History: The Wars of the Roses: an introduction

The course examines the bitter struggle for the Crown of England in the mid-fifteenth century. A focus will be on the rivalries that developed and the inevitability of conflict. The story is one of violence and usurpation: sibling turning on sibling, uncles turning on nephews, and at the very core of it all, a struggle for the ultimate power: control of the throne of England. Lancastrians versus Yorkists. Notable figures who emerged included Richard Neville, who switched sides at different points, supporting the Yorkists and Lancastrians. Another pivotal figure is Richard Duke of York, whose wronged ego was a catalyst for the noble in-fighting that characterised the 1440s and 50s. It was a time characterised by dynastic instability and political chaos. The shifting of leadership and loyalties within the nobility and the shifting claims to the throne created a sense of mistrust among the ruling elite, fuelling the violence and bloodshed we call the Wars of the Roses