The weakness of Henry VI's rule
- Created by: Jo-Robertson
- Created on: 11-04-19 21:12
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- The weakness of Henry VI's rule
- Henry V
- Inspiring standard of kingship - others expected to follow
- Expected to continue to exert influence over France
- Losing this would be a terrible failure and insult to those who died wining the lands
- What would happen if french revived under new leadership
- War was expensive - required a lot of taxation
- Would English continue to pay if their success ended
- War was expensive - required a lot of taxation
- Expected to continue to exert influence over France
- Success built on alliance with Duke of Burgundy and on France's lack of leadership
- King of France was elderly and insane
- Believed he was made of glass and would break anyone touched him
- What if Burgundy changed sides and became a French ally
- Leave England isolated
- What if Burgundy changed sides and became a French ally
- Believed he was made of glass and would break anyone touched him
- King of France was elderly and insane
- Inspiring standard of kingship - others expected to follow
- About Henry VI
- Henry VI ruled from 1422 until 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471
- He was just nine months old when he became king
- He lost a lot of English lands in France
- He was responsible for the start of the Wars of the Roses
- It is likely he was murdered in the Tower
- Henry VI is seen as a weak and mentally unstable king
- The rebels in 1450
- Angered
- Blamed the king - though not publicly
- False councillors
- Corrupting the legal system
- Enriching themselves at the kings expense
- Excluding nobles of royal blood from advising the king
- Enriching themselves at the kings expense
- Corrupting the legal system
- False councillors
- Loss of France
- Created problems for people of south east
- Corruption and economic problems
- Lord Saye
- threatened to turn Kent in to wasteland
- In revenge for Suffolks death
- threatened to turn Kent in to wasteland
- Lord Saye
- Corruption and economic problems
- Created problems for people of south east
- Blamed the king - though not publicly
- Careful about publicising their anger
- Did not want to deter voters by not being seen to be loyal to the king
- Wanted to avoid be linked to treason
- Did not want to deter voters by not being seen to be loyal to the king
- Angered
- Words used to describe Henry VI
- gentle, hapless, innocent, unworldly, passive, malleable
- Religious devotion
- After death people wanted him to be a saint
- Characteristics
- Died 49 in 1471
- Cade's rebellion 28yrs old
- Energetic and active
- Physically quite strong and sturdy
- 5' 9"
- Not a weakling
- Slow learner?
- Discouraged from being seen in public in France aged 10
- Peace loving man - merciful
- Concerned with managing feuds between leading members of nobility
- His personal interests distracted from his duties and governing
- Concerned with managing feuds between leading members of nobility
- Peace loving man - merciful
- Reluctant to let him make speeches in french at 10
- Looks more like a child than a man
- A child face
- Not of steadfast wit
- These comments are few and from common people
- Must be some truth as how would they have heard
- These comments are few and from common people
- Not of steadfast wit
- A child face
- Looks more like a child than a man
- Complained about loud noises in the street
- Normal child would be making those noises
- Grew up an imbecile
- Discouraged from being seen in public in France aged 10
- Fathers crown was too big for his head
- Slow learner?
- Not a weakling
- Not stern or resolute like his father
- 5' 9"
- Easily lead and poor decision maker
- Abbot Whetehamstede
- Praised Henry as simple and upright man
- Could not resist those who urged him to unwise decisions and wasteful extravagance
- Praised Henry as simple and upright man
- Polydore Vergil
- 1470-1555
- Strong Tudor bias
- Presented him as a simpleton, easily led and dominated by an evil council
- Strong Tudor bias
- Wrote the accounts for Henry V11
- 1470-1555
- Shaekspeare
- Guileless saint
- He was pious and took a deep interest in education, founding Eton and King's College, Cambridge.
- have suggested that by judging him on his ability to wage war successfully, his better traits have been overlooked
- He was sensitive and empathetic, and a man who felt deeply, as his worsening mental state proves.
- Perhaps he will always be a king who splits opinion.
- William Stubbs
- Perhaps the most unfortunate king who ever reigned
- Blacman
- Wanted to portray in better light
- Devour ma, religion before everything
- Can be interpreted differently
- Devour ma, religion before everything
- Wanted to portray in better light
- Abbot Whetehamstede
- William Stubbs cont
- Failure due to ambitious nobility
- His poor health
- Unsuitable king
- Failure due to ambitious nobility
- KB McFarlane
- 20th century historian
- Said his head was too small for his fathers crown
- Sure his mindlessness was the cause of the war of the roses
- Perceptive accurate historian
- He was unwilling and incapable of fulfilling his duties
- Inane, meaning silly or senseless
- imbecile, meaning mentally weak, idiotic
- Clear he believed he remained childlike and incapable of ruling or making his own decisions
- Charles Ross had a similar view
- Had he have been half the man his father was disasters which followed eight have been avoided
- Bertram Wolfe similar views also
- perverse wilfulness regarding war with France
- Meddling with conflict and aiming for peace
- Disastrous consequences
- Meddling with conflict and aiming for peace
- perverse wilfulness regarding war with France
- 20th century historian
- BP Wolffe
- Discounted Blacmans evidence
- Written as part of a campaign to have king canonised
- More weighting on royal records
- Discounted Blacmans evidence
- Henry V
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