The personal rule of Edward IV Flashcards
The first years
The first years of Edwards’s reign were dominated by consolidating his authority in the North and crushing Lancastrian opposition
Edward did not personally take part in any campaigns in the North and left it to Warwick and Lord Montagu
In 1461 they slowly took control of Northumberland with the surrender of Alnwick and Dunstanburgh
Lord Montagu
25th April 1464 at The Battle of Hedgeley Moor Montague defeats Somerset’s army
15th May 1464 at the Battle of Hexham Montague defeated the Lancastrians
Somerset, Lord Roos and other leading Lancastrians were executed
Montagu had put an end to the Lancastrian resistance in the North
Margaret of Anjou
Margaret was the biggest threat to Edward in the early years of his reign
She began negotiating with Louis XI for support
On the 24th of June 1462, they settled on the secret agreement of Chinon
Louis would grant Margaret aid in return for the stronghold of Calais
However, Louis couldn’t take control of Calais without going through the powerful Duke of Burgundy
His Enthusiasm diminished and Margaret’s force only numbered 800 men
The ending of Lancastrian resistance
How did Edwards’s tactic change in 1463?
Edwards’s tactic in 1463 changed from military operations to diplomatic operations
He realised the best way to defeat the Lancastrian was to cut off support from foreign powers
Edward agreed to a truce with Louis in October 1463 where the French king agreed he would no longer support the Lancastrians
Diplomatic efforts were also successful in Scotland in December 1463