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Why did fighting break out in 1455?

Initial Hypothesis
The immediate factors or events that turned the possibility of conflict into a reality

Henry's illness 1453-1454

Feuds between nobles and Enmity between York and Somerset

The factors that made conflict more likely bus still not certain

Henry VI's Failure

Henry's recovery 1454

The factors that created the possibility of conflict

Public Opinion

Mutual fear 1455

Evidence to support the hypothesis
The immediate factors or events that turned the possibility of conflict into a reality In 1453, King Henry VI became mentally incapable and unwell, he was not fit to be king so someone needed to take over as protector until he recovered. During this year the war in France was also lost. The kings illness links to feuds between nobles, another factor that turned the possibility of conflict into a reality. The Duke of York and the Duke of Somerset both believed they had the claim and position within the kings closest advisors to become his protector during his illness. However, they both knew that the other would be a problem in achieving this title and wanted to rid of each other. The nobles feuds escalated further in 1455, which many say marks the start of the Wars of the Roses at the battle of St Albans. Somerset had regained power alongside the king, and York once again had been pushed out. Therefore York was willing to battle the king and Somerset to regain power he believed he deserved.

Largely due to the fact the nobles despised each others presence within the Kings closest circle, tension between the two Dukes (York and Somerset) grew too large to be played off or ignored politically. The enmity caused fractures in the already very week government of Henry VI, and something was inevitably going to happen in order to resolve this. York became more and more irritated by Somerset's influence and position, which he felt he should have himself, but Margaret of Anjou did not trust York and preferred Somerset. In the North of the country, two major families, the Neville's and the Percy's sided with different Dukes as they too did not get along. This shows how the huge instability within the entire nobility really made conflict a reality as too many lines had been drawn for it to be ignored or for York to simply 'let go' of his accusations toward Somerset.

The factors that made conflict more likely but still not certain

Henry VI was seen as a failure of a king and is still regarded similarly by many historians. He was indecisive and put god before politics. In one account from John Blacman, who wrote in favour of Henry's canonization, he said that the King was "“more given to god and devout prayer, than to handling worldly and temporal things.” This indicates how absent the leader was, making room for social unrest, especially amongst the nobles who had more responsibility in dealing with the repercussions of the weak monarch. This made conflict more likely as the King wasn't effective in law and order amongst his nobility and deciding for himself who would be more appropriate as his 'right hand man'. Henry was also easily persuaded and influenced; so whoever it was as chief advisor would be able to get a lot of their own opinions and ideas acted upon and agreed by the King.

Henrys recovery from illness in 1454 also made conflict more likely but not certain. When he became ill, Somerset was disposed of by York, who took role as protectorate, however once well again, Margaret of Anjou and other individuals, such as the Duke of Exeter, were able to replace York with Somerset once again. This shift in nobles within the kings circle caused disagreement amongst the monarchy. Whilst the King was ill, York was able to fight his case to become protector based on royal blood and his family connection, however, when the King was well again, he was theoretically able to make his own decisions and return the structure back to the way it was before hand.

The factors that created the possibility of conflict   

Public opinion was very important despite the hierarchy of social classes during this age. The king needed to be popular amongst their people, and recognised as a figure who was strong, decisive and met the contemporary expectations of kingship. However, during Henry's reign there was a mixed public opinion which caused some argument between citizens. Some believed he was useless and not suited to kingship, others worshiped his commitment to religion and God. Public opinion would of created the possibility of conflict as it would be a base for a tear in government. The different opinions, largely negative at the time, would cause tension amongst nobility and the commoners. Not only was the kings popularity important, but also the nobility. The dukes and nobles needed to be well liked in order to be successful, for example the Duke of Suffolk was killed for the negative public opinion many had on him; perceived as using the king and his wealth to his own advantage.

Mutual fear in 1455 between York and Somerset yet again caused further possibility of conflict. Even though it could be argued that fear between the nobles may of had a larger impact on conflict occurring, their fear deterred them from fighting each other first, before either Dukes decided they had to battle. Before the battle of St Albans in 1455, both York and Somerset knew that if they were to go against each other it may well be seen as treason. This is especially relevant for York. Somerset had regained the seat of the Kings closest advisor, so if he wanted to replace or get rid of him, it could well mean going against his own king. This is linked strongly to public opinion, in that a Duke who commits treason against the Monarch would be regarded as unpopular and usually executed for such crimes- such as Duke of York's father the Earl of Cambridge who was executed in 1415.

Summary: The enmity between York and Somerset.
Despite there being many reasons of varying significance of why conflict arose between nobility in the 1450's, the enmity between the two major Dukes, York and Somerset can be blamed as one of the major causes. The Duke of York has often been suggested to want to dispose of Henry and become King himself, or to be in a position of power where he would of been able to pay his debts from being in command in France. If this is the case, Somerset had good ground to stand against him; believing in complete allegiance to the king and not influencing his power. This can be turned around onto Somerset however, as York blamed him for being too influential and power hungry, taking the Kings incapability and responsibility to his advantage. This created a line of mistrust between the two nobles, causing them to be unable to work together for the King. The enmity between York and Somerset was so far ahead it couldn't be resolved and all actions toward each other, whether that be directly or not, were taken as a threat.

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Harriss' Argument Summary and Views
Harriss initially argues that the revolt leaded to a descent into anarchy that split the allegiance between the nobility. He explains how York struggled to find a position of authority within the kings closest circle that he felt he deserved. York was 'heir apparent' when Henry had no children, so his dynastic claim gave him reason for a larger role in society. However, as Harriss explains, York's 'detached eminence' meant that the Nobility did not need or want to form alliance with him, if he could not maintain a position of power despite his strong blood line the the throne. Moving on from this, Harriss frequently mention how York had to publicly affirm his loyalty to the king, which suggests that not many people trusted his morals or incentives if he were to take the position of Somerset as the kings chief advisor. Harriss also shows how the feuds between nobility and the influential families (Neville's and Percy's) could of been prevented, had the King been a stronger, more decisive and intimidating leader. From his writing, Harriss believed fighting broke out for a number of reasons, however he focusses on the disagreements between York and Somerset; strongly linked to their battle for power alongside the King. They both had a claim to the throne, but York believed he was deserved a higher position than Somerset due to his stronger link. Therefore he became impatient and annoyed by being pushed out of being close with the King. My opinion on the reason fighting broke out in 1455 has changed slightly after reading Harriss' argument. Before, I did not appreciate the relevance of the other nobles like Warwick and Exeter and how feuds between these linked to the bigger picture of conflict. Without these disagreements, York and Somerset would of struggled to find support from the people surrounding them, and therefore fighting would of been a much smaller possibility; if neither York or Somerset had backing from influential people.