Causes of the Wars of the Roses

The EFFECTS of the 100 years' WARS becausea CAUSE of the WoR because:

• The English had SUFFERED ther final DEFEAT in this war when they SURRENDURED in 1448.
• They had LOST NORMANDY IN 1450, & BORDEAUX in 1453
• 5 GENERATIONS were LOST
• LOSING was a CAUSE of GREAT UPSET to the POPULACE
• FINANCIAL LOSS was considerable, especially for LANDOWNERS
• Therefore, there was much INSTABILITY

Another cause of the WoR was the FINANCIAL PROBLEMS & SOCIETAL CHANGES:

• The BLACK PLAGUE had NOT completely gone, which caused ENORMOUS LOSSES in the POPULATION.
• Therefore the LABOUR FORCE to TEND THE CROPS was DECREASED
• This LED to a shortage of food and STARVATION
• As a result, there was SEVERE INFLATION in the PRICES of labour & agricultural products
• This caused a GREAT SHIFT in the SOCIAL ORDER, where previous MINOR LANDHOLDERS GREW WEALTHY taking over land whose owners died
• The 'LIVERY & MAINTENANCE' system meant that great peers could CALL UPON MINOR LORDS in their dominions to come fight on their side, meaning they could ROUSE LARGE ARMIES
• It was just a matter of time until the great warrirors began to fight each other

DYNASTIC PROBLEMS:

• After the leadership of King Henry V, the WEAK & PLACID HENRY VI was a GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT
• SOMERSET & SUFFOLK  were nearly LOATHED for their UNDUE POWER
• Other NOBLES had personal RESENTMENTS & GRUDGES AGAINST HENRY's ministers
• Suffolk was accused of the losses in france and was charged of TREASON
• Henry VI was UNABLE to CREATE a CENTRAL GOVT, ALIENATING many of his powerful lords
• The HOC was also UPSET by Henry VI because he IGNORED their request to have Somerset EXILED ASWELL

Other Dynastic Problems that led to the WoR were:

• Richard of York was the ONLY HEIR to the throne with an UNBROKEN LEGITIMATE MALE DESCENT from King Edward
• However, the BIRTH of an HEIR COMPLICATED matters because if the King were to die, the country would FALL to an INFANT PRINCE, most likely to be GOVERNED by the LOATHED SOMERSET
• In 1453, King Henry VI did BECOME INCAPACITATED as he SUFFERED from complete mental derangement
• This led to RICHARD of YORK to take over as PROTECTOR, but once the King regained sanity, SOMERSET RESTORED to POWER
• The YORKISTS were THROWN OUT
• What followed was the FIRST battle in the WoR: The BATTLE OF ST ALBANS 1455