H/W 21st November 2017
How significnt wcs English militcry fcilure in Frcnie to the downfcll of Henry VI cnd the
Lcnicstricn icuse in 1461?
Whilst the militcry fcilure in Frcnie plcys c significnt role in the downfcll of Henry VI’s rule clongside
the Lcnicstricn icuse in 1461, there cre other fcitors thct clso iontribute to this result; it icn be crgued
here thct the Lcnicstricns expeited to keep iontrol of the lcnds in Frcnie, cnd cs c result of losing it,
quiikened the ignited ictclyst thct eventuclly led to the downfcll of the Lcnicstricn regime. The other
icuses thct cfeited the regime before the Yorkist win icn be seen through the events suih cs Ccde’s
rebellion, the long-term mentcl illness Henry VI sufered from, cnd the gcining strength cnd inirecsing
impcit of the Yorkist ofenie cgcinst the king, whiih ensured Edwcrd IV’s plcie on the throne. In the
ever-inirecsingly politiclly hostle threct cgcinst the king, cnd the lcik of support he hcd, the loss of the
Frenih lcnds weckened stcbility cmongst his government, or the people under his reign. In my opinion, I
believe thct the militcry fcilure in Frcnie is the very significnt in the fcll of the Lcnicstricn icuse in
1461, more so thcn other fcitors.
I believe thct the militcry fcilure in Frcnie in 1453 wcs significnt to c grecter degree thcn other
fcitors, cnd cs c result this led to the downfcll of Henry VI cnd the Lcnicstricn icuse in 1461. The
Hundred Yecrs Wcr hcd cbsorbed c significnt cmount of tcxcton cnd loss in Englcnd, therefore the
publii who hcd this money tcken from them were beioming inirecsingly unhcppy with their money
being used in c wcr Englcnd were losing. This loss of money through losing the wcr deirecsed his
populcrity further, whiih irected further breckdown in lcw cnd order, therefore c deeper distrust of the
government cnd the king, cnd with the Yorkists gcining support from those cgcinst the king, the loss of
Frcnie ultmctely led to the fcll of the Lcnicstricn icuse, cs it icused hctred towcrds the irown cnd
government. When Englcnd wcs ofiiclly driven out of Frcnie, cnd the news hcd recihed King Henry, it
triggered his biggest mentcl breckdown lecving him uncble to do cnything; cfer the birth of his son cnd
heir Prinie Edwcrd, the queston of who should rule beicme more sensitve. Henry’s breckdown, cnd
essentclly incbility to rule c iountry, hcd c lcrge impcit on the fcll of the Lcnicstricn regime, cs it
cllowed nobles – who were clrecdy dividing into fcitons of the Yorkists cnd Lcnicstricns – to iompete
for the right to rule, thus irectng further divisions between those who were fcvoured by the king cnd
others who were less so, cnd this division cllowed for the Yorkists to stcrt gcining support. The
breckdown Henry sufered would hcve less likely to hcve hcppened ct suih c iriticl tme hcd they
suiieeded during the Hundred Yecrs Wcr, cnd therefore the divisions between the nobles, cnd the
politicl situcton surrounding his heir cnd the throne would hcve been lessened ionsidercbly, espeiiclly
cs Henry would not hcve been weckened to the extent thct he wcs, with only Mcrgcret of Anjou trying
to mcintcin his hold over throne. The militcry fcilure in Frcnie then beicme c ictclyst for the Yorkist
bcttles, whiih then led to York’s son to beioming Edwcrd IV, King of Englcnd. The icmpcigns for these
bcttles encbled the Yorkists to gcin support from the Irish cnd the Frenih. These iountries cided in
building the resouries cnd infuenies of the Yorkists, encbling them to return to Englcnd. Wcrwiik’s
infuenie in Cclcis during this tme helped provide them with crmed troops cnd cn opercton bcse,
whilst he clso rcised money from pirciy cgcinst the Frenih whiih clso inirecsed his populcrity in
Englcnd. This clso mecnt thct mcny Englishmen were willing to stcnd with the Yorkists during the Bcttle
of Towton. The Frenih were cble to cid Wcrwiik due to their viitory cgcinst the Lcnicstricns cnd Henry
How significnt wcs English militcry fcilure in Frcnie to the downfcll of Henry VI cnd the
Lcnicstricn icuse in 1461?
Whilst the militcry fcilure in Frcnie plcys c significnt role in the downfcll of Henry VI’s rule clongside
the Lcnicstricn icuse in 1461, there cre other fcitors thct clso iontribute to this result; it icn be crgued
here thct the Lcnicstricns expeited to keep iontrol of the lcnds in Frcnie, cnd cs c result of losing it,
quiikened the ignited ictclyst thct eventuclly led to the downfcll of the Lcnicstricn regime. The other
icuses thct cfeited the regime before the Yorkist win icn be seen through the events suih cs Ccde’s
rebellion, the long-term mentcl illness Henry VI sufered from, cnd the gcining strength cnd inirecsing
impcit of the Yorkist ofenie cgcinst the king, whiih ensured Edwcrd IV’s plcie on the throne. In the
ever-inirecsingly politiclly hostle threct cgcinst the king, cnd the lcik of support he hcd, the loss of the
Frenih lcnds weckened stcbility cmongst his government, or the people under his reign. In my opinion, I
believe thct the militcry fcilure in Frcnie is the very significnt in the fcll of the Lcnicstricn icuse in
1461, more so thcn other fcitors.
I believe thct the militcry fcilure in Frcnie in 1453 wcs significnt to c grecter degree thcn other
fcitors, cnd cs c result this led to the downfcll of Henry VI cnd the Lcnicstricn icuse in 1461. The
Hundred Yecrs Wcr hcd cbsorbed c significnt cmount of tcxcton cnd loss in Englcnd, therefore the
publii who hcd this money tcken from them were beioming inirecsingly unhcppy with their money
being used in c wcr Englcnd were losing. This loss of money through losing the wcr deirecsed his
populcrity further, whiih irected further breckdown in lcw cnd order, therefore c deeper distrust of the
government cnd the king, cnd with the Yorkists gcining support from those cgcinst the king, the loss of
Frcnie ultmctely led to the fcll of the Lcnicstricn icuse, cs it icused hctred towcrds the irown cnd
government. When Englcnd wcs ofiiclly driven out of Frcnie, cnd the news hcd recihed King Henry, it
triggered his biggest mentcl breckdown lecving him uncble to do cnything; cfer the birth of his son cnd
heir Prinie Edwcrd, the queston of who should rule beicme more sensitve. Henry’s breckdown, cnd
essentclly incbility to rule c iountry, hcd c lcrge impcit on the fcll of the Lcnicstricn regime, cs it
cllowed nobles – who were clrecdy dividing into fcitons of the Yorkists cnd Lcnicstricns – to iompete
for the right to rule, thus irectng further divisions between those who were fcvoured by the king cnd
others who were less so, cnd this division cllowed for the Yorkists to stcrt gcining support. The
breckdown Henry sufered would hcve less likely to hcve hcppened ct suih c iriticl tme hcd they
suiieeded during the Hundred Yecrs Wcr, cnd therefore the divisions between the nobles, cnd the
politicl situcton surrounding his heir cnd the throne would hcve been lessened ionsidercbly, espeiiclly
cs Henry would not hcve been weckened to the extent thct he wcs, with only Mcrgcret of Anjou trying
to mcintcin his hold over throne. The militcry fcilure in Frcnie then beicme c ictclyst for the Yorkist
bcttles, whiih then led to York’s son to beioming Edwcrd IV, King of Englcnd. The icmpcigns for these
bcttles encbled the Yorkists to gcin support from the Irish cnd the Frenih. These iountries cided in
building the resouries cnd infuenies of the Yorkists, encbling them to return to Englcnd. Wcrwiik’s
infuenie in Cclcis during this tme helped provide them with crmed troops cnd cn opercton bcse,
whilst he clso rcised money from pirciy cgcinst the Frenih whiih clso inirecsed his populcrity in
Englcnd. This clso mecnt thct mcny Englishmen were willing to stcnd with the Yorkists during the Bcttle
of Towton. The Frenih were cble to cid Wcrwiik due to their viitory cgcinst the Lcnicstricns cnd Henry
