SCENE 1:        The Beginning of the war

            A war between the rival houses of York and Lancaster in England, Began in the reign of Henry VI of England

            Edward the III died and Richard II succeeded him but when Richard died he had no direct heirs to the throne but when Richard the II died Henry the IV of Lancaster usurped the throne instead of the rightful York heir.

            For the next 60 years Henry the IV, V, VI ruled the country peacefully but the Yorkish heirs continued to survive. Henry the V escaped war with the Yorkshire rival kings because he was busy fighting in France but when Henry the VI came to the throne trouble began to brew.

            Henry VI was opposed by the Richard Duke of York and constant struggles ensured between 1455-1485. Henry VI was captured and taken prisoner during this period but his wife then rose up against Richard and killed him in battle at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. During the period of the war and before lawlessness rocked England and the end of the war heralded the beginning of a new period of England’s history with the power of the feudal lords effectively broken.

SCENE 2:        Edward the III and the end of the war of the Roses

            Richards son Edward rose up in 1461 and won decisive victories over Henry VI at the battles of Mortimers Cross and Towton and was instated as King Edward III.

            Edward reigned peacefully for 10 years but in 1470 Henry VI returned from exile to depose Edward from the throne but in 1471 Edward returned to again defeat Henry VI in the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury and Henry was then killed as well as his only son Edward prince of Wales. Edward then ruled in peace until he died in 1483. Edwards 2 13 year old sons took the throne only to be deposed and killed by their uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester

SCENE 3:        The Battle of Bosworth Field-The end of the War

            Richard III was then defeated in 1485 by Henry VII at the famous battle of Bosworth field which ended the war of the roses by creating the Tudor dynasty.

            Henry VII landed with an army at Milford Haven on August 7^th returning from his long exile from England. He then marched into English territory until August 22^nd when he met the army of Richard III at Bosworth fields. Richard III had been expecting help in battle from several of his allies including the Earl of Derby Lord Stanly and the Earl of Northumberland among others. In an initial skirmish John Howard, the Duke of Norfolk was killed. Sir William Stanly, brother of the Earl of Derby Lord Stanly, secretly supported Henry VII and turned on Richard during the battle. This event caused the capitulation of Richard III’s army and he, preferring death, did not flee with his army but was executed by Henry VII.

            This act was the final one of the wars and created the Tudor dynasty which existed and was a major player in InterEuropean politics during the entire Renaissance Period uninterrupted and during the long Italian wars which are described in more detail in the section in which they are placed. This was a major achievement for a country in that period and one around which the creation of a new power was based at the end of the Renaissance when England under the Tudor Queen Elizabeth II defeated the most powerful European power. (See the section on the Spanish Armada)

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