History of War Summary 21 - England's Wars of the Roses 5 Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury

In 1471, Edward IV returned to England and launched a military campaign to reclaim the Yorkist throne. He defeated the forces of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, at the Battle of Barnet, where Warwick was killed. Later that year, the Lancastrian army, led by Margaret and supported by France, landed in England but was defeated by Edward's forces at the Battle of Tewkesbury. The death of Edward of Westminster, the Lancastrian heir, in this battle effectively shattered the direct succession line of Henry VI. Henry VI soon died in the Tower of London as well. This dealt a significant blow to the Lancastrian organized attempts to regain the throne, and Edward IV's reign was further strengthened. Edward's sudden death in 1483 reignited the succession crisis, this time with his brother Richard at the center. While the war temporarily tilted in favor of the Yorkists, the dynastic conflict was inevitable. This solidified Yorkist rule for a time, but internal royal conflicts and noble rivalries persisted.