War of the Scarlet and White Rose
The rivalry between the two dynasties in England resulted in civil war, which began in 1455. Since the last months of the Hundred Years War, two branches of the Plantagenet family - Yorks and Lancaster - have fought for the throne of England. The War of the Two Roses (in the York coat of arms there was a white rose, and the Lancaster scarlet) put an end to the rule of the Plantagenets.
1450 year
England was worried hard times... King Henry VI of Lancaster was unable to calm the differences 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 endowed with unlimited power.
In the spring of 1450, the loss of Normandy signaled collapse. Multiply internecine wars... The state is crumbling. Condemnation and then murder of Suffolk does not lead to peace. Jack Cad revolts in Kent and moves to London. Kad is defeated by the royal forces, but the anarchy continues.
The king's brother, Richard, the Duke of York, who was then in exile in Ireland, 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 as a result strong fright lost his mind. Taking advantage of this, Richard York achieved the most important position - protector of the state. But to Henry VI, reason returned, and the position of the duke was shaken. Not wanting to part with power, Richard York gathers armed detachments of his adherents.
Lancaster vs York
York makes an alliance with the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, who are armed with a strong army, which in May 1455 defeats the royal forces 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 his army and flees to Ireland. In October 1459, his son Edward takes Calais, from where the Lancaster unsuccessfully try to drive them out. There he gathers a new army. In July 1460 the Lancaster was defeated at Northampton. The king is in prison, and York is declared heir by Parliament.
At this time, Margaret of Anjou, determined to defend the rights of her son, gathers her loyal subjects in the north of England. Caught by surprise by the royal army at Wakefield, York and Salisbury die. The Lancaster army moves south, devastating everything in its path. Edward, the son of the Duke of York, and the Earl of Warwick, having learned of the tragedy, hastened to London, whose inhabitants greeted their army with joy. They defeated the Lancaster at Toughton, after which Edward was crowned Edward IV.
Continuation of the war
Taking refuge in Scotland and supported by France, Henry VI still has supporters in the north of England, but they are defeated in 1464 and the king is imprisoned again in 1465. It seems that everything is over. However, Edward IV is faced with the same thing as Henry VI.
The Neville clan, led by the Earl of Warwick, who elevated Edward to the throne, embarks on a fight against the clan of Queen Elizabeth. The king's brother, the Duke of Clarence, envies his power. Warwick and Clarence revolt. 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 fulfill 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 Marguerite of Anjou and the House of Lancaster.
He did it so well that in September 1470 Warwick, supported by Louis XI, returned to England as a Lancaster supporter. King Edward IV flees to Holland to his son-in-law Charles the Bold. At the same time, Warwick, dubbed "the maker of kings," and Clarence reinstate Henry VI on the throne. However, in March 1471, Edward returned with an army funded by Charles the Bold. Under Barnet, he wins a decisive victory - thanks to Clarence, who betrayed Warwick. Warwick is killed. The southern Lancaster army is defeated at Tewkesbury. In 1471, Henry VI died (and possibly killed), Edward IV returns to London.
Union of two roses
Problems arise again after the death of the king in 1483. Edward's brother, Richard Gloucester, who hates the queen and her supporters, orders the murder of the king's children in the Tower of London, and takes the crown under the name of Richard III. This act makes him so unpopular that the Lancaster regains hope. Their distant relative, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, son of the last representative of Lancaster 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 strife of the Welsh dynasty.
Richmond, together with supporters of Margaret of Anjou, weaves a web of conspiracy and lands in Wales in August 1485. The decisive battle took place on 22 August at Bosworth. Betrayed by many of his entourage, Richard III was killed. Richard ascends the throne as Henry VII, then marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Lancaster are related to Yorks, the war of the Scarlet and White Roses ends, and the king builds his power on the union of the two branches. He introduces a system of tight control of the aristocracy. After the accession of the Tudor dynasty, a new page is written in the history of England.
The history of your country, other countries of the world, is rich in many facts and events. School program physically cannot contain many of them. Ignorance is very important points, for erudite young people, will not add respect and will not free you from exam questions.
Let these questions not affect overall assessment, but the opinion about your knowledge is an important component. Many pages of history, besides being fascinatingly interesting, are also reflected in the works of the classics. This topic includes the War of the White and Scarlet Rose - a long and bloody confrontation between two respected families in England. What do you know about this period in the life of the British?
English kingdom of the 15th century
War is war, but why did such a romantic name stick to these difficult and terrible events?
Every English noble family deservedly had a unique coat of arms. The York family had a rose on their coat of arms white, Lancaster - scarlet. The time of heightened confrontation between the rivals fell on the years 1455-1485.
This historical period was difficult for England. One Hundred Years of Exhausted War (Hundred Years) ended in defeat. The easy booty brought by the plundering of French lands is over. Knowing the country is mired in a showdown with each other. King Henry VI of Lancaster took on the role of peacemaker, but these efforts were in vain.
It could not be otherwise - Henry was ill, his fits of madness led to the fact that the kingdom was actually ruled by the Dukes of Somerset and Suffolk. The political atmosphere was heated to the limit, it seemed that the slightest spark would happen and a destructive fire would light up. It was the Jack Cad Rebellion that began in 1451. The rebels were stopped, but the anarchist sentiments did not diminish from this, but, on the contrary, gained momentum.
White took the first step
The Duke of York, Richard, decided on serious actions, which he had been hatching for a long time. In the same year, 1451, he made a speech against the actions of the Duke of Somerset, the royal favorite. Members of Parliament who sided with Richard Yorke expressed support for him. Moreover, they declared him heir to the throne. But Henry VI was so angry that he dissolved the rebellious parliament. These actions shocked him greatly and led to another prolonged attack and loss of mind. Richard took advantage of the situation and got a very important position of state protector.
The Duke had only a short time to rejoice at the victory. The king came to his senses and directed all efforts to restore justice - to deprive his brother of his post. Richard was not just going to give up what he had achieved, and gathered supporters for decisive action. In parallel, he formed an alliance with the Earl of Salisbury and Warwick. Combining two strong armies in the spring of 1455 it opposed the king. This was the beginning of the war of the two roses.
The small town of St Albans was the site of the first battle. In England, briefly, and without a shadow of regret, they announced what had happened, emphasizing only the main thing: the loyal supporters of the king and his close favorite Sommerset were killed. Henry VI captured.
But it so happened that Richard's jubilation did not last long. A woman entered the game - Queen Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI. She led the supporters of the Red Rose and removed York from power. Richard had no choice but to revolt. This he did. The victory over the Lancaster was obtained. The Battle of Blore Heath (September 23, 1459) and Northampton (July 10, 1460) were victorious. King Henry was again captured by the enemy.
Richard relaxed with joy, but Margarita of Anzhuyskaya, who remained at large, simply did not give up her position. She managed to deliver a surprise blow to Richard, defeating his troops at the Battle of Wakefield. This event took place on December 30, 1460. Ambitious Richard died like a hero on the battlefield. Margarita ordered, for the edification of all the rebels, the head of the rebel, wearing a paper crown, put on public display on the wall of York.
Scarlet Crest Victory
The owners of the white coat of arms lost. It would seem that everything - the point has been set, but the end of the war was still so far away. Interesting Facts of the distant past, these events did not end. Edward, the son of Richard, aka Earl of March, could not accept defeat and formed a new army for the offensive. February 3, 1461 was marked by a new battle. The decisive battle under Mortimer Cross ended in a spectacular victory. Lancaster fled from the battlefield. Their losses reached three thousand soldiers. White Rose flashed again with a victorious radiance on the coat of arms of York, but ...
The Queen of Anjou, reinforcing her troops with an army that joined in the confrontation with the heir of Henry VI, Prince Edward, made a retaliatory strike. Her actions were swift and took the enemy by surprise. The Queen defeated the White Rose and freed the king.
The cruel Margarita entered London and showed all her dislike for her people. Looting, terrorism, plundering is what her army brought with it, bringing Londoners to an extremely disastrous state. When March and Uovrik approached the gates of the capital, the residents happily let them through. On March 4, 1461, Edward March was proclaimed king by Edward IV. March 29 was a black day for Lancaster. The king and his devoted wife fled shamefully to Scotland.
The scarlet flower has withered ...
At this time, discontent began in the White Rose camp. The Earl, the son of the deceased Richard, is unhappy with the king who ascended the throne. He, having entered into an alliance with Edward's brother, attacks the army of Edward IV and defeats it. The king is captured - victory smiled at Wark. But the count, believing Edward's promises, releases him from captivity. The promises were not fulfilled - the enmity flares up with renewed vigor.
Margarita of Anzhuyskaya, who had shamefully escaped, did not think to calm down. Events in London gave the queen the idea of bringing justice back. Gathering an army, the restless Margarita approaches the Welsh border. There she was supposed to unite with the army of Jasper Tudor. Her plans were thwarted by Edward IV, who prevented the Scarlet from reuniting and defeated them in battle. Margaret is captured, the only heir, Henry VI, is killed in battle. Edward IV rules the country until his death. Long-awaited calm is returning to England.
White, Scarlet - reunion
But in the Kingdom of England there was still a long way to go before the final peace. Events now and then shook the country. This lasted until the coming to the throne of Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty. Taking as wife Edward IV's daughter, Elizabeth, heiress of Yorks, he created a coat of arms from the coats of arms of the two warring parties. On it, the White Rose and the Scarlet Rose have been reunited for centuries.
All the events of the Roses for England had grave consequences. They are still being studied by historians. Last point not yet delivered ...
Period estimation
"Monstrous, crazy times ..." - William Shakespeare;
The War of the Scarlet and White Roses - Walter Scott
“Wars of the Roses is one of the most colorful pages English history"- Yegor Neverov.
In conclusion, it should be said that in our training courses we analyze all topics both in the history of Russia and in World history... That is why our guys pass the exam in history for 90 or more points, and this is their average result.
England 15th century. The country is in flames of armed conflict for the throne between the kin of the two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty. For more than thirty years, the country passed from hand to hand, ...
England 15th century. The country is in flames of armed conflict for the throne between the kin of the two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty. For more than thirty years, the country passed from hand to hand like a piece of cloth.
The war ended with the complete destruction of the York and Lancaster dynasty. The throne passed to the Tudors. They ruled England for one hundred and seventeen years. Slain in the bloody mess of the civil war great amount oldest genera in England. Children and wives were killed.
Causes of the war
England lost in a hundred-year war with France. The defeat sent the country into a state of incomprehensible economic chaos. English feudal lords did not know how to work. They plundered France. And they didn't know what to do next. And on the throne was the half-mad King Henry VI, Lancaster.
In fact, the country was ruled by a queen, Margaret of Anjou, backed by a group of wealthy Englishmen. This outraged the progressive strata of English society. They knew for sure that England needed free trade and the development of crafts.
Wealthy citizens and middle class murmured. The royal treasury is empty, a huge armed army, returning from the continent after defeat, wanders in a hungry, exhausted country. There is no national idea.
The society is disappointed, the ground for civil strife is ready, the mechanism of civil war has been launched. England, as a state, is of no interest to anyone. Everyone only wanted profit. There are two Houses left, contesting the right to the throne.
As a result, England was divided into two camps: Lancaster became the head of the northern barons, and the Yorkies headed the more economically stable southeast. The scarlet rose entered the warpath with the white rose. In addition, the white rose was actively supported by poor nobles, merchants and townspeople.
Richard, Duke of York, defeated the army of the scarlet rose on a May day in 1455. But thanks to intrigues within his army, he was removed from power. Another riot broke out, in which he again won, capturing the king.
The clever, cunning and cruel wife of the king, Margarita of Anjou, stood up for her insane husband. In battle, the queen was not inferior to men in courage and military skill. She became the symbol of the House of Lancaster instead of a spouse.
Rose of York
Rose of Lancaster
Rose of the Tudors
The War of the Roses brought significant destruction and disaster to the people of England, and died during the conflict big number representatives of the English feudal aristocracy
In that battle, the knights of the scarlet rose won, and the leader of the white rose died. His head, adorned with a paper crown, adorned for a while on the wall of the city of York. The heir, son Edward, led the troops and destroyed the Lancaster near Toughton.
The royal couple took refuge in Scotland, and the winner was crowned under the name Edward IV. The battle killed 40,000 people, and the river, flowing nearby, was red.
It was 1464. Edward IV, trying to achieve absolute submission, opposed the Lancaster in the northern provinces. Having won the victory, he captured the king and locked him in the Tower. The irrepressible desire for power, for the subordination of the nobility, for the restriction of the freedom won, provoked another uprising against the king.
The leapfrog on the throne continues. The king is deposed and expelled from England in 1470. Henry VI, and hence Margaret, is again in power. But the year 1471 brought victory to Edward IV over Margaret, supported by France.
The Tower received the deposed king in last time... He died in captivity. Strengthening power, the king cracks down on Lancaster and York. Death calmed and reconciled the king with his opponents. And the throne went to Crown Prince Edward V.
Richard, brother of the late king, seized power under the pretext of regency over the juvenile king. Brave and ambitious, he sends his nephew and brother to the Tower. Nobody ever saw them again. The boys' uncle proclaimed himself King Richard III.
The disappeared boys and the usurping of power angered the warring nobility in England. Difficult to agree among themselves, they invited Henry Tudor, from the Lancaster clan, who lived on bitter bread at the royal court of France.
Presentation of an inaccurate scene in Temple Garden in Part I of Henry VI, where supporters of warring factions choose red and white roses
The adventurer landed on the coast of England with an armed army, and teamed up with the rebels, defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Heinrich himself was killed. The throne went to Henry VII, nee Earl of Richmond. On his father's side, he belonged to an ancient Welsh family.
Results of the civil war
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, the ancestor of the Earl of Richmond was in a love affair with the French princess Catherine of Valois. He became the ancestor of the Tudor dynasty. Securing power and hoping for a peaceful outcome, new king married to the daughter of the late king. Irreconcilable enemies made up.
Civil war on the island, for thirty years, accompanied by terrible and brutal executions, murders, slowly declined. Killed two old royal dynasties... The people of the country were exhausted under the yoke of taxes, the treasury was plundered, trade did not bring profit, there was an open robbery of the population.
King of France Louis XI
Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold
The feudal aristocracy was destroyed, the confiscated lands now belonged to the king. He bestowed them on new nobles, merchants, wealthy townspeople. This population became the mainstay of the absolute power of the Tudors.
Incidentally, during the Civil War, the names "Scarlet Rose" and "White Rose" were not used. The term began to figure prominently in the 19th century, with light hand Walter Scott, who found a scene (fictional) in Shakespeare's Henry VI, where enemies in the church pick different roses.
King Henry Tudor used the red dragon on his banners, and Richard III performed under the banner with the white boar. A disgusting system of corrupt, bastard feudalism influenced the start of the Thirty Years' War.
Ambitious manners, desire for wealth, profitable marriage unions gave good ground for betrayal, treason. Almost every feudal lord had his own private army. England is fragmented into small counties and duchies.
This was the last riot of feudal anarchy in England. The Tudor dynasty established the absolutism of their own power. The new dynasty gave the world a great ruler, about whom the whole world knows - Elizabeth - the virgin queen. The Tudors were in power for 117 years.
Dynastic conflict with romantic name took place in England between the genera Lancaster (Scarlet Rose) and Yorks (White Rose) and lasted 30 years.
So, as short as possible.
"... for the hereditary sovereign, whose subjects managed to get along with the ruling house, it is much easier to retain power than a new one, because for this it is enough for him not to violate the custom of his ancestors and subsequently without haste to apply to new circumstances." (c) N. Machiavelli.
Edward III of the Plantagenet dynasty is considered one of the greatest English kings... His mother was the daughter of the King of France, so Edward decided that he had certain rights to the French throne. When his claims were rejected, he went to war. This war was the longest in world history and was later called the Hundred Years.
Edward III (1312-1377, king from 1327) and his wife Philip Hennegau (1314-1369):
Edward and Philippa had 15 children, including seven sons. Three of them are related to this story: Edward, nicknamed "The Black Prince" (1330-1376), John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340-1399) and Edmund Langley, Duke of York (1341-1402).
Black Prince and John of Gaunt:
The Black Prince has died before father and Edward III was succeeded by his grandson, Richard II.
Richard II (1367-1400), King of England 1377-1399:
At the beginning of his reign, Richard often went to extremes and was influenced by the favorites. But over time, there was hope that his reign would become more conscious and wise. However, unsuccessful campaigns in Ireland, as well as the brutally suppressed peasant uprising Wat Tyler contributed to his decline in popularity. In 1399, Richard's cousin - the son of John of Gaunt - Heinrich Bolingbroke returned from exile and revolted. As a result, Richard was deposed and imprisoned in Pontefract Castle, where he died a year later. According to one of the versions, he was starved to death. With the death of Richard, the Plantagenet dynasty was stopped. Henry Bolingbroke became king under the name of Henry IV. So the Lancaster dynasty came to power.
Lancaster.
Scarlet Rose Lancaster
The Lancaster dynasty is represented by three kings: Henry IV (1367-1413, king from 1399), his son Henry V (1387-1422, king from 1413) and his grandson Henry VI (1422-1471, king 1422-1461). G.) :
The first two monarchs were strong and gifted rulers, especially Henry V, who was also a brilliant military leader. His military talent manifested itself in the war with France - for example, in the battle of Agincourt (Agencourt) - and, had he lived a little more, the outcome of the Hundred Years War could have been completely different, but Wars of the Scarlet and White Rose most likely it would not be at all. But Henry V died at 35, and his only son was not even a year old at that time. His uncle, the Duke of Bedford, became regent under him.
(United Tudor rose)
The Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt (father of Henry IV) was married for the second time to his mistress Catherine Swinford - a woman of lower descent - therefore her long time was not considered a legal wife. From this marriage he had a son, John Beaufort (or Beafort), who in turn also had a son, John Beaufort II, and his daughter was Margaret, who married Edmund Tudor. Their son later became King Henry VII.
Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509) and her son Henry VII (1457-1509, king from 1485):
Before the birth of her son, Margaret was considered a contender for the throne in the event early death Henry VI. In this she was supported by the Beauphors and the closest relatives - Lancaster. As for Edmund Tudor, he was the half-brother of Henry VI, born in the semi-legal marriage of Queen Catherine, the widow of Henry V and her second husband, the Welsh nobleman Owen Tudor. The Tudors were later legitimized, but the fact remains - in both cases, both by paternal and maternal line, they have long been considered illegitimate.
White Rose of York.
Edward III's fourth son, Edmund Langley, had a son, Richard, who held the title of Earl of Cambridge. His son was also named Richard. He inherited the title of Duke of York.
THE BEGINNING OF THE CONFLICT
Henry VI Lancaster and his wife Margaret of Anjou had no children for 9 years of marriage. All this time, Richard of York (his second cousin uncle) was rightfully considered the heir to the throne. In 1452, the royal couple finally had a son, which made the York supporters extremely annoyed. And a year later, Henry VI fell into insanity - it was a hereditary disease transmitted through his mother, Catherine of France. Popular with the people, Richard of York began to challenge the custody of the king who fell into infancy with Margaret of Anjou. Prior to that, they always tried to keep him at a distance, appointing either the ruler of Ireland or the commander-in-chief in France (the Hundred Years War was in full swing). And so Richard returned, raised a mutiny, as a result of which there was the first armed conflict between the Yorks and ruling dynasty Lancaster. During one of the battles, Richard, his son and younger brother were killed. As an intimidation, by order of Margaret of Anjou, Richard's head in a paper crown was impaled on a spear and presented to the participants in the uprising.
These events are considered the beginning Wars of the Scarlet and White Rose.
After Richard's death, his eldest son Edward became the leader of the Yorks. In 1461 he deposed Henry VI and became king as Edward IV. Margaret of Anjou with her son and husband fled to France, where she asked for help from King Louis XI - her cousin... In his turn, Edward made an alliance with worst enemy Louis duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold and gave his sister Marguerite to him.
Louis XI (1423-1483, king from 1461), Charles the Bold (1433-1477, duke from 1467):
In 1470, with the support of the French, Henry VI was again reinstated on the throne.
Yorkies fled to Burgundy to Charles the Bold.
A year later, a quarrel broke out between the French king and the Duke of Burgundy, as a result of which the latter unleashed a civil war in England. Edward returned to power, Henry was imprisoned in the Tower and soon killed. A few months before that, he died and his The only son... Lancaster no longer had a claim to the throne.
Children of Richard of York : 1) Edward, Earl of March, then Duke of York, and since 1461 King Edward IV (1442-1483) ; 2) Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy (1446-1503); 3) George, Duke of Clarence (1449-1478); and 4) Richard, Duke of Gloucester, since 1483 King Richard III (1452-1485) :
In 1477 the Duke of Burgundy was killed in the Battle of Nancy. In connection with this event, Lancaster could use the help of Louis XI, no one is now unlimited, but apart from Queen Margaret, none of them were alive. Louis bought her from Edward for 2,000 pounds and gave asylum in France, where she died 5 years later.
In 1483 Edward IV died. His son was never crowned, but in history he remained under the name Edward V. He was 12 years old, so Richard of Gloucester proclaimed himself regent until his nephew came of age. Soon he declared the marriage of Edward's parents invalid (there were certain reasons for that), and he himself was illegitimate and under this pretext seized power. Edward V and his brother the Duke of York were locked in the Tower and have not been seen since. Rumors spread that the princes were killed at the behest of their uncle. One work of Shakespeare contributed to the vitality of this rumor. A refutation of this version can be the fact that Richard was a gifted ruler who gained popularity in his youth. Both the people and many members of the nobility preferred to see the mature and experienced Richard on the throne rather than his young nephew. If Richard ordered the murder of his nephews, he made a fatal mistake. If not, then this was an incident that played an equally fatal role in his life, since after that, the popularity of Richard III began to decline.
At the same time, Heinrich Tudor, who was in France, began to gather supporters. Louis XI had died by that time and was succeeded by his 13-year-old son under the regency of his sister Anna. Anne of France "sponsored" Henry's event by giving him 20,000 francs.
Anna of France (1460-1522, regent of France from 1483):
In 1485, the famous Battle of Bosworth took place, in which Henry defeated Richard's forces. The story ends with Henry Tudor's rise to power Wars of the Scarlet and White Rose... To strengthen his rights, Henry married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth York and chose a united rose as an emblem - white against a scarlet background.
Elizabeth of York (1466-1503):
V late XVII v. 2 skeletons were found in the Tower. They are believed to have belonged to murdered princes. There is also a version that Edward V died of natural causes, and his younger brother was secretly taken out of England.
Edward V (1470-1483?) And his brother Richard York (1472-1483?):
But there is also a version, which is becoming more and more popular, that the princes were killed on the orders of Henry Tudor. With rather ghostly claims to the throne, he was not at all "interested" in leaving the sons of Edward IV alive ...
War of the Scarlet and White Rose
- a series of armed dynastic conflicts between groups English nobility in 1455-1485 in the struggle for power between the supporters of the two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - Lancaster and York. Despite the established in historical literature chronological framework Conflict, individual war-related clashes took place both before and after the war. The war ended with the victory of Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster, who founded the dynasty that ruled England and Wales for 117 years. The war brought significant destruction and disaster to the population of England; during the conflict, a large number of representatives of the English feudal aristocracy died.
Causes of the war
The reasons for the war were the difficult economic situation in England, the defeat of England in Hundred Years War, which deprived the feudal lords of the opportunity to plunder the lands of France; the suppression of the Jack Cad rebellion in 1451 and with it the forces opposing feudal anarchy. Lancaster relied mainly on the barons of the backward north, Wales and Ireland, Yorkies - 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 solid power, supported the Yorks. Under King Henry VI of Lancaster, the country was ruled by a clique of several large feudal lords, which aroused discontent in 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 followers of the Scarlet Rose. Soon removed from power, he rebelled again and declared his claims to the English throne. With an army of his followers, he won victories over the enemy at Blore Heath and North Hampton; during 
the latter, he captured the king, after which he forced the upper house to recognize itself as the protector of the state and heir to the throne. But Queen Margaret, wife of Henry VI, and her followers unexpectedly attacked him at Wakefield. Richard was completely defeated and fell in battle. Enemies chopped off his head and put it on the wall of York in a paper crown. His son Edward, with the support of the Earl of Warwick, defeated the supporters of the Lancaster dynasty at Mortimers Cross and Toughton. Henry VI was deposed; he and Margarita fled to Scotland. The winner became King Edward IV.
The war continued. In 1464 Edward IV defeated the Lancastrian supporters in the north of England. Henry VI was captured and imprisoned in the Tower. The desire of Edward IV to strengthen his power and limit the freedoms of the feudal nobility led to the revolt of his former supporters, led by Warwick. Edward fled England, Henry VI in October 1470 was restored to the throne. In 1471, Edward IV at Barnet and Tewkesbury 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 deposed in April 1471 and died in the Tower on May 21, 1471. After the victory, in order to strengthen his power, Edward IV began brutal reprisals against both the representatives of the Lancaster 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 the younger brother of Edward IV, the future king Richard III, who first declared himself the protector of the young king, and then deposed him and ordered to strangle him in the Tower along with him. younger brother Richard. Attempts by Richard III to consolidate his power provoked uprisings of the feudal magnates. Executions and confiscations of property turned supporters of both factions against him. Both Lancaster and York dynasties rallied around Henry Tudor, a distant Lancaster relative who lived in France at the court of King Charles VIII. On August 7 or 8, 1485, Henry landed at Milford Haven, passed unhindered through Wales, and joined up with his supporters. From their combined army, Richard III was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485; he himself was killed. Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, became king. Having married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth, the heiress of York, he combined scarlet and white roses in his coat of arms. Results of the war 
War Scarlet and White Roses was the last riot of feudal anarchy before the establishment of absolutism in England. It was conducted with terrible ferocity and was accompanied by numerous killings and executions. In the struggle, both dynasties were exhausted and perished. The war brought strife, oppression of taxes, plundering of the treasury, lawlessness of large feudal lords, the decline of trade, direct robberies and requisitions to the population of England. During the wars, a significant part of the feudal aristocracy was exterminated, numerous confiscations of land holdings undermined its power. At the same time, land holdings increased and the influence of the new nobility and the merchant stratum of merchants increased, which became the backbone of the Tudor absolutism.
Names and symbols
Name " war of roses"Was not used during the war. Roses were the hallmarks of the two warring parties. It is not known exactly who used them for the first time. If the White Rose, symbolizing the Mother of God, was used as a distinctive sign even by the first Duke of York Edmund Langley in the XIV century, then nothing is known about the use of Scarlet Lancastrians before the start of the war. Perhaps it was invented in contrast to the emblem of the enemy. The term came into use in the 19th century, after the publication of the story "Anna Geerstein" by Sir Walter Scott. Scott chose the title based on a fictional scene in Part I of William Shakespeare's Henry VI, where opposing parties choose different colored roses in Temple Church. Although roses were sometimes used as symbols during the war, most members used symbols associated with their feudal lords or protectors. 
For example, Henry's forces at Bosworth fought under the banner of the red dragon, while the York army used Richard III's personal symbol, the white boar. Evidence of the importance of rose symbols rose when King Henry VII, at the end of the war, combined the red and white roses of the factions into a single red and white Tudor Rose. The names of the competing factions bear little resemblance to the cities of York and Lancaster, or the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, even though cricket or rugby league matches between the two counties are often described using the cliché "War of the Roses". In fact, the provinces and castles belonging to the Dukes of Lancaster were mainly in Gloucestershire, North Wales, and Cheshire, while York possessions were widespread throughout England, although many were in the Welsh Marks.
The conflict was attended mainly by representatives of the English feudal aristocracy with detachments of their servants and supporters, as well as a small number of foreign mercenaries. Support to the opposing sides was largely determined by dynastic factors. The so-called system of "bastard feudalism" was one of the main factors that influenced the fall of authority and influence royal power and escalation armed conflict... Service to the lord in exchange for land and gifts remained important, however, it was determined not by the feudal tradition, but by the support of the feudal lord of any of the opposing factions, which, in turn, patronized him for this. The transition to the service of feudal lords to large tycoons due to personal ambitions, greed for profit and profitable marriages gave rise to the growth of betrayals and betrayals, which often decided the outcome of many battles. The armies of the parties were represented by numerous feudal detachments of professional warriors, as well as detachments of warriors called up to war by special royal orders, which gave the bearer of the document the right to convene and arm soldiers on behalf of the king or a major tycoon. The warriors from the lower social strata were mainly archers and bilmen. The soldiers traditionally fought on foot, the cavalry was used only for reconnaissance and gathering provisions and fodder, as well as for movement. 
The main events of the war
The confrontation turned into an open war in 1455, when the Yorkists celebrated victory in the First Battle of St Albans, shortly thereafter English Parliament declared Richard of York to be the protector of the kingdom and heir to Henry VI. However, in 1460 at the Battle of Wakefield, Richard of York was killed. The White Rose Party was led by his son Edward, who was crowned in London in 1461 as Edward IV. In the same year, the Yorkists won victories at Mortimer Cross and at 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. Active fighting resumed in 1470, when the Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence, 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 in 1471. The Duke of Clarence again went over to his brother's side - and the Yorkists won victories at Barnet and Tewkesbury. In the first of these battles, the Earl of Warwick was killed, in the second, Prince Edward, the only son of Henry VI, died, which, together with the death of Henry himself in the Tower that same year, marked the end of the Lancaster dynasty.
Edward IV - the first king of the York dynasty - reigned peacefully until his death, which followed unexpectedly for everyone in 1483, when the king a short time became his son Edward V. However, the royal council declared him illegitimate, and his brother 
Edward IV Richard of Gloucester was crowned the same year as Richard III. His short and dramatic reign was filled with struggles with overt and covert opposition. In this struggle, the king was initially favored by luck, but the number of opponents only increased. In 1485, a Lancastrian force led by Henry Tudor landed in Wales. In the battle that took place at Bosworth, Richard III was killed, and the crown passed to Henry Tudor, who was crowned as Henry VII - the founder of the Tudor dynasty. In 1487, the Earl of Lincoln tried to reclaim the crown to the Yorks, but was killed at Stoke Field.
The end of the war
After the victory, in order to strengthen his power, Edward IV began brutal reprisals against both representatives of the Lancaster 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 the younger brother of Edward IV, the future king Richard III, who first declared himself the protector of the young king, and then deposed him and ordered him to be strangled in the Tower along with his younger brother Richard. Attempts by Richard III to consolidate his power provoked uprisings of the feudal magnates. Executions and confiscations of property turned supporters of both factions against him. Both Lancaster and York dynasties rallied around Henry Tudor, a distant Lancaster relative who lived in France at the court of King Charles VIII. On August 7 or 8, 1485, Henry landed at Milford Haven, passed unhindered through Wales, and joined up with his supporters. From their combined army, Richard III was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485; he himself was killed. Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, became king. Having married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth, the 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 riot of feudal anarchy before the establishment of absolutism in England. It was conducted with terrible ferocity and was accompanied by numerous killings and executions. In the struggle, both dynasties were exhausted and perished. The war brought strife, oppression of taxes, plundering of the treasury, lawlessness of large feudal lords, the decline of trade, direct robberies and requisitions to the population of England. During the wars, a significant part of the feudal aristocracy was exterminated, numerous confiscations of land holdings undermined its power. At the same time, land holdings increased and the influence of the new nobility and the merchant stratum of merchants increased, which became the backbone of the Tudor absolutism.
