kjkr revision Flashcards
Why was there little chance of the Barons getting justice from King John?
John was the highest authority. There was no democracy, no ministers etc. Furthermore, John was a constant presence in England between 1205 and 14, which meant that it was impossible for the Barons to blame anyone but him for his actions.
What did the plot of 1212 involve?
The plot of 1212 came about because it was not possible to blame anyone but John for the negative way the Barons were being treated. Llewelyn ap lorwerth joined with Eustace de Vesci and Robert Fitz Walter over a number of grievances towards John’s behaviour. Following the plot, John did relax his behaviour a bit, including his demands for taxes and this was also a prompt for him to make peace with the Pope.
How did the Battle of Bouvines in Normandy in 1214 increase the anger felt towards John?
He is believed to have spent £135,000 on his campaign to win back land in France. A large part of this had been gathered through a scutage, the 11th of his reign. There had only been 11 scutages in total during the 44 years before John was King! He relied heavily on an ally, Otto IV of the Holy Roman Empire, he was badly defeated. John returned to England with nothing to show for the cost of the campaign.
What was the overall impact of the failure to regain Normandy?
Most historians believe that the cost of the scutage and the defeat were the main causes of the Baron’s rebellion of 1215. He got the nickname “softsword”, he had permanently lost any money he could hope to collect from Normandy and he could not reward his Barons with any land in France for their service to him.
Timeline of the build-up to the Barons Rebellion of 1215
1214
John arrived back from Normandy to find a group of rebellious rebels had formed under the leadership of Eustace de Vesci, William de Mowbray and Roger de Montbegon
Timeline of the build-up to the Barons Rebellion of 1215
November 1214
Barons gathered at St. Edmunds and promised rebellion if John did not agree to the terms of the coronation charter which had been granted by Henry I. This charter guaranteed fair laws and rights for free Englishmen.
Timeline of the build-up to the Barons Rebellion of 1215
1215 -
In January, John met a Barons council in London and delayed his decision on the Charter until April, during which time he “took the cross”. This meant the Barons were obliged by the Pope to not take any action that would prevent John going on a Crusade, including a rebellion.
Timeline of the build-up to the Barons Rebellion of 1215
April 1215
After trying to stall the rebellion further by sending William Marshall and Stephen Langton to negotiate with the rebels, talks broke down and the rebellion began properly!
William Marshall as Lord Protector
Marshall arranged, quickly, the crowning of Henry III in Gloucester, as London was under the control of the rebel Barons. Henry paid homage to the Pope, which was crucial as it put England under the protection of the Church. This meant that Prince Louis did not have the blessing of the Church and therefore had no real case for starting a fresh argument with King Henry, apart from the fact he was John’s son. Marshall was then supported in running the country by an arrival of a representative of the Pope. The presence of this person meant that no churchman would risk defying the Pope by crowning Prince Louis as the rightful King of England. One of Marshall’s first acts was to reissue the Magna Carta. By 1217, Marshall had taken back control of areas such as Lincoln and London and Prince Louis had returned to France.
what happened on may the 5th 1215
the rebels took the drastic step of going back on their oaths of fealty (loyalty) to John. Despite this, it appears they were keen to not fight a Civil War. John outnumbered them in terms of men and castles. He also had the support of William Marshall, the most powerful Baron. It appears the rebels simply wanted to limit John’s power.
