The Wars of the Roses

Description

The Wars of the Roses (1455–85) were a major turning point in English history. But the underlying causes for the successive upheavals have been hotly contested by historians ever since. In this original and stimulating new synthesis, distinguished historian Michael Hicks examines the difficult economic, military, and financial crises and explains, for the first time, the real reasons why the Wars of the Roses began, why they kept recurring, and why, eventually, they ceased. Alongside fresh assessments of key personalities, Hicks sheds new light on the significance of the involvement of the people in politics, the intervention of foreign powers in English affairs, and a fifteenth-century credit crunch. Combining a meticulous dissection of competing dynamics with a clear account of the course of events, this is a definitive and indispensable history of a compelling, complex period. Contents Illustrations Preface Chronological Table of Principal Events PART I. UNDERSTANDING THE WARS OF THE ROSES Chapter 1. What were the Wars of the Roses? 2. Why Did the Wars of the Roses Happen? 3. How the System Worked 4. Problems with the System PART II: WHY THE WARS BEGAN 5. Preconditions: The Crisis of 1450 6. Preconditions: Personalities and Issues 7. Preconditions: Recovery Aborted 1451–6 8. Preconditions: No Progress 1456–9 9. The First War 1459–61 PART III: WHY THE WARS RECURRED 10. Wounds Unhealed 1461–9 11. The Second War 1469–71 12. The Third War: First Phase 1483–5 13. The Third War 1485–1525 PART IV: WHY THE WARS ENDED 14. The End of the Wars 15. Epilogue Abbreviations Notes Bibliography INDEX