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Extensive thematic essay plans on Edward IV, A* level based on OCR specification History A level.
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1. Assess the reasons why Edward IV was able to establish himself as King in 1461The years 1461-70 marked a turning point in the English monarchy whereby Edward IV, a Yorkist, usurped the
throne with support from the Earl of Warwick. He was most certainly the antithesis of Henry VI, providing the
realm with a strong leader after decades of corruption, lack of leadership and disorder. The root cause of the
conflict that led to Henry’s usurpation was undoubtedly his poor politics and weak personality, however the
reasons for the eventual Yorkist victory by 1461 are more varied. Whilst they were in part due to Henry’s
fundamental weaknesses, Edward IV dynamic leadership and the military might of the Yorkists, in addition to
their particularly powerful supporters; most notably Warwick were definitive reasons for Edward’s ascension to
the throne. Hence, the reasons as to why Edward IV was able to establish himself as King will be evaluated
through 3 themes; the weaknesses of Henry VI, the role of the nobility and the military successes and leadership
First theme- the role of the nobility
The role of the nobility was crucial to Edward IV establishing himself as King in 1461.
It is an inconceivable notion that the Yorkists would have gained the throne were it not for the definitive role
played by Warwick. Given the name ‘Kingmaker’, his military assistance and undieing commitment to the
Yorkist faction proved pivotal.
EVIDENCE
- He spearheaded the initial Yorkist invasion in 1461, landing with 2,000 loyal men from his Calais
Garrison who later gained entry into London. With Richard and his heirs attainted following the
Parliament of Devils, the funds for this invasion came largely from Warwick and the proceeds he
gained from raiding French shipping from his power base in Calais.
- The fact he was able to gain entry into London without the support of York indicated the extent to
which he was responsible for Yorkist success and ultimately Edward IV’s ascension to the throne
- Blore heath is another example of the actions of Warwick proving key to success of Yorkists. In
September 1459, Warwick arrived from Calais narrowly escaping capture by Somerset as he made his
way to Ludlow. The Stanleys were meant to join the Yorkists at Blore Heath, but they ended up not
defecting. However this issue was resolved because they had French soldiers ( mercenaries ) due to
Warwick's strong connection to Calais
- Warwick is thus seen to revive the Yorkist cause by 1461, allowing Edward to establish himself as
King with relative ease
JUDGEMENT on Warwick’s role:
Without him Yorkist cause would’ve been redundant following the attainders placed on York and other leading
nobles at Parliament of Devils in 1459- Edward would’ve been unable to establish himself as King without a
sufficient powerbase,which Warwick provided.
Richard Duke of York was also key to Edward’s ascension
EVIDENCE
Upon Richard’s return in Set 1460, he formally gained the throne in the high court of parliament which
subsequently led to the Act of Accord being passed.
By the 1460 Act of Accord, Richard, Duke of York, was to become King after Henry VI and yet circumstances
meant that this was never to occur.
Although Henry VI lost the throne in 1461, it was to be York's son, Edward who was to rule and not Richard
due to his untimely death at Wakefield. By the work of his father, he was able to become King in law.
JUDGEMENT: His father’s overbearing ambition and tireless effort throughout the 1450s, as evidenced by the
1452 coup of Dartford and his two protectorates, to undermine the Lancastrians was pivotal in allowing Edward
to gain the throne.
By leading two successful protectorates, he exemplified the corruption and disorder that Henry’s factions had
imparted on the realm. For example, he was seen to be provide impartial justice whilst also ensuring fair
treatment of the nobles through even patronage. Additionally, he restored bried order particularly in stopping
noble feuds as evidenced by his defeat of the Percies at Stanford Bridge in 1454
,Thus the successes of Richard that characterised his protectorates and also his position as Lieutenant of Ireland
enabled Edward to take the throne/ be viewed as a viable King. Edward would’ve lacked any authority to claim
the title of King had it not been for the influence of his father in creating the notion of Yorkists as strong,
powerful, uncorrupt etc.
Second theme- military successes and leadership
- Role of Warwick and York in placing Edward IV on the throne was crucial, yet it was Edward who
secured his own military victory at Mortimers cross in 1461.
- Evidence: Parhelion was extremely significant in feeding into superstition of the 15th century- Edward
used it as Yorkist propoganda, claiming that it represented the three sons of York, indicating that they
were the rightful heirs to the throne. This was arguably an opportunist moment for Edward and enabled
him to sucrie his position as the new leader of the Yorkist faction by winning over the older members
of the gentry/nobility. Not only this, but it boosted soldier morale and was thus key to victory
- The battle proved incredibly significant in securing his position as King
- Clever use of propaganda is seen again in Edward’s exacerbation of the fearful northern host following
their loss at the 2nd battle of St Albans in 1461- allowed Edward to gain entry into London where he
received a warm reception.This demonstrates Edwards ability to be a dynamic leader- therefore his
ascension to the throne can be attributed to his own actions within and beyond the battle field.
- Battle of Towton 1461- Days leading up to the battle Edward IV showed himself to be in possession of
many leadership qualities that Henry Vi had clearly lacked. He led his men with inspirational speeches,
fought alongside them on foot, and kept morale high even when the day seemed lost. Moreover, he was
seen to use the appalling whether conditions to his advantage, which demonstrated his quick thinking.
Therefore, his Kingly leadership ha been instrumental to Yorkist victory which demonstrates that his
own abilities to lead the Yorkist’s in military success was the reason he was able to establish himself as
King
- Following the battle which decimated Lancastrian leadership, killing 6 peers including Northumberland
and Clifford, Henry and Margaret were forced to flee, allowing Edward to exert his supremacy in the
North which heralded a turning point by which he now had control over the whole realm following his
earlier crowning as King following the battle of Mortimer’s Cross.
Third theme- Weaknesses of Henry VI
- It is important to highlight the ineffectualness of Henry VI’s reign as a reason why Edward was able to
establish himself as King.
- Civil war had been rife with continued uprisings and rebellions.
- Absence of any real central authority meant that the realm was essentially in a state of anarchy with
rivaling nobles settling scores outside of what the law permitted.
- Dire financial situation following failed war with france
- A multitude of issues within England directly exacerbated by the King's poor judgement, such as the
financial problems due to his extensive use of patronage. The state of his finances, alongside the
additional strain of war, meant that Henry could not afford to be generous, yet he made vast
endowments to Eton and King's College in 1440 and 1443 respectively. The government became
increasingly reliant on taxation, angering the citizens and soldiers who were going unpaid. Moreover,
his unfair distribution of patronage was a cause for contention amongst the nobility as it led to the
dominance of Suffolk's faction, laying the foundations for future hostilities. This undoubtedly shows
his ineptitude as a ruler, with his reign grounded in bankruptcy, corruption and unnecessary
extravagance; thus his own actions were the architect of his downfall and the subsequent ceasing of the
throne by Edward in 1461.
- Weaknesses of Henry exemplified the strengths of Edward IV, making it incredibly easy for him to
gain the throne. He drove supporters away…..
, - His financial mismanagement had isolated the London merchants to whom he owed vast sums of
money, turning this powerful group against him. This provided the Yorkists with an immediate support
base, establishing them as the party of the south, who now had the backing of London’s wealthy
merchant classes. These merchants were heavily represented in the House of Commons, it is little
surprise that the House of Commons generally ruled in his favour, as demonstrated by the Act of
Accord in 1460.
Conclusion: Role of Warwick and other nobles was most important, although Edward was seen to advance his
own cause often by displaying characteristics of leadership, strength, charm etc, he would’ve arguably never had
the chance without the support of Warwick in 1460 and the tireless effort of his father in the 1450’s . Again
Henry’s weaknesses were very important in allowing his usurping of the throne, however this does not
necessitate Edward as the only viable alternative; Tudors, Edward Vth etc were all option. One may argue that
his military success was the most important, but as an isolated factor it was not definitive enough for Edward to
become King. Whats more, is that the majority of Yorkist military victory up to 1461 was a result of the
continued support, supplies, money and soldiers provided by leading nobles, most notably Warwick. Thus
military success was reliant on others and was not just down to the role of Edward.
2. “Lancastrian Weaknesses were the main reason that Edward IV was able to gain and retail the
throne from 1461”
Intro: Outline Lancastrian weaknesses (Henry VI ineptitude, disorder, corruption, fueding of nobles who were
circumventing the law, financial issues, failed French campaign, partisan government and domination of
particular factions).
- It is important to highlight the ineffectualness of Henry VI’s reign as a reason why Edward was able to
establish himself as King.
- Civil war had been rife with continued uprisings and rebellions.
- Absence of any real central authority meant that the realm was essentially in a state of anarchy with
rivaling nobles settling scores outside of what the law permitted. For example, the Bonville and
Courtenay feud dominated south-western politics where the resorting to violence between the two
families led to death. This serves as evidence to suggest the King was allowing the realm to crumble
under his watch.
Despite the dire state of England by 1461 following Lancastrian weakness, it cannot be fully attributed for
Edward’s ascension with his own characteristics and leadership in battle, alongside the avid support of Yorkist
nobility playing a definitive part in his ability to gain and retain the throne. If he had been found to be weak and
unfit for Kingship, he would’ve lost the throne very shortly, however he was able to retain the throne for 10
years suggesting his own strengths were equally significant.
Theme 1: Lancastrian Weakness (Talk about weaknesses of king, mistakes of Magaret, and poor
coordination of army).
- A multitude of issues within England directly exacerbated by the King's poor judgement, such as the
financial problems due to his extensive use of patronage. His unfair distribution of patronage was a
cause for contention amongst the nobility as it led to the dominance of Suffolk's faction, laying the
foundations for future hostilities.
- The dire financial situation following failed war with france also had an impact- isolated the merchants
of London who subsequently turned to the Yorkist cause for support, the merchants dominated
parliament so the act of accord of 1460, which disinherited the Lancastrian dynasty, can be directly
attributed to the Lancastrain mismanagement of finances. Henry= inept as a ruler, with his reign
grounded in bankruptcy, corruption and unnecessary extravagance; crucial in helping edward gain the
throne.
- Weaknesses of Henry exemplified the strengths of Edward IV, making it incredibly easy for him to
gain the throne. For instance, Henry was not present at Towton due it falling on Palm Sunday
(demonstrating his priorities), whereas Edward was seen to be fighting alongside his men, delivering
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