Oxford had swept through Hastings and his men, they accidently started firing on Montagu. Aswell, everyone thought Exeter had died so the Lancastrian army disintegrated
- Gravett (On Barnet): “shouts of betrayal ran through the Lancastrian ranks”
BUT: Lancastrian disunity may be attributed to Edward’s fortunate landing and partly the battle of Barnet
5
Q
All of Edward’s leadership and skill
A
- Pollard: “Edward displayed strategic and tactical brilliance”
- Arguably what some attribute to luck, was in fact Edward’s skill and tactics as with the landing in Yorkshire
- Gaining the support of Charles the Bold, Gloucester and Hastings was crucial
- Hid his true identity on arrival and only revealed the royal banner when he reached Warwick Castle (Clever tactic or good fortune)
- Clarence’s defection may be attributed to Edward’s skill as as he corresponded with him before the 1471 campaign- More attributed to Lancastrian disunity
– Showed good tactics at Barnet where he took advantage of the confused situation when cries of treachery filled the air. Also showed skill at Tewkesbury with the 200 mounted spearmen he left in a nearby wooded area able to later crash into Somerset’s flank, forcing him to flee - Successful in reaching London quickly and avoiding Warwick and Montagu
- Successfully repels Thomas Neville’s, Bastard of Fauconberg, attack on London (14th May 1471). Edward later captures him and executed him in September 1471
BUT: Percy’s failure to engage with Edward once he landed prevented Montagu from intercepting Edward as he marched South - Without Clarence’s defection or considerable luck in the spreading of the Lancastrian forces, he would not have won both battles
6
Q
Conclusion
A
Conclusion:
- Whilst, Edward’s skill was crucial in enabling him some chance at retaking his throne, the numerical disadvantage could not have been overcome without disunity amongst the Lancastrian ranks and fortune in the channel and on the battlefield
- Had the Lancastrians united in 1471 and not fought Edward on seperate fronts at separate occasions he would have undoubtedly been overwhelmed, therefore Lancastrian disunity most important
7
Q
2 quotes on Lancastrian disunity
A
- Cook: “An uneasy alliance between Warwick, Clarence and the Lancastrians.”
- Pollard: “The decisive moment occurred when Clarence… threw his lot in with Edward”
8
Q
2 Quotes on good fortune
A
- Gillingham: “Edward was undeniably lucky”
- Gravett (On Barnet): “shouts of betrayal ran through the Lancastrian ranks”
9
Q
Quote on Edward’s leadership and skill
A
- Pollard: “Edward displayed strategic and tactical brilliance”
10
Q
Where and when was Clarence’s defection
A
- Best example of Lancastrian disunity is Clarence’s defection on 3rd April 1471 at Banbury- Edward gains momentum and 5-7,000 men
- Pollard: “The decisive moment occurred when Clarence… threw his lot in with Edward”
11
Q
Disunity evident when Edward landed in 1470
A
- Percy, a diehard Lancastrian, did not attack Edward when he landed in Yorkshire, probably because Edward reinstated him as Earl of Northumberland in 1470
12
Q
Who was not present at Barnet
A
- Margaret of Anjou, Prince Edward, Duke of Somerset, Earl of Devon, Jasper Tudor were not present at Barnet
13
Q
Who fought against Edward at Barnet and Tewkesbury
A
- Edward able to march South as it was not clear who should engage
- Margaret of Anjou’s late arrival mean Lancastrians never fight on a united front. Warwick’s forces at Barnet, Margaret’s forces at Tewkesbury
- Earl of Devon did not engage for the Lancastrians at Tewkesbury
14
Q
Where was Edward originally going to land and what would the problem of this have been
A
- If Edward had landed in East Anglia as originally envisaged, he would have not been able to make such rapid progress towards London
15
Q
Why was landing in Yorkshire a gamble
A
- Landing in Yorkshire was a huge gamble as Percy or montagu could have moved against him. (Fortunate for Lancastrian disunity)
