War History Summary 21 - England's Wars of the Roses 3: The Battle of Towton and Edward IV

In 1460, the Yorkists returned to England, defeated the Lancastrian forces, and captured Henry VI. Although Richard, Duke of York, died at the Battle of Wakefield, his son Edward had a strong foundation to claim the throne. After winning the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in February 1461, Edward marched on London. In March, the Lancastrians won the Second Battle of St Albans, but it did not reverse the strategic momentum. In the same month, Edward fought a large-scale battle against the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton and emerged victorious. Towton is considered one of the largest battles of the Wars of the Roses and significantly weakened the Lancastrian faction's military base. Edward was crowned Edward IV in London, and Henry VI and Margaret subsequently fled north. The Lancastrians continued their resistance centered in the north, but it was difficult to muster forces of the same scale as before. Remnants of the Lancastrian faction continued to resist in the north and border regions, and military pressure and political reconciliation were used to stabilize royal authority.