The War Of The Roses And Ends With Last English - 1476 Words

Covering a period which starts with the Hundred Years War already in full swing, contains the start of the Wars of the Roses and ends with last English king to die in battle the level of participation of the aristocracy and the roles which they fulfilled is a natural continuation of the topic, especially given how kings can be lauded or vilified for their participation or non-participation in military matters but it was the nobility who functioned as military commanders or otherwise notable figures in the battles who had much greater military command, often give entirely to their discretion. Whether the role changed drastically during the hundred and fifty year period is debatable, as it what would constitute a drastic change and how it†¦show more content†¦There were fewer high level aristocrats who went along with the Black Prince’s chevauchee’s in France during the early 1350’s and more Knights of the Garter, which was an honour often bestowed on tho se who came from minor nobility but who rode with the Black Prince. However the first expedition in the period involved the Earls of Warwick, Oxford and Stafford as well as a number of knights and each of the three earls was placed in charge of a battalion and, rather than fighting any French they instead sacked the town of Languedoc. The next was 1359-60 where far more nobles, the Earls of Northampton, Warwick, Oxford, Suffolk and the Duke of Lancaster although all bar the Earl of Suffolk were dead by 1361. The amount of higher aristocracy The Battle of Agincourt had the Dukes of Gloucester and York present who were given command of sectors which suggests a continuing role for the aristocracy in battles. K.B McFarlane talks about ‘professional military contractors’ meaning the upper aristocracy with earls being the most numerous military leaders and, although he admits that the course of war allowed the odd man from the gentry to distinguish himself it was