(A history of the War of the Roses) (perhaps the error in the UK is not the political weakness its the weak the royal(ruling) families only enter the wars they start in ceremonial positions- its a guess)
For 30 years during the 15th century, England tore itself apart.
Kings were overthrown.
Princes vanished.
Entire noble families were wiped out.
The English crown became the prize in a brutal civil war between two rival royal houses.
This is the story of the Wars of the Roses. 🧵 1/7
A Weak King
The crisis began with King Henry VI.
He was gentle, deeply religious and completely unsuited to rule a divided kingdom.
As England lost territory in France and powerful nobles fought for influence, royal authority began to collapse.
Into that weakness stepped the House of York. 2/7
Red Against White
Two rival dynasties now claimed the English throne.
The House of Lancaster fought under the red rose.
The House of York under the white.
What followed was not one single war, but decades of shifting alliances, betrayals and battles across England. 3/7
England Descends
The country descended into chaos.
Noble families raised private armies.
Towns changed sides repeatedly.
Executions became common.
At the Battle of Towton in 1461, thousands were killed in what is believed to be the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. 4/7
The Princes
The Yorkist king Edward IV eventually secured the throne.
But after his death, the struggle began again.
His young sons disappeared inside the Tower of London.
Their uncle became King Richard III.
To this day, the fate of the “Princes in the Tower” remains one of England’s greatest historical mysteries. 5/7
Bosworth
In 1485, the wars reached their climax at Bosworth Field.
Richard III charged directly into battle in a final attempt to kill his rival, Henry Tudor.
He failed.
Richard was killed in the fighting, becoming the last English king to die in battle. 6/7
A New England
Henry Tudor became Henry VII and united the rival houses through marriage.
The red and white roses were combined into the Tudor Rose.
After decades of bloodshed, England finally emerged from civil war into a new age.
The medieval world was ending. Tudor England had begun.
If you value these reminders of England's history and heritage, follow @oaksandlions.
Head to my profile for similar threads and articles. 7/7
https://x.com/i/status/2059537835674198265
Xpost
The Bloody Rise and Fall of the House of York
The House of York rose to power through ambition, civil war, and ruthless political struggle during one of the darkest periods in English history. Descended from King Edward III, the Yorkists believed they had a stronger claim to the English throne than the ruling Lancastrian branch of the Plantagenet dynasty. Their struggle for power erupted into the brutal conflict known as the Wars of the Roses.
The House of York first gained prominence under Richard, Duke of York, who challenged the weak and mentally unstable Henry VI for control of the kingdom. England was suffering military defeats in France, political corruption, and economic disorder, and Richard presented himself as a reformer. Tensions eventually exploded into open warfare in 1455 at the First Battle of St Albans, beginning decades of bloodshed between the rival houses of York and Lancaster.
Richard of York was killed in battle in 1460, but his cause survived through his ambitious son, Edward IV. Tall, charismatic, and a skilled military commander, Edward crushed the Lancastrians and seized the throne in 1461 after the bloody Battle of Towton, one of the largest and deadliest battles ever fought on English soil. His reign brought temporary stability, but Yorkist unity quickly fractured through betrayal and family rivalries.
After Edward IV’s sudden death in 1483, the dynasty descended into paranoia and murder. Edward’s young son, Edward V, was declared king but never crowned. His uncle, Richard III, seized power, declaring the princes illegitimate. Edward V and his brother vanished inside the Tower of London, becoming forever known as the mysterious “Princes in the Tower.” Many believed Richard ordered their deaths, permanently staining the Yorkist reputation.
Richard III’s reign proved short and unstable. In 1485, he faced invasion from the Lancastrian claimant Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard was killed fighting in the chaos, becoming the last English king to die in battle. Henry seized the crown and married Elizabeth of York, uniting the rival houses and founding the Tudor dynasty.
The fall of the House of York marked the end of the medieval age in England. Their rise had been fueled by military strength and dynastic ambition, but betrayal, violence, and internal division ultimately destroyed them.
#HistoryFacts #EuropeanHistory #EnglishHistory #historywillremember #MiddleAges #DarkAges #BritishHistory #England #EdwardIV #History #RichardIII #WarsOfTheRoses #HouseOfYork #Plantagenet
https://x.com/i/status/2059324233935724987
