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106-537: Carentan is close to the sites of the medieval Battle of Formigny of the Hundred Years' War . The town is also likely the site of the historical references to the ancient Gallic port of Crociatonum (documented by Roman sources), a possession of the Unelli (or Veneli or also Venelli) tribe (Greek: Οὐένελοι) situated on the river Douve slightly inland from the beaches at Normandy. The gently sloping terrain in

212-482: A Yorkist army at the Battle of Edgcote . Edward was allowed to resume his rule after Warwick failed to replace him with his brother George of Clarence . Within a year, Warwick launched an invasion of England alongside Henry VI's wife Margaret of Anjou . Edward fled to Flanders , and Henry VI was restored as king in 1470. Edward mounted a counter-invasion with aid from Burgundy a few months later, and killed Warwick at

318-422: A claim to the throne based upon the principle that the son of the heir apparent (Edward, in this case) had priority in the line of succession over his uncles. Thus, Richard had a superior claim to the throne than his much older uncles: John, Edmund and Thomas. However, Richard was a minor; had no siblings; and his three living uncles (at the time of Edward III's death) were politically powerful and ambitious, so there

424-408: A client kingdom of France, was derided and rejected by Parliament, which was predominately controlled by the knights fighting the war. Richard decided to negotiate a de facto peace directly with Charles without seeking Parliament's approval and agreed to marry his six-year-old daughter, Isabella of Valois . Richard used the interim peace to punish his political rivals. In 1397, he took his revenge on

530-460: A close ally of Henry's wife, Margaret of Anjou. Margaret herself wielded almost complete control over the pliable king Henry, and her close friendship with Somerset led many to suspect the two were having an affair; indeed, upon the birth of Henry and Margaret's son, Edward of Westminster in 1453, there were widespread rumours that Somerset was the father. On 15 April 1450, the English suffered

636-532: A collection of all the individuals to whom a lord had gathered for service, and came to be one of the most fundamentally defining aspects of bastard feudalism. These affinities also had the means of tying the more powerful magnates to the lower nobility, although these relationships were now largely defined by personal connections that exhibited reciprocal benefit, rather than tenurial or feudal relationships that preceded bastard feudalism. Consequently, lords could now raise retinues they could implicitly trust, since

742-557: A continued deterioration of the unstable political situation, which polarised around long-standing feuds between the more powerful noble families, in particular the Percy-Neville feud , and the Bonville-Courtenay feud , creating a volatile political climate ripe for civil war. To ensure the country could be governed, a Regency Council was established and, despite the protests of Margaret, was led by Richard of York, who

848-508: A continued prosecution of a military solution against France. Suffolk and the Beaufort family frequently received large grants of money, land, and important government and military positions from the king, who preferred their less hawkish inclinations, redirecting much-needed resources away from Richard and Gloucester's campaigns in France, leading to Richard developing a bitter resentment for

954-434: A force of around 3,000–7,000 troops south toward London, where they were met by Henry's force of 2,000 at St Albans , north of London, on 22 May 1455. Though the ensuing struggle resulted in fewer than 160 casualties combined, it was a decisive Yorkist victory. King Henry VI had been taken prisoner by York's men, who had found the monarch hiding in a local tanner's shop , abandoned by his courtiers and advisors. Despite

1060-502: A large extent a quarrel between Welsh Marcher Lords , who were also great English nobles, closely related to the English throne." The question of succession following the death of Edward III in 1377 is said by historian Ian Mortimer to be the root cause of the Wars of the Roses. Although Edward's succession seemed secure, there was a "sudden narrowing in the direct line of descent" near

1166-661: A major reversal in France at Formigny , which paved the way for the French reconquest of Normandy . That same year, there was a violent popular uprising in Kent, which is often seen as a precursor to the Wars of the Roses. The rebel manifesto, The Complaint of the Poor Commons of Kent , written under the stewardship of rebel leader Jack Cade, accused the crown of extortion, perversion of justice, and election fraud. The rebels occupied parts of London, and executed James Fiennes ,

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1272-794: A much stronger position when they broke the truce in June 1449. By August, they had taken Pont-Audemer , Pont-L'Evêque and Lisieux , and by October had occupied much of Normandy . Cutting north and east, the Bureau brothers captured Rouen in October, Harfleur in December, then Honfleur and Fresnoy in January 1450, before investing Caen . During the winter of 1449, the English assembled an expeditionary force in Portsmouth to relieve Caen. It

1378-405: A promotion from Earl to Marquess (and would be made a Duke in 1448) for his efforts, the clauses of the treaty that required cession of lands to France were kept secret from the English public due to fears of a significant backlash, but Henry insisted on the treaty. Two years later in 1447, Suffolk succeeded in having Gloucester arrested for treason. Gloucester died while awaiting trial, with some at

1484-604: A refined atmosphere centred on art and culture at court, in which the king was an elevated figure. Richard's reign as Richard II of England was tumultuous, marked by increasing dissension between the monarch and several of the most powerful nobles. Richard ruled without a regency council despite his young age in order to exclude his uncle, John of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster, from wielding legitimate power. Unpopular taxes which funded unsuccessful military expeditions in Europe triggered

1590-447: A reformer to demand better government, he was eventually imprisoned for much of 1452 and 1453. By the summer of the latter year, Richard seemed to have lost the power struggle. Throughout these quarrels, Henry himself had taken little part in proceedings. He displayed several symptoms of mental illness, possibly inherited from his maternal grandfather, Charles VI of France . His near-total lack of leadership in military matters had left

1696-459: A role on the battlefield. Unlike the better known Battle of Castillon , their impact is difficult to judge, since contemporary accounts are unclear. Arguably the arrival of the Breton cavalry was the decisive factor, since it forced the English to leave their prepared defensive positions, although the French guns also played a role. Most significantly, the noise of their firing alerted Richemont to

1802-531: A serious threat to the throne and attempted to cut off his supplies, however a French attack on Sandwich in August 1457 ignited fears of a French invasion, forcing Margaret to concede and provide Warwick with the funding he required to protect the realm. However, in February 1456, Henry recovered his mental faculties, and once again relieved York of his office as Lord Protector, reassuming personal governance over

1908-514: A small force that quickly grew in numbers, meeting little resistance. With the support of much of the disaffected nobility, Bolingbroke deposed Richard and was crowned as Henry IV, the first Lancastrian monarch. Richard is thought to have been starved to death in captivity, although questions remain regarding his final fate. Richard's posthumous reputation has been shaped to a large extent by William Shakespeare , whose play Richard II portrayed Richard's misrule and his deposition as responsible for

2014-715: A small party escaped to Bayeux. Contemporary chronicles suggest that despite protestations from their commanders, after the battle French infantrymen massacred about 500 captured English archers. Their corpses were reportedly buried in a nearby field, later dubbed "The English Tomb". Kyriell's army had effectively ceased to exist, with the vast majority either killed or taken prisoner. Contemporary French records claim 3,744 bodies were buried, although this seems to have included casualties from both sides. The same sources suggest another 1,200 to 1,400 were taken prisoner, while other historians suggest 2,500 killed and 900 captured. Estimates of French and Breton losses vary from "less than

2120-690: A small private airfield is located on part of the wartime facility. The "101st Airborne March" was composed by Daniel Bourdelès , a Norman composer, for the celebration of the liberation of Carentan, in June 1944. This march created in Carentan is extracted from the CD "Carentan, the sky memory" (1994), produced by the town. It is regularly used as a musical illustration for the Normandy liberation films on France3 regional TV. Battle of Formigny The Battle of Formigny , fought on 15 April 1450,

2226-430: A son, Henry . The following year, Henry V died of dysentery , and his son ascended to the throne at just nine months old. Henry V's younger brothers produced no surviving legitimate heirs, leaving only the Beaufort family as alternative Lancastrian successors. As Richard of York grew into maturity and Henry VI's rule deteriorated, York's claim to the throne became more attractive. The revenue from his estates also made him

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2332-455: A substantive shift in social dynamics in which the conscription-based feudal levy came to be replaced by a system of royal payment in return for military service by the magnates who served the monarch. Thus, instead of vassals rendering military service when called, they paid a portion of their income into their lord's treasury, who would supplement the owed service with hired retainers. These retinues were known as affinities ; essentially

2438-438: A thousand", to "about 500", or "a handful". As other significant English forces in Normandy had been eliminated before the battle, the whole region quickly fell to the victorious French. Caen was captured on 12 June, and Cherbourg, the last English-held fortress in Normandy, fell on 12 August. Prior to 1450, artillery had previously been confined to siege warfare, and Formigny is arguably the first battle in which cannon played

2544-592: The Battle of Barnet . Henry was returned to prison, and his sole heir later killed by Edward at the Battle of Tewkesbury , followed by Henry's own death in the Tower of London , possibly on Edward's orders. Edward ruled unopposed for the next twelve years, during which England enjoyed a period of relative peace. Upon his death in April 1483, he was succeeded by the twelve-year-old Edward V , who reigned for 78 days until being deposed by his uncle Richard III . Richard assumed

2650-780: The Castilian fleet in May 1458, and against a fleet of the Hanseatic League a few weeks later. His position in Calais also enabled him to establish relations with Charles VII of France , and Philip the Good of Burgundy , international connections that would serve him in the future. In response to the attacks, Warwick was summoned to London to face inquiries along with York and Salisbury. However, fearing arrest once they were isolated from their allies, they refused. York instead summoned

2756-1057: The Duchy of Lancaster were primarily located in Gloucestershire , North Wales , Cheshire , and, ironically, in Yorkshire , while the estates of the Duke of York were spread throughout England and Wales, with many in the Welsh Marches . Historians disagree over which factors were the main causes of the wars. Edward III , who ruled England from 1327 to 1377, had five sons who survived into adulthood; Edward of Woodstock "the Black Prince" , Lionel of Antwerp , John of Gaunt , Edmund of Langley , and Thomas of Woodstock . Throughout his reign, he created duchies for his sons; Cornwall in 1337 for Edward, and in 1362 Clarence for Lionel and Lancaster for John. In 1385, during

2862-466: The House of Percy , led by Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland and Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester , to rebel multiple times against Henry. The first challenge was defeated at Shrewsbury in 1403 and Worcester was executed, while a second attempt failed at Bramham Moor in 1408, at which Northumberland was killed. Henry himself died in 1413, and was succeeded by his son, Henry of Monmouth , who

2968-485: The Mortimer family and had a son, Roger Mortimer , who technically would have the best legal claim of succession. However, a legal decree issued by Edward III in 1376 introduced complexity into the question of succession, since the letters patent he issued limited the right of succession to his male line , which placed his third son, John of Gaunt, ahead of Clarence's descendants, since the latter were descended through

3074-589: The Pale of Calais , shifting the balance of power in Europe, and ending the Hundred Years' War . Perhaps in reaction to the news, Henry suffered a complete mental breakdown, during which he failed to recognise his newborn son, Edward. On 22 March 1454, Cardinal John Kemp , the Lord Chancellor , died, and Henry could not be induced to nominate a successor, thus making government in the king's name constitutionally impossible. The lack of central authority led to

3180-458: The Peasant's Revolt in 1381, and Parliament's refusal to cooperate with the king's unpopular Lord Chancellor , Michael de la Pole , created a political crisis that seriously threatened to dethrone Richard. Richard had repeatedly switched his choice of heir throughout his reign to keep his political enemies at bay. The king's dependence on a small number of courtiers caused discontent among

3286-609: The Treaty of Troyes . The treaty disinherited the French Dauphin Charles from the line of succession, married Charles' daughter Catherine of Valois to Henry, and acknowledged their future sons as legitimate successors to the French throne. Richard of York , the son of Richard of Conisburgh, was four years old when his father was executed. As his paternal uncle, Edward, 2nd Duke of York , had died at Agincourt without issue, Henry permitted Richard of York to inherit

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3392-570: The West Country . Margaret headed north to Scotland , where she successfully negotiated the use of Scottish troops and other aid for the Lancastrian cause from Queen Regent Mary of Guelders , in return for the surrender of Berwick , which a year prior, James II of Scotland , using the turmoil of the war as an opportunity tried to retake as well as Roxburgh . The latter, though successful, cost him his life. A similar successful negotiation

3498-406: The female line . Richard II , also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. During Richard's first years as king, government was in the hands of a series of regency councils, influenced by Richard's uncles John of Gaunt and Thomas of Woodstock . England then faced various problems, most notably the Hundred Years' War . A major challenge of

3604-628: The heraldic badges associated with the two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet fighting for control of the English throne; the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster . Embryonic forms of this term were used in 1727 by Bevil Higgons , who described the quarrel between the two roses and by David Hume in The History of England (1754–1761): The people, divided in their affections, took different symbols of party:

3710-494: The 101st in the Battle of Carentan . Beginning with a dawn assault, it was an all-day, hard-fought, house-to-house battle against German troops embedded in strongly prepared positions. The capture of the town gave the Allies a continuous front joining Omaha to Utah Beach and the other three lodgments to the east of Omaha. US forces maintained possession of the town despite a German armor-reinforced counterattack on June 13 just to

3816-567: The Appellants, many of whom were executed or exiled. The next two years have been described by historians as Richard's "tyranny". When John of Gaunt died in 1399, Richard confiscated the lands and titles of Gaunt's son Henry Bolingbroke whom he had exiled to France in 1398. In May 1399, Richard left England for a military expedition in Ireland, giving Bolingbroke the opportunity to return to England. Henry invaded England in June 1399 with

3922-711: The Aure and threatening the English flank. Encouraged by the presence of the king's most influential advisor, Pierre de Brézé , Clermont's forces stood their ground. With many of his men busy dragging the captured guns back to their lines, Kyriell shifted forces to the left to face the new threat, while Clermont responded by renewing his attack. The English were caught in the open by the Breton cavalry, then enveloped by French troops under Clermont and Brézé. Attacked from both sides, they were split into small groups and suffered heavy casualties. The vast majority were either killed or captured, including Kyriell, although Sir Matthew Gough and

4028-481: The Beauforts. Suffolk continued to increase his influence at court as the principal architect of the Treaty of Tours in 1444 to broker peace between England and France. Suffolk successfully negotiated the marriage to Henry of Margaret of Anjou , only a distant relation of Charles VII through marriage rather than blood, in exchange for the strategically important lands of Maine and Anjou . Though Suffolk earned

4134-461: The Duke of Clarence. Langley's second son, Richard of Conisburgh , had married Anne de Mortimer , daughter of Roger Mortimer and sister of Edmund Mortimer . Anne's grandmother, Philippa of Clarence , was the daughter of Lionel of Antwerp. During the fourteenth century, the Mortimers were the most powerful marcher family in the kingdom. G.M. Trevelyan wrote that "the Wars of the Roses were to

4240-404: The English assembled in two main "battles" across the road to Carentan, with their backs to the stream. Although they did not have time to construct the usual defence works of sharpened stakes, Kyriell was confident since he outnumbered Clermont, and was unaware of Richemont's proximity. Pausing to assess the situation, in the early afternoon Clermont ordered his dismounted men at arms to attack

4346-482: The English forces in France scattered and weak, which left them ripe for defeat at Formigny in 1450. Henry was described as more interested in matters of religion and learning, which, coupled with his timid and passive nature and, if not well-intentioned, aversion to warfare, made him an ineffectual king for the time. On 17 July 1453, the English forces in southern France suffered a catastrophic defeat at Castillon , and England lost all her possessions in France except for

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4452-402: The English position. These assaults were repulsed, as were two French cavalry probes of their flanks. He then instructed his two culverins to open fire; since the guns were out of effective bowshot range, the English archers were unable to respond, and left their positions in an attempt to capture them. It was now around 7:00 pm; Richemont and his 1,200 cavalry arrived from the south, crossing

4558-496: The French to isolate Cherbourg from the rest of the Cotentin peninsula . It fell on 27 March after a short siege, and Kyriell continued onto French-held Carentan , which he reached on 12 April. Despite a number of small skirmishes, Clermont , the local French commander, refused to give battle, so Kyriell instead marched for Bayeux. He stopped near Formigny on 14 April, closely followed by 3,000 men from Carentan under Clermont. On

4664-590: The House of Lancaster revived his cousin Richard, Duke of York 's interest in a claim to the throne . Warfare began in 1455 with York's capture of Henry at the First Battle of St Albans , upon which York was appointed Lord Protector by Parliament . Fighting resumed four years later when Yorkists led by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick captured Henry again at the Battle of Northampton . After attempting to seize

4770-632: The Lancastrians and defeated them at Northampton on 10 July 1460. Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham , John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury , John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont , and Thomas Percy, 1st Baron Egremont were all killed defending their king. For a second time, Henry was taken prisoner by the Yorkists, who escorted him to London, compelling the surrender of the Tower garrison. That September, York returned from Ireland, and, at

4876-527: The Nevilles to rendezvous at his stronghold of Ludlow Castle in the Welsh Marches ; Warwick departed Calais with a portion of the garrison there to join the main Yorkist forces. Margaret had not been idle during this time and had been actively recruiting armed support for Henry, distributing a livery emblem of a silver swan to knights and squires enlisted by her personally. Before Warwick could join them,

4982-466: The Parliament of October that year, he made a symbolic gesture of his intention to claim the English crown by placing his hand upon the throne, an act which shocked the assembly. Even York's closest allies were not prepared to support such a move. Assessing York's claim, the judges felt that common law principles could not determine who had priority in the succession, and declared the matter "above

5088-667: The Percy family were gathering support. They were joined by Somerset and the Thomas Courtenay, 6th/14th Earl of Devon . York, his son the Earl of Rutland, and Salisbury left London to contain the Lancastrian threat in the north. On 16 December 1460, York's vanguard clashed with Somerset's forces from the West Country at the Battle of Worksop , and was defeated. On 21 December, York reached his fortress of Sandal Castle near

5194-443: The Wars of the Roses. Modern historians do not accept this interpretation, while not exonerating Richard from responsibility for his own deposition. While probably not insane, as many historians of the 19th and 20th centuries believed, he may have had a personality disorder , particularly manifesting itself towards the end of his reign. Most authorities agree that his policies were not unrealistic or even entirely unprecedented, but that

5300-518: The Welsh nobility. Glyndŵr's rebellion would outlast Henry's reign, and would not end until 1415. During the revolt, Glyndŵr received aid from members of the Tudors , a prominent Anglesey family and maternal cousins of Glyndŵr himself, who would come to play a defining role in the coming Wars of the Roses. Disputes over promises of land, money, and royal favour in exchange for their continued support drove

5406-418: The Yorkist army of 5,000 troops under Salisbury was ambushed by a Lancastrian force twice their size under James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley at Blore Heath on 23 September 1459. The Lancastrian army was defeated, and Baron Audley himself killed in the fighting. In September, Warwick crossed over into England and made his way north to Ludlow. At nearby Ludford Bridge , the Yorkist forces were scattered due to

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5512-413: The Yorkists managed to retain the loyalty of the garrison. Fresh from their victory at Ludford Bridge, the Lancastrian faction assembled a " Parliament of Devils " at Coventry with the sole purpose of attainting York, his sons, Salisbury, and Warwick, however, the actions of this assembly caused many uncommitted lords to fear for their titles and property. In March 1460, Warwick sailed to Ireland under

5618-450: The battlefield. Charles VII of France used the time afforded by the 1444 Treaty of Tours to reorganise and reinvigorate his armies. In contrast, the English were divided by the internal struggle for power that would lead to the Wars of the Roses in 1455. Inability to agree a coherent strategy left their forces in Normandy scattered and dangerously weak. As a result, the French were in

5724-479: The blame for these losses. Additionally, the blame of the unfavourable request to cede Maine and Anjou to the French was laid at Suffolk's feet, though he continued to insist he made no promises during negotiations to such a demand. In 1450, Suffolk was arrested, imprisoned in the Tower of London , and impeached in the Commons. Henry intervened and instead exiled Suffolk for five years, but en route to Calais, Suffolk

5830-550: The claims of the rival House of York to control of the government. Henry, Somerset, and a select council of nobles elected to hold a Great Council at Leicester on 22 May, away from Somerset's enemies in London. Fearing that charges of treason would be brought against them, York and his allies gathered an army to intercept the royal party at St Albans , before they could reach the Council. Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York led

5936-451: The coronation of Charles. Around this time, Henry's mother Catherine of Valois had remarried to Owen Tudor and bore two surviving sons; Edmund Tudor and Jasper Tudor , both of whom would play key roles in the concluding stages of the coming wars. Henry came of age in 1437 at age sixteen. However, Bedford had died two years earlier in 1435, and Beaufort largely withdrew himself from public affairs sometime thereafter, in part because of

6042-408: The defection of Warwick's Calais troops under Andrew Trollope . Forced to flee, York, who was still Lieutenant of Ireland, left for Dublin with his second son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland , while Warwick and Salisbury sailed to Calais accompanied by York's heir, Edward, Earl of March . The Lancastrian faction appointed the new Duke of Somerset, Henry Beaufort to replace Warwick in Calais, however,

6148-458: The end of his reign; Edward's two eldest sons, the heir apparent Edward, Duke of Cornwall ("the Black Prince") and Lionel, Duke of Clarence , had predeceased their father in 1376 and 1368 respectively. Edward III was survived by three sons with claims to the throne: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster ; Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York ; and Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester . The Black Prince had one surviving son, Richard , who had

6254-467: The fact that a battle was taking place and its rough location, so causing his appearance on the field. One of Clermont's captains claimed that if Richemont had not arrived when he did, their army would have suffered "irreparable damage". 49°20′N 0°54′W  /  49.333°N 0.900°W  / 49.333; -0.900 Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses , known at

6360-518: The form of the Southampton Plot . This was led by Sir Thomas Grey , Henry, Baron Scrope , and Richard of Conisburgh , the latter of whom was the second son of Edmund of Langley the 1st Duke of York. They intended to replace Henry with the young Edmund Mortimer , Richard of Conisburgh's brother-in-law, who was a great-great-grandson of Edward III and at one time the heir presumptive to Richard II. Mortimer remained loyal and informed Henry of

6466-554: The heir presumptive was in fact Edmund Mortimer , the great-grandson of Edward III's second surviving son, Lionel, Duke of Clarence . However, Mortimer was descended through the female line, inheriting the claim from his grandmother, Philippa . An important branch of the House of Lancaster was the House of Beaufort , whose members were descended from Gaunt by his mistress, Katherine Swynford . Originally illegitimate, they were legitimised by an Act of Parliament when Gaunt and Katherine later married. However, Henry IV excluded them from

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6572-619: The imprisoned Richard as king. The attempt failed, all four conspirators were executed, and Richard died shortly thereafter "by means unknown" in Pontefract Castle . Further west in Wales , the Welsh had generally supported Richard's rule, and, welded to a myriad of other socio-economic problems, the accession of Henry triggered a major rebellion in Wales led by Owain Glyndŵr , a member of

6678-605: The influential, and in 1387 control of government was taken over by a group of aristocrats known as the Lords Appellant . By 1389 Richard had regained control, and for the next eight years governed in relative harmony with his former opponents. In France, much of the territory conquered by Edward III had been lost, leading Richard to negotiate a peace treaty known as Truce of Leulinghem with Charles VI in July 1389. The peace proposal, which would effectively have made England

6784-576: The king's commander in France, either to mediate or defend him against Gloucester's accusations of treason. Overseas, the French had rallied around Joan of Arc and had inflicted major defeats on the English at Orléans , and Patay , reversing many of the gains made by Henry V and leading to the coronation of the Dauphin as Charles VII in Reims on 17 July 1429. Henry was formally crowned as Henry VI, aged 7, shortly thereafter on 6 November in response to

6890-410: The kingdom. York removed Somerset from his position and imprisoned him in the Tower of London. In 1455, Henry made a surprise recovery from his mental instability, and reversed much of Richard of York's progress. Somerset was released and restored to favour, and York was forced out of court into exile. However, disaffected nobles, chiefly the Earl of Warwick and his father the Earl of Salisbury, backed

6996-468: The landings at Omaha and the other beachheads by the river Douve. The U.S. 4th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach shortly after dawn with few casualties, and began staging for a move against Cherbourg, a fortified port critical to future Allied operations. In the immediate aftermath of the landings, the priority for the Allies at Utah Beach was to link up with the Allied landings further east. This job

7102-694: The law and passed their learning". Finding a lack of decisive support for his claim among the nobility who at this stage had no desire to usurp Henry, a compromise was reached: the Act of Accord was passed on 25 October 1460, which stated that following Henry's death, his son Edward would be disinherited, and the throne would pass to York. However, the compromise was quickly found to be unpalatable, and hostilities resumed. Queen Margaret and her son had fled to Lancastrian-held Harlech Castle , where they joined Henry's half-brother Jasper Tudor and Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter , who were recruiting troops in Wales and

7208-441: The line of succession to the throne. The House of York descended from Edmund of Langley, the fourth surviving son of Edward III and younger brother of John of Gaunt. The name derives from Langley's primary title as Duke of York, which he acquired in 1385 during the reign of his nephew, Richard II. The Yorkist claim on the throne, unlike the Lancastrian claim, was based upon the female line of descent , as descendants of Lionel,

7314-525: The magnates became powerful enough to defend the interests of their lord against even the authority of the monarch, as John of Gaunt, and later his son, Henry Bolingbroke , did against Richard. During the wars, disaffected magnates such as Richard of York and Warwick the Kingmaker were able to rely upon their complex network of servants and retainers to successfully defy the authority of Henry VI . The House of Lancaster descended from John of Gaunt,

7420-440: The men of the affinity owed their positions to their patron. These affinities were often much larger than the number of men the lord actually knew, since the members of the affinity also knew and supported each other. Under the reign of Richard II , this created a power struggle with the magnates, as Richard sought to increase the size of his own affinities as a counterweight to the growing retinues of his nobles. The retinues of

7526-531: The name on a scene in William Shakespeare 's play Henry VI, Part 1 (Act 2, Scene 4), set in the gardens of the Temple Church , where a number of noblemen and a lawyer pick red or white roses to symbolically display their loyalty to the Lancastrian or Yorkist faction respectively. During Shakespeare's time, the conflict was simply referred to as the "civil wars". The Yorkist faction used

7632-475: The nearby river valley was excellent for boat construction. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne divisions landed at the base of the Cotentin Peninsula. Although the landings were scattered, they nevertheless secured most of the routes by which the U.S. VII Corps would advance from Utah Beach , the right (west) flank of the Allied forces separated from

7738-423: The partisans of the house of Lancaster chose the red rose as their mark of distinction; those of York were denominated from the white; and these civil wars were thus known over Europe by the name of the quarrel between the two roses. The modern term Wars of the Roses came into common use in the early 19th century following the publication of the 1829 novel Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott . Scott based

7844-544: The paucity of casualties on either side, many of York and the Neville family's most influential foes were killed, including Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset , Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland , and Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford . With the king in his custody and many of his key rivals dead, York was again appointed Lord Protector by Parliament , and the Yorkist faction regained their position of influence. York's allies were soon in ascendancy thanks to

7950-501: The plot, who had all three ringleaders executed. Henry captured Harfleur on 22 September and inflicted a decisive defeat on the French at Agincourt on 25 October which wiped out a significant part of the French nobility. Agincourt and Henry's subsequent campaigns firmly entrenched the legitimacy of the Lancastrian monarchy and Henry's pursuit of his claims on the French throne. In 1420, Henry and Charles VI of France signed

8056-590: The protection of the Gascon Lord of Duras to concert plans with York, evading the royal fleet commanded by Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter , before they returned to Calais. In late June 1460, Warwick, Salisbury, and Edward of March crossed the Channel and rode north to London, where they enjoyed widespread support. Salisbury was left with a force to besiege the Tower of London , while Warwick and March pursued Henry northward. The Yorkists caught up with

8162-649: The realm. Despite the tenuous peace, disorder was returning to the kingdom as sporadic fighting once more broke out between the Neville and Percy families. To quell the growing discontent, Henry attempted to broker a public display of reconciliation between the two sides at St. Paul's Cathedral on 25 March 1458, however, no sooner had the procession dispersed than the plotting resumed. Meanwhile, as Henry attempted in vain to secure peace in England, Warwick, in disregard of royal authority, had conducted attacks against

8268-486: The reign of Richard II , Edmund became Duke of York and Thomas became the Duke of Gloucester . Dukedoms had hitherto never been conferred by any English monarch upon a subject until the creation of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1337, and their genesis spawned a powerful new class of English nobility with claims to the throne and, theoretically, enough power to vie for it, since the new duchies provided Edward's sons and their heirs presumptive with an income independent of

8374-565: The reign was the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, and the young king played a central part in the successful suppression of this crisis. Less warlike than either his father or grandfather, he sought to bring an end to the Hundred Years' War. A firm believer in the royal prerogative , Richard restrained the power of the aristocracy and relied on a private retinue for military protection instead. In contrast to his grandfather, Richard cultivated

8480-422: The rise to prominence of his ally William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk as the dominant personality in the royal court. Like Beaufort, Suffolk favoured a diplomatic rather than a military solution to the deteriorating situation in France, a position which resonated with Henry, who was by nature averse to violence and bloodshed. Suffolk was opposed by Gloucester and the rising Richard of York , both of whom favoured

8586-400: The rival houses through marriage with Elizabeth of York , Edward IV's eldest daughter and heir. The wars concluded in 1487, with Henry VII's defeat of the remaining Yorkist opposition at Stoke Field . The House of Tudor would rule England until 1603, a period that saw the strengthening of the monarchy and the end of the medieval period in England . The name "Wars of the Roses" refers to

8692-706: The same day, the Constable of France , Arthur de Richemont , arrived in Saint-Lô with a Breton force of 2,000, split between 1,200 cavalry and 800 infantry. Having made contact, Clermont urged him to move on Formigny as soon as possible. On 15 April, the English sighted Clermont, and the armies took up positions facing each other on the Carentan-Bayeux road, near a small tributary of the Aure . Now totalling somewhat less than 4,000 men, of whom 2,900 were archers,

8798-647: The southwest of town known as the Battle of Bloody Gulch . On 15 June, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction on a combat advanced landing ground for fighter aircraft south of the town. Declared operational on 25 June, the airfield was designated, " A-10 ". It was used by P-47 Thunderbolts of the 50th Fighter Group until mid-August, then as a support airfield for supplies and evacuation of wounded personnel until its closure in November. Today,

8904-441: The sovereign or the state, thereby allowing them to establish and maintain their own private military retinues. Over time, these duchies began to exacerbate the structural defects inherent in so-called " bastard feudalism ", a somewhat controversial term coined in 1885 by historian Charles Plummer but largely defined by Plummer's contemporary, William Stubbs . During the reign of Edward's grandfather, Edward I , Stubbs describes

9010-595: The symbol of the white rose from early in the conflict, but the red rose of Lancaster was introduced only after the victory of Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. After Henry's victory and marriage to Elizabeth of York , the heir of Edward IV , the two roses were combined to form the Tudor rose , to symbolise the union of the two claims. The use of the rose itself as a cognizance stemmed from Edward I 's use of "a golden rose stalked proper". Often, owing to nobles holding multiple titles, more than one badge

9116-620: The temporarily stabilised situation, particularly the young Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick , who, in his capacity as Captain of Calais , had conducted anti-piracy operations in the English Channel . Warwick rapidly overtook his father, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury , as York's key ally, protecting York from retribution in Parliament. Warwick's position as commander of the strategically important port of Calais also gave him command of England's largest standing army . Henry's consort, Margaret of Anjou , considered Warwick

9222-437: The third surviving son of Edward III. The name derives from Gaunt's primary title as Duke of Lancaster, which he held by right of his spouse , Blanche of Lancaster . The Lancastrian claim on the throne had received preference from Edward III which explicitly emphasised the male line of descent . Henry IV based his right to depose Richard II and subsequent assumption of the throne upon this claim, since it could be argued that

9328-442: The throne amid controversies regarding the disappearance of Edward IV's two sons . He was met with a short-lived but major revolt and a wave of Yorkist defections. Amid the chaos, Henry Tudor , a descendant of Edward III through Lady Margaret Beaufort and a veteran Lancastrian, returned from exile with an army and defeated and killed Richard at Bosworth Field in 1485. Tudor then assumed the English throne as Henry VII and united

9434-486: The throne through the female line . Conflict was largely brought to an end upon the union of the two houses through marriage, creating the Tudor dynasty that would subsequently rule England. The Wars of the Roses were rooted in English socio-economic troubles caused by the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) with France, as well as the quasi-military bastard feudalism resulting from the powerful duchies created by King Edward III . The mental instability of King Henry VI of

9540-648: The throne, York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield , and his son Edward inherited his claim per the controversial Act of Accord . The Yorkists lost custody of Henry in 1461 after the Second Battle of St Albans , but defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton . The Yorkist Edward was formally crowned in June 1461. In 1464, Edward married Elizabeth Woodville against the advice of Warwick, and reversed Warwick's policy of seeking closer ties with France. Warwick rebelled against Edward in 1469, leading to Edward's imprisonment after Warwick's supporters defeated

9646-537: The time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars , were a series of civil wars fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The wars were fought between supporters of the House of Lancaster and House of York , two rival cadet branches of the royal House of Plantagenet . The conflict resulted in the end of Lancaster's male line in 1471, leaving the Tudor family to inherit their claim to

9752-424: The time suspecting that Suffolk had had him poisoned. Richard of York was stripped of his prestigious command in France and sent to govern the relatively distant Lordship of Ireland with a ten-year term of office, where he could not interfere with affairs at court. During this time, England continued to suffer reversals in France. Suffolk, who was now the principal power behind the throne , could not avoid taking

9858-476: The title and lands of the Duchy of York . When Edmund Mortimer died childless in 1425, Richard of York also inherited the Earldom of March and Mortimer's claim to the throne through his late mother, Edmund Mortimer's sister. Henry, who himself had three younger brothers and had recently married Catherine, did not doubt that the Lancastrian claim on the crown was secure. On 6 December 1421, Catherine gave birth to

9964-420: The unpopular Lord High Treasurer . They dispersed after they were supposedly pardoned but several ringleaders, including Cade, were later executed. After the rebellion, the grievances of Cade and his followers formed the basis of Richard of York's opposition to a royal government from which he felt unduly excluded. Richard of York used the opportunity to return from Ireland and went to London. Angling himself as

10070-487: The way in which he carried them out was unacceptable to the political establishment, leading to his downfall. Almost immediately after assuming the throne, Henry IV faced an attempted deposition known as the " Epiphany Rising " in 1400 by John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury , John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter , Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey , and the Thomas Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester , to re-install

10176-554: The wealthiest magnate in the kingdom. From early childhood, Henry VI was surrounded by quarrelsome councillors and advisors. His younger surviving paternal uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester , sought to be named Lord Protector until Henry came of age, and deliberately courted the popularity of the common people for his own ends, but was opposed by his half-uncle, Cardinal Henry Beaufort . On several occasions, Beaufort called on John, Duke of Bedford , Gloucester's older brother and nominal regent to Henry, to return from his post as

10282-466: Was a major battle of the Hundred Years' War between England and France . A decisive French victory that destroyed the last significant English field army in Normandy , it paved the way for the capture of their remaining strongholds. Although artillery had been used in siege warfare since the early 14th century, Formigny is thought to be the first major European engagement where it was present on

10388-417: Was appointed Lord Protector and Chief Councillor on 27 March 1454. York appointed his brother-in-law, Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury to the post of Chancellor, backing the Nevilles against their chief adversary, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland . In backing the Nevilles, York gained a key ally, Salisbury's son Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick , one of the wealthiest and most powerful magnates in

10494-444: Was assigned to the 101st Airborne, who had landed in the area and had been both conducting raids against inland targets (such as artillery emplacements) and securing and cutting off the area from German reinforcements. By June 9, the 101st Airborne had reorganized sufficiently from the haphazard scattering of its units. It managed to cross the flooded Douve using a few causeways across the flooded fields. The next day Carentan fell to

10600-492: Was captured and executed on 2 May 1450. Suffolk was succeeded by Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset , nephew of Henry Beaufort, as the leader of the faction pursuing peace with France, who had been appointed as Richard's replacement as commander in France in 1448. Somerset's political position was somewhat fragile, as English military failures in 1449 following a resumption of hostilities left him vulnerable to criticism from Richard's allies at court. Somerset had by this time become

10706-474: Was confined to those in "continuous employ of a lord", thus excluding, for example, mercenary companies. For example, Henry Tudor's forces at Bosworth fought under the banner of a red dragon , while the Yorkist army used Richard III's personal device of a white boar . While the names of the rival houses derive from the cities of York and Lancaster , the corresponding duchy and dukedom had little to do with these cities. The lands and offices attached to

10812-437: Was considerable uncertainty within the realm over who should inherit the throne. Ultimately, Edward was succeeded by his grandson who was crowned Richard II at just 10 years old. Under the laws of primogeniture , if Richard died without a legitimate heir, his successors would be the descendants of Lionel of Antwerp the Duke of Clarence, Edward III's second eldest son. Clarence's only child, his daughter Philippa , married into

10918-428: Was crowned Henry V. To cement his position as king both domestically and abroad, Henry revived old dynastic claims to the French throne , and, using commercial disputes and the support France loaned to Owain Glyndŵr as a casus belli , invaded France in 1415 . While not plagued by constant rebellions as his father's reign was, Henry V faced a major challenge to his authority on the eve of his expedition to France in

11024-876: Was led by Sir Thomas Kyriell , a relatively unknown commander who would be comprehensively out manoeuvred by his French opponents. Lack of money and supplies hampered recruiting and lowered morale; in January 1450 the troops lynched an official sent to negotiate with them over pay. On 15 March 1450, Kyriell and some 2,500 men landed in Cherbourg , where they were reinforced by another 1,800 collected by Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset , English commander in Normandy. He did so by taking them from English garrisons in Bayeux , Caen, and Vire , under Sir Matthew Gough , Sir Robert Vere and Sir Henry Norbury respectively. Rather than immediately relieving Caen as originally planned, Kyriell attacked Valognes , whose possession allowed

11130-587: Was made for the use of French troops and aid for the Lancastrians cause that same year, this time in return for the surrender of Jersey , thus having the Auld Alliance backing the Lancastrian side to prevent the Yorkist ruled England from joining the Burgundian State in its war with France, a scenario that neither ally had the stomach for. The Lancastrians rallied in the North of England , where

11236-500: Was used: Edward IV , for example, used both his sun in splendour as Earl of March , but also his father's falcon and fetterlock as Duke of York . Badges were not always distinct; at the Battle of Barnet , Edward's 'sun' was very similar to the Earl of Oxford's Vere star , which caused fatal confusion in the fighting. Many participants wore livery badges associated with their immediate liege lords or patrons. The wearing of livery

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