Scarlet and white rose briefly. History and ethnology

Humanity tends to romanticize own story after centuries. Today the Middle Ages are perceived as a time beautiful ladies, noble knights and no less noble robbers, street musicians and poets. Stories based on the events of that time form the basis of extremely popular books and TV series. At the same time, the introduction of magicians and dragons into these works sets off the true horror of everything that happens.

Countless murders, burning of cities and villages, devastation and desolation, epidemics that claim hundreds of thousands of lives - this real picture does not look as good as the movie plots.

One of the most famous civil conflicts medieval Europe, from which modern authors draw inspiration, is the so-called War of the Roses, which unfolded in England in the second half of the 15th century.

The romantic name for this civil war appeared only in the 19th century thanks to writer Walter Scott. Roses were indeed the distinctive symbols of the two warring camps: white belonged to the Yorks, and scarlet to the Lancasters.

Crisis of the Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War ended in 1453 - series armed conflicts between England and France, the original reason for which was the claims of the English kings to the French throne.

The war ended with the defeat of the British, which caused a deep crisis in the country. Thousands of soldiers returned to England, disappointed by their failure and looking for the use of their skills acquired on the battlefield.

A dynastic conflict with a romantic name took place in England between the families of Lancaster (Scarlet Rose) and York (White Rose) and lasted 30 years.

So, as short as possible.

“.. it is much easier for a hereditary sovereign, whose subjects have managed to get along with the ruling house, to retain power than for a new one, because for this it is enough for him not to violate the customs of his ancestors and subsequently apply himself to new circumstances without haste.” (c) N. Macchiavelli.

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 Philippa of Gennegau (1314-1369):

Edward and Philippa had 15 children, including seven sons. Three of them are relevant 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).

The Black Prince and John of Gaunt:

The Black Prince predeceased his father and Edward III was succeeded by his grandson as Richard II.

Richard II (1367-1400), king of England in 1377-1399:

At the beginning of his reign, Richard often went to extremes and was influenced by his favorites. But over time, hope arose that his rule would become more conscious and wise. However, unsuccessful campaigns in Ireland, as well as Wat Tyler's brutally suppressed peasant revolt, contributed to the decline of his popularity. In 1399, Richard's cousin - the son of John of Gaunt - Henry Bolingbroke returned from exile and rebelled. As a result, Richard was deposed and imprisoned at Pontefract Castle, where he died a year later. According to one version, he was starved to death. With the death of Richard, the Plantagenet dynasty came to an end. Henry Bolingbroke became king under the name Henry IV. This is how the Lancaster dynasty came to power.

Lancasters.

Scarlet Rose of Lancaster

The Lancastrian 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 from 1422-1461). G.) :

The first two monarchs were strong and gifted rulers, especially Henry V, who was also a brilliant commander. His military talent manifested itself in the war with France - for example, in the battle of Agincourt (Agencourt) - and, had he lived a little longer, the outcome of the Hundred Years' War could have been completely different, and Wars of the Roses most likely it would not exist 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 his regent.

(United Tudor Rose)

Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt (father of Henry IV) was married for his second marriage to his mistress Catherine Swynford - a woman of lower birth - so her for a long time was not considered a legal wife. By 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 of the early death of Henry VI. In this she was supported by the Beauforts and immediate family- Lancasters. As for Edmund Tudor, he was the half-brother of Henry VI, born into the semi-legal marriage of Queen Catherine, the widow of Henry V, and her second husband, the Welsh nobleman Owen Tudor. The Tudors were subsequently legitimized, but the fact remains that in both cases, on both the paternal and maternal lines, they were considered illegitimate for a long time.

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 Duke of York.

THE BEGINNING OF THE CONFLICT

Henry VI of Lancaster and his wife Margaret of Anjou had no children during their 9 years of marriage. All this time, Richard of York (his second cousin) was rightfully considered the heir to the throne. In 1452, the royal couple finally had a son, which caused York supporters to be extremely annoyed. And a year later, Henry VI fell into insanity - it was a hereditary disease transmitted through his mother Catherine of France. Enjoying popularity among the people, Richard of York began to challenge the guardianship of the king, who had fallen into infancy, from Margaret of Anjou. Before this, they always tried to keep him at a distance, appointing him 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 rebellion, which resulted in the first armed conflict between the Yorks and the ruling Lancaster dynasty. During one of the battles, Richard, his son and younger brother were killed. As a deterrent, by order of Margaret of Anjou, Richard's head in a paper crown was mounted on a spear and presented to the participants in the uprising.

These events are considered the beginning Wars of the Roses.

After Richard's death, his eldest son Edward became leader of the Yorks. In 1461 he deposed Henry VI and became king under the name Edward IV. Margaret of Anjou fled to France with her son and husband, where she asked for help from King Louis XI, her cousin. In his turn, Edward entered into an alliance with Louis’s worst enemy, Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold, and gave him his sister Margaret in marriage.

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 restored to the throne.

The Yorkies fled to Burgundy to Charles the Bold.

A year later, a quarrel occurred between the French king and the Duke of Burgundy, as a result of which the latter started a civil war in England. Edward returned to power, Henry was imprisoned in the Tower and soon killed. A few months earlier, his only son had also died. The Lancastrians had no more contenders for the throne.

Children of Richard of York : 1) Edward, Earl of March, then Duke of York, and from 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, from 1483 King Richard III (1452-1485) :

In 1477, the Duke of Burgundy died in the Battle of Nancy. In connection with this event, the Lancasters could have used the help of Louis XI, now unlimited by anyone, but except for Queen Margaret, none of them were alive. Louis bought her from Edward for 2,000 pounds and gave her refuge in France, where she died 5 years later.

In 1483 Edward IV died. His son was never crowned, but remained in history under the name of 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 this), and he himself was illegitimate, and under this pretext he 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 on the orders of their uncle. One work of Shakespeare greatly contributed to the persistence 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, because... after this, Richard III's popularity began to decline.

At the same time, Henry Tudor, who was in France, began to gather supporters. Louis XI had died by then and was succeeded by his 13-year-old son under the regency of his sister Anne. Anne of France "sponsored" Henry's event, giving him 20,000 francs.

Anne of France (1460-1522, regent of France from 1483):

In 1485, the famous Battle of Bosworth took place, in which Henry defeated Richard's troops. History ends with Henry Tudor's rise to power Wars of the Roses. To strengthen his rights, Henry married the daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth of York, and chose a united rose as an emblem - white against a scarlet background.

Elizabeth of York (1466-1503):

IN late XVII V. 2 skeletons were found in the Tower. It is believed that they belonged to the murdered princes. There is also a version that Edward V died of natural causes, and his younger brother was secretly taken outside of England.

Edward V (1470-1483?) and his brother Richard of York (1472-1483?):

But there is also a version, which is becoming increasingly popular, that the princes were killed on the orders of Henry Tudor. With rather illusory claims to the throne, he was completely “uninterested” in leaving the sons of Edward IV alive...

The civil war, known in history as the Wars of the Roses, took place between Yorkshire and Lancashire, whose symbols were the white and scarlet roses. It lasted for 30 long years and caused enormous damage to the population and devastation to the lands on which this population lived. So many members of the aristocracy were exterminated during the war that Henry VII had to re-create this social stratum. Henry VII was the king who brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom, unlike his predecessor, the usurper Richard III, who stole the throne through deceit and a series of base murders. The longbow dominated the battlefield at that time, and among the warriors were knights and heavily armed horsemen, covered from head to toe in bulky plate armor, riding on war horses, also clad in armor.

A familiar picture, perhaps without a word of truth.

Edward IV, king who reigned in England from 1464-83. He seized the throne with the help of the Duke of Warwick, whom he later killed in battle. In the same year, on his orders, Henry VI was killed in prison. Moral principles Edward VI was very confused and unstable, the greed was enormous. The way he arranged his wedding completely discredited him. He achieved financial independence from Parliament through a short war with France in 1475. Subsequently, he received an annual subsidy of 20,000 crowns from Louis XI.

In the 16th century, English history was rewritten to favor Henry Tudor in order to help establish the Tudor dynasty after the period of turmoil that followed the Wars of the Roses. As a result, many widespread but completely incorrect opinions regarding the events of this war have survived to this day. Before I venture to a general conclusion, I would like to address the deep-rooted misconceptions that general outline mentioned at the beginning of the chapter.

A civil war is a war in which citizens of a country kill their own compatriots. By this definition, the War of the Roses may well be classified as a civil war. In fact, this war was a manifestation of the dynastic struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster and affected only the aristocratic families of these houses, as well as their adherents and successors. These campaigns were more a protracted power struggle between two political parties than civil war. Both parties recognized the need to unify the kingdom and the existing system of government represented by the king, the council and parliament. Neither party sought to destroy or weaken royal power, as was the case during the civil wars on the continent. Each of the factions only wanted to gain power in the Council and through this rule the country.

Thus, wars were fought by large barons, mainly of the border regions, with the help of private armies that were not part of the public service. The conflicts of large feudal lords differed to some extent from other wars of the era, both internal (civil) and external, in that ordinary people the barons tried not to touch, as they needed supporters to support their fight against other feudal lords; and also because they were interested in the prosperity of the kingdom. Philippe de Comines notes in his memoirs: “The British did not kill anyone after winning the battle, especially ordinary people. On the contrary, each of the opposing sides tried to win the favor of the common people. King Edward told me that, finally convinced of his victory at the end of the battle, he jumped on his horse and shouted the order to spare the commoners and put the noble knights to death. Of the latter, few managed to escape. The English kingdom had one advantage over other kingdoms: the countryside, as a rule, was not destroyed, the inhabitants were not destroyed, buildings were not destroyed or burned. All troubles fell mainly to the soldiers and nobles.

It is believed that the War of the Roses lasted for 30 years: from 1455 to 1485. This figure can be divided into three periods of peak conflict: 1455-64, 1469-71, 1483-87. The actual duration of the campaign is 428 days. The confrontation broke out with another fight, after which everything very quickly calmed down. The longest trek from Wakefield to Towton lasted 4 months. Even Edward's campaign to seize the throne took only 2 months, from his landing at Ravenspur to the Battle of Tewkesbury.

Taking into account the above facts, it can be understood that the long, bloody battles and other horrors associated with the civil war were not typical of the War of the Roses. Modern historians believe that the idea of ​​a plundered land devastated by civil war was cemented in history through the efforts of Tudor supporters. They created this image in order to enhance the contrast between the devastation that reigned in the country before the accession of Henry VII to the throne, and the peace and prosperity that came to England under the new king.

The aristocracy suffered greatly. Although this is still a question: is it so strong? Yes, many knights were killed. But their families were not destroyed, as is often claimed. The old nobility actually survived the war. K.B. MacFarlane gives a figure of 25 percent, indicating the rate of extinction of noble families. Of course, 25 percent is high level mortality. Undoubtedly, the nobility was dying out. This great decline was caused by the lack of male heirs, as well as the fact that many lives were claimed by the war. The noble families indeed suffered severely: of the 16 families of dukes and earls that existed in the last decade of the reign of Henry VII, only two remained unscathed - William, Earl of Arundel, who took no part in either the war or the political struggle, and Ralph Neuville, the second Duke Westmoreland.

There is also confusion surrounding the names of the two parties - York and Lancaster. At that time, the York dynasty had its largest supporters in the central counties of England, and the Lancastrians dominated in Yorkshire! It is important to remember that York and Lancaster are the names of two rival dynasties that have little in common with place names. We should not be confused by the confrontation between two modern English counties of the same name, which in no way relates to the events described.

It should be noted that even the name of the war is incorrect. The noisy quarrels of the great barons of that period were given such a sonorous name many years later. The name was probably coined by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th century. Shakespeare's play “Henry VI” played a role in entrenching the misconception. There is a famous scene where the warring nobles gather red and white roses in the Temple garden.

Discord between noble families continued. One of the most puzzling circumstances was that families often became allies of yesterday's rivals by marrying into opposite side, after which titles and estates passed into the hands of recent enemies thanks to the heiresses. I hope what is offered here short description events and famous figures who took part in them will help to understand who fought with whom, where, when and for what.

War of the Scarlet and White Roses

The rivalry between the two dynasties in England resulted in a civil war that began in 1455. Since the last months of the Hundred Years' War, two branches of the Plantagenet family - York and Lancaster - have been fighting for the throne of England. The War of the Roses (York's coat of arms had a white rose, and Lancaster's had a scarlet one) put an end to the reign of the Plantagenets.

1450

England was going through difficult times. King Henry VI of Lancaster was unable to calm down the disagreements 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 given unlimited power.

In the spring of 1450, the loss of Normandy signaled collapse. Multiplying internecine wars. The state is collapsing. The conviction and subsequent murder of Suffolk does not lead to peace. Jack Cad rebels in Kent and marches on London. Royal troops defeat Cad, but the anarchy continues.

The king's brother Richard, Duke of York, who was in exile in Ireland at that time, 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 lost his mind as a result of severe fright. Taking advantage of this, Richard York achieved the most important position - protector of the state. But Henry VI regained his sanity, and the Duke's position began to shake. Not wanting to give up power, Richard York gathers armed detachments of his followers.

Lancasters vs Yorks

York enters into an alliance with the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, who are armed with a strong army, which in May 1455 defeats the royal troops 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 the army and flees to Ireland. In October 1459, his son Edward occupied Calais, from where the Lancasters unsuccessfully tried to dislodge them. There he gathers a new army. In July 1460, the Lancastrians were defeated at Northampton. The king is in prison, and Parliament names York heir.

At this time, Margaret of Anjou, determined to defend the rights of her son, gathers her loyal subjects in the north of England. Taken by surprise by the royal army near Wakefield, York and Salisbury are killed. The Lancastrian army moves south, devastating everything in its path. Edward, the son of the Duke of York, and the Earl of Warwick, having learned about the tragedy, hastened to London, whose inhabitants joyfully greeted their army. They defeated the Lancastrians at Towton, after which Edward was crowned Edward IV.

Continuation of the war

Taking refuge in Scotland and supported by France, Henry VI still had supporters in the north of England, but they were defeated in 1464 and the king was imprisoned again in 1465. It seems that everything is over. However, Edward IV faces the same situation as Henry VI.

The Neville clan, led by the Earl of Warwick, who placed Edward on the throne, is starting a fight with Queen Elizabeth's clan. The king's brother, Duke of Clarence, is jealous of his power. Warwick and Clarence mutiny. 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 keep 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 Margaret of Anjou and the House of Lancaster.

He did this so well that in September 1470, Warwick, supported by Louis XI, returned to England as a supporter of the Lancastrians. King Edward IV flees to Holland to join his son-in-law Charles the Bold. At the same time, Warwick, nicknamed the “kingmaker,” and Clarence restore Henry VI to the throne. However, in March 1471, Edward returned with an army financed by Charles the Bold. At Barnet, he wins a decisive victory - thanks to Clarence, who betrayed Warwick. Warwick is killed. The Lancastrian Southern Army is defeated at Tewkesbury. In 1471 Henry VI died (or possibly was assassinated), Edward IV returned to London.

Union of two roses

Problems arise again after the king's death in 1483. Edward's brother, Richard of Gloucester, who hates the queen and her supporters, orders the murder of the king's children in the Tower of London, and seizes the crown under the name of Richard III. This act makes him so unpopular that the Lancasters regain hope. Their distant relative was Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, son of the last of the Lancastrians 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 discord of the Welsh dynasty.

Richmond, along with the supporters of Margaret of Anjou, weaves a web of conspiracy and lands in Wales in August 1485. The decisive battle took place on August 22 at Bosworth. Betrayed by many of his circle, Richard III was assassinated. Richard ascends the throne as Henry VII, then marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. The Lancasters become related to the Yorks, the War of the Roses ends, and the king builds his power on the union of the two branches. He introduces a system of strict control of the aristocracy. After the accession of the Tudor dynasty, a new page was written in the history of England.

Although historians are still debating the true extent of the conflict's impact on medieval English life, there is no doubt that the War of the Roses led to a political upheaval and a change in the established balance of power. The most obvious outcome was the collapse of the Plantagenet dynasty, which was replaced by a new Tudor dynasty, which changed England for next years. In subsequent years, the remnants of the Plantagenet factions, left without direct access to the throne, split into different positions as the monarchs continually pitted them against each other.

The War of the Roses virtually brought an end to the English Middle Ages. She brought about changes in feudal English society, including the weakening of the feudal power of the nobility and the strengthening of the position of the merchant class, as well as the rise of a strong, centralized monarchy under the leadership of the Tudor dynasty. The accession of the Tudors in 1485 is considered the beginning of the Modern Age in English history.

On the other hand, it has also been suggested that the horrific impact of the war was exaggerated by Henry VII in order to extol his achievements in ending it and bringing peace. Of course, the effect of the war on merchants and peasants was much less than in the protracted wars in France and elsewhere in Europe, which were filled with mercenaries with a direct interest in continuing the war. Although there were a few long sieges, they were in relatively remote and sparsely populated areas. In heavily populated areas that belonged to both factions, opponents, in order to prevent the devastation of the territories, sought a quick solution to the conflict in the form of a general battle.

The war was disastrous to England's already diminishing influence in France, and by the end of the fighting there were no English possessions left there except Calais, which was eventually also lost during the reign of Mary I. Although later English rulers continued to campaign on the continent, England's territory did not increase at all. Various European duchies and kingdoms played important roles in the war, particularly the kings of France and the dukes of Burgundy, who aided the Lancastrians and Yorks in their struggles against each other. Giving them armed forces and financial assistance, as well as offering refuge to defeated nobles and claimants, they thereby wanted to prevent the emergence of a united and strong England that would become a threat to them.

The post-war period was also the "funeral march" for the standing baronial armies that fueled the conflict. Henry VII, fearing further infighting, kept the barons under tight control, forbidding them from training, recruiting, arming and supplying armies so that they could not start a war with each other or with the king. As a result, the military power of the barons diminished, and the Tudor court became the place where baronial quarrels were decided by the will of the monarch.

Not only the descendants of the Plantagenets, but also a significant part of the English lords and knighthood died on the battlefields, scaffolds and in prison casemates. For example, during the period from 1425 to 1449, before the outbreak of war, many noble dynasties disappeared, which continued during the war from 1450 to 1474. The death in battle of the most ambitious part of the nobility led to a decrease in the desire of its remnants to risk their lives and titles.