How Far Was the Outbreak of Civil War in 1455 the Result of Henry’s Inadequacies? Essay Example
How far was the outbreak of Civil War in 1455 the result of Henry’s inadequacies?
The War of the Roses was a crucial and significant period in the England’s history playing an important role in it. There were many factors which can be seen as the causes of the war. However, it is vital to clarify to what extent its outbreak was caused by Henry’s inadequacies.
The powerlessness of Henry VI is a central factor of the outbreak of the war. He was known to be too soft and malleable to the wishes of his surrounding that had influence and control of him. Henry was considered to be a person who was very uninterested in the politics of the country. He also felt the lack of cleverness and strong features of character that were fundamental for the king. For these reasons Henry is characterised as a weak king, an “under-mighty monarch”. Although, technically he was the ruler of the country, noble ministers run it, in fact. There were rivalry and conflicts among these strong, influential, over-ambitious nobles, who were called “over-mighty subjects”. They competed for royal favour – patronage in the form of money and titles. The king was supposed to control disputes in order to prevent them of being spread and have a negative influence on the country. Nevertheless, Henry was too feeble and hesitant to follow this charge and enabled the most ambitious barons to become to powerful, which is known as “Bastard Feudalism”. For instance, the conflict between the Neville family and the Percy family caused the private war in 1453-1454. The beginning of the Civil War showed that the king was no longer in control of his nobility and that they, in turn had let their political contention to spill over into armed clash. As it was the king’s task to keep order and command his subordinates, the outbreak of the war is seen as a result of Henry’s insufficiency.
It is interesting that because of the diplomatic blunders, England reopened the war with France being absolutely
The War of the Roses was a crucial and significant period in the England’s history playing an important role in it. There were many factors which can be seen as the causes of the war. However, it is vital to clarify to what extent its outbreak was caused by Henry’s inadequacies.
The powerlessness of Henry VI is a central factor of the outbreak of the war. He was known to be too soft and malleable to the wishes of his surrounding that had influence and control of him. Henry was considered to be a person who was very uninterested in the politics of the country. He also felt the lack of cleverness and strong features of character that were fundamental for the king. For these reasons Henry is characterised as a weak king, an “under-mighty monarch”. Although, technically he was the ruler of the country, noble ministers run it, in fact. There were rivalry and conflicts among these strong, influential, over-ambitious nobles, who were called “over-mighty subjects”. They competed for royal favour – patronage in the form of money and titles. The king was supposed to control disputes in order to prevent them of being spread and have a negative influence on the country. Nevertheless, Henry was too feeble and hesitant to follow this charge and enabled the most ambitious barons to become to powerful, which is known as “Bastard Feudalism”. For instance, the conflict between the Neville family and the Percy family caused the private war in 1453-1454. The beginning of the Civil War showed that the king was no longer in control of his nobility and that they, in turn had let their political contention to spill over into armed clash. As it was the king’s task to keep order and command his subordinates, the outbreak of the war is seen as a result of Henry’s insufficiency.
It is interesting that because of the diplomatic blunders, England reopened the war with France being absolutely