King Stephen and The Anarchy, English Medieval King and Civil War, Matilda

thank you join me on the journey as we explore the most violent and turbulent times in medieval history the Anarchy we will find out how a disaster at Sea brought about a succession crisis that eventually led to a seizure of the English crown and a subsequent Civil War that lasted for around a decade and a half we shall investigate the principal characters the main areas of conflict we will also visit locations that are important to the Saga and then finally look at the eventual piece that was brokered together with how the country was rebuilt in the wake of this protractic Carnage [Music] there were several lead characters who were involved in the war Stephen of Boi who became King Henry the First's daughter the empress Matilda and her son Henry plantagenet otherwise known as fitzempress or Kurt mantle [Music] Stephen's parents were Adela of Normandy a sister of Henry the first and the daughter of William the Conqueror and Stephen Henry count of bluff Stephen was born in blah France around 1097 from the age of 10 Stephen was sent to his uncle King Henry's Court after making a name for himself as a King's favorite Stephen was given territories and riches when the white ship carrying Henry's Heir William Adeline sank in the English Channel in 1120 all but a small number of the passengers and crew perished Stephen however had a lucky Escape he would have been on board himself if he hadn't developed a case of diarrhea he would have probably never reigned as king if William Adeline the legitimate heir to Henry's Crown had not passed away Matilda of beloin and Stephen were wed on or around 11 25. Matilda of beloin was the daughter of Mary of Scotland and Eustis III count of beloin she would prove to be a strong supporter in her husband's future battles to retain his throne both financially and as a leader Stephen was thought to be attractive religious chivalrous and Charming all of these traits would be necessary for him to Garner enough support for himself in the ensuing years foreign was thought to have grown up into a strong independent woman however little is known about Matilda's early years but she most likely lived with her mother learned to read and received religious morality education at her mother's Court there were ambitious nobility for example Brian fitzcount her half-brother Robert of Gloucester who would become a lifelong friend and Ally her cousin Stephen of blah who would become her Nemesis and her Uncle David who would eventually become king of Scotland there is no specific account of Matilda's looks her contemporaries thought she was extraordinarily attractive but this may have just been the custom among chroniclers of the day after the loss of his son Prince William in the wide ship tragedy she was King Henry the first of England's only legitimate daughter when she married Henry V the future Holy Roman Emperor she moved to Germany she assisted him in the leadership of his domains after being crowned at mines when she was eight years old and was then married in 1114 when she was just 12. in the Years following the sinking of the white ship Matilda and her husband awaited the birth of a child while King Henry undoubtedly watched from England all three were thinking about the boy who would one day rule not just the Empire but also the anglo-norman realm [Music] the desired child never materialized and on May the 23 1125 Matilda's husband the emperor passed away at the age of 38. thus shattering Matilda's image of the future Matilda arrived back in England all she had to show for her Adventure through Germany was her wealth and the memories encapsulated in her title as empress which she would keep for the rest of her life as a Memento of lost Grandeur and the promising Imperial future led her husband's untimely death had abruptly ended King Henry had to adjust also he needed to rebuild his preparations for the succession with more urgency around his daughter in the event that he and adelizer did not produce any sons of their own Matilda returned her father's side after Emperor Henry V passed away and Henry remarried her now to the count of wanju Geoffrey plantagenet even though he was only 15 years old and around 11 years younger than the empress he was thought to be already handsome even so it was believed that the union would prevent Normandy from being encircled and would give birth to a future heir to a significant anglo-anchervin patrimony on June the 17th 1128 Matilda and Geoffrey were United in marriage in a formal ceremony in Ruan the marriage was successful in one very important way in 1133 Matilda gave her father the grandson he had been longing for a baby boy named Henry who now held the key to the Dynasty's long-term survival the near future however was shrouded in uncertainty fears that Matilda would ultimately submit to her husband's will as Queen only served to increase the likelihood that the elite the Barons would reject her whatever Henry the first tried the succession issue could not be finally resolved our third protagonist is Henry Matilda's son the eldest child of the empress Matilda and Jeffrey plantagenet count of anju Henry was born in Normandy on March the 5th 1133 in Le Mans the French County of Anjou was established in the 10th century and the algervin Kings tried for several decades to spread their influence and power throughout France by making strategic alliances and marriages the county was in theory subject to the French King but during the 11th century the monarchs influence overarmed you dwindled and the county grew increasingly independent [Music] Henry plantagenet had a stocky physique a freckled face short Tawny hair and gray eyes he dressed sloppily and quickly gained weight but his Charisma attracted men to his service it is thought that when necessary he could be a vicious and callous person yet he could also be a good friend with quick repartee he was impulsive restless and always on the go he was friendly with academics and his administrative directives were the product of a cool realism he only spent a total of 14 years in England throughout his 34-year-long reign as Henry II the real beginning of the Saga occurred in 1120 when William Adeline Henry the First's legitimate Heir was killed when the white ship sank in the English Channel Henry had to quickly regain his balance after hearing the tragic use of his sons drowning since the passing of his Queen Edith Matilda in 1118 he had been a widower he then chose the young adelisa of luvan for his second marriage ironically the Monarch who had fathered numerous illegitimate children while he was younger was unable to have further children his aspirations for the future began to Center on his daughter Matilda who was now a young lady and therein laid the legitimate succession as noted by the chronicler William of malmesbury in addition to having kindly ancestry through her grandfather uncle and father she also possessed Regal Anglo-Saxon blood through her mother Edith Matilda King Malcolm III of Scotland's daughter Henry quickly made it plain to the nation's most important Lords and Bishops that he wanted his daughter Matilda to succeed to the throne after his passing he forced everyone in his court including his nephew Stephen of blah to pledge allegiance to her and arranged Matilda's marriage to Jeffrey of Anjou despite making his preferences plain the Royal Court did not think much of this decision Matilda was of course a woman and her husband Jeffrey of anju was also a long-standing foe of Normandy the Barons therefore were vehemently opposed to such a choice when Henry the first passed away in December 1135 the succession issue came to the fore Stephen took advantage of the opportunity and was anointed king in the same year to the Delight of the more important members of the church and Court since most of the nobility were on Stephen's side it did not take much persuasion to win their support for his coronation people in the court who later vowed their support for Stephen as king felt strongly about the imposition of having a female ruler especially one whose husband was from Anjou as dangerous to his new Administration loomed Matilda's claim to the throne remained ever present Stephen's reign as Monarch quickly brought about as wave of civil unrest political disintegration and the breakdown of Law and Order that came to be known as the Anarchy the wealthiest Baron in England at the time was Stephen count of War being the nephew of Henry the first and the grandson of William the Conqueror added to his impressive lineage importantly Stephen was the first person to travel to England after the king passed away with a thought to claiming the crown Matilda Henry's daughter stayed in France the empress Matilda was not a ten with side as he died she was in anju embroiled in the ongoing dispute between her husband Jeffrey and her father both she and her husband were connected to individuals Henry thought were sowing Discord Matilda therefore was unable to make peace and achieve a reconciliation with her father before he died Stephen later claimed that his uncle had changed his mind on the succession and acknowledged him as the rightful Heir instead whilst on his Deathbed because Stephen's brother Henry of Boi had been the bishop of Winchester since 1129 Stephen found it easy to gain control over the Royal finances as a result Stephen wasted little time in securing the necessary boronial backing to become king on December 22nd 1135. four days later in Westminster Abbey he was crowned when Matilda heard of this news she of course was Furious and refused to take it lying down Stephen's Reign started brightly enough generally speaking the people were happy with the new king the acknowledgment of old regime Grandes gave him more traction by accepting Steven's candidacy Roger Bishop of Salisbury Henry the first strong Minister put the highly developed administrative apparatus of Norman England at Stephen's disposal along with the individuals who knew how to administer it we can only guess at Steven's reasons for seizing the crown other than pure ambition one hypothesis is that potential hostile neighbors including the leaders of wanju surrounded the Boi region these events had such an impact on Stephen that once Henry Died he perceived a threat to the Boi family because they would be exposed to Arms of in danger if Matilda ascended the kingdom with Geoffrey by her side aspiration opportunity and family political maneuvering were all factors that led Stephen to pursue the late Henry's vacant throne Stephen had established himself with greater Plum it is beyond questioned that this was a coup a move against King Henry's desires rather than the result of a shift in his plans however Furious the dying King may have been with Matilda it seems highly unlikely that he would have chosen to exclude not only his daughter Matilda from the succession but also his infant grandson Henry thus ending at a stroke the line that he had begun and stripping away a future he had battled for so long to safeguard such Impressions could scarcely have escaped anyone who witnessed Stephen's stunning ascent few were making public arguments against the new king at the time of his victory and it must have seemed as though he had accomplished a deed even more impressive than those of Henry and William Rufus before him the experiences of his forebears however included lessons and cautions after capturing the throne they had to maintain it in order to quell rebellions that had erupted all around them while their position as King was still precarious in addition to causing turmoil within England and Normandy Henry's death also sparked opposition from the Scots King whose political influence had grown under Henry's Rule and from the west where Norman marches or Barons who had established themselves in strong Lordships in the marches known as the Borderlands had divided up Welsh territory the first to strike was the Scottish King David the first who was the brother of Edith Matilda of Scotland the empress Matilda's mother David shared the same blood as the empress Matilda and had sworn an oath in respect of her succession early in 1136 he took up arms against Stephen in Matilda's support as David marched into Northern England Stephen quickly headed north and with his overwhelming forces brought David to heal a peace deal was struck and for a while the threat from Scotland seemed to diminish Stephen nominated Valerian to Beaumont as the lieutenant of Normandy because he was unable to visit the duchy himself due to events in England Theobald and Valerian headed the defense of the Jupiter Stephen himself didn't return to the duchy until 11 37 when he visited with Louis VI and Theobald to agree to a loose Regional Alliance most likely arranged by Henry to fend off the expansion of angelvin authority in exchange for Eustis pledging homage to the French monarch Louis recognized Eustace Stephen's son as the Duke of Normandy the argentan province that Jeffrey had conquered at the end of 1135 along the border of Normandy and arju was more difficult for Stephen to retake conflicts between the local Norman Nobles and Stephen's Flemish mercenary men which were commanded by William aveep led to a battle between the two sections of Stephen's Army after that the Norman Army abandoned the king causing Stephen to forsake his expedition in exchange for peace along the Norman borders Stephen and Jeffrey agreed to another ceasefire in which the latter would receive 2 000 marks annually from Stephen then in 1138 Robert of Gloucester the empress Matilda's half-brother renounced his homage to Stephen just as the setback Stephen had experience opened up cracks in his authority in so doing the Earl Robert of Gloucester swung his Allegiance firmly behind that of the empress Matilda's claims were now gaining traction consciences were stirred and some men recalled their Oaths when Matilda's Fortune shifted others came to her because they needed larger power in a dispute or thought that by donning the colors of the anjavan they could legitimize a personal cause Stephen's problems now seemed to grow in equal proportion to that of Matilda's confidence now fear of Matilda's imminent arrival prompted the king to shake things up in the summer of 1139 Steven found a pretext to arrest three of the Bishops appointed by Henry of Winchester Roger of Salisbury Alexander the Magnificent of Lincoln and Nigel of Ely Roger was much the most prominent of the three the presence of Roger a prominent member of the church infuriated the ecclesiastical body greatly the king's own brother Bishop Henry of Winchester compelled him to defend himself in front of a lacatine council thus humiliating Stephen greatly on September the 30th 1139 the empress Matilda arrived on the south coast of England to stake her claim to the crown she immediately traveled to here Arundel Castle it was a quiet event the empress was entertained by another queen King Henry's Widow adelisa of luvan the empress then encountered Stephen's military might at Arundel however he chose not to lay Siege to the town but instead to enable the empress to go unhindered and join Earl Robert many believe that the king made a huge error of judgment in doing this Stephen had a chance to put an end to Matilda's Ambitions once and for all but he chose not to the damager queen a lady who was intended to be married a second time to a strong magnet was also at risk of being attacked if Stephen laid Siege to this Castle's formidable defenses adelisa was a well-liked and respected Queen so if any harm were to befall her during a protracted Siege this undoubtedly would have resulted in reputational Calamity for the king instead Stephen displayed generosity and faith in his abilities he also behaved impeccably in keeping with the chivalric principles he was raised with and for once Empress Matilda's gender had been on her side let us pause the story and take a minute to have a quick look at the fortifications of Arundel Castle somewhere well worth a visit if you are ever in West Sussex [Music] foreign [Music] walls as Arundel serve to illustrate just how difficult it would have been for a besieging army to take control of a structure such as this one thing that needs to be understood about Warfare in the 12th century is that almost any dignitary however low in status could for a period at least hide behind a Castle's walls and hope to withstand an Invader due to the balance between defensive construction and offensive technology or between fortifications and Siege machinery not many soldiers would relish the thought of making it across the moat and being at the foot of these walls cowering under a rain of arrows and boiling oil foreign [Music] despite the fact that there have not been many recent defections to the empress Matilda now held control over a small area of land that threatened London and extended from Gloucester and Bristol to Oxford and Wallingford in the East Southwest into Devon and Cornwall and West into the Welsh marches in order to maintain her independence from her half-brother Robert Matilda had set up her Court in Gloucester which was near to Robert's stronghold of Bristol Stephen quickly got to work reclaiming the area Brian fitzcount possessed Wallingford Castle which commanded the Thames Corridor and Stephen found it to be too well fortified to launch an assault in order to attack Trowbridge Stephen traveled West into Wiltshire Conquering the castles of South Kearney and malmesbury along the way Stephen left some soldiers behind to blockade the stronghold the rear Guard soldiers of Stephen were attacked at Wallingford while miles of Gloucester as marching East threatening to push on to London in order to stabilize the situation and defend his City Stephen was compelled to abandon his Western Expedition and head back east because Stephen lacked the means to force his foes back into the sea the arjuvant was still a long way from being able to overthrow the king in 1141 that changed to some degree a crisis erupted at Lincoln towards the close of 11 40. together with his half-brother William of rumor ran off Earl of Chester had rapidly taken command of Lincoln Castle after tricking his way inside Randolph's dispute with the King had begun over minor matters involving specific rights to the castle Stephen tried to retake the Fortress shortly after Christmas despite a peace treaty having been reached with Earl ranoff Stephen had been encouraged by the townspeople who claimed to be oppressed by the financial obligations the new local government had placed on them he quickly lay Siege to the castle Earl ranoff then made a request for help to Earl Robert even though it came late Randolph's decision to support Matilda's cause was welcomed by Robert this provided fresh chances for Robert to put pressure on the king he therefore marched on Lincoln alongside the anjavan party's key figures notably Brian Fitz count and miles of Gloucester Randolph had already sneaked through the Royal blockade lines and was on his way to meet The Rescuers when he sent for more of his own Warriors including wild men from Wales the king's Army was outnumbered when the relief Force appeared the King was advised by those around him to avoid an engagement on unfavorable terms but yet chose to take a stand against the rebels despite there being no tactical reason for Stephen to fight and plenty of time to withdraw he led his army into battle against his adversaries below the city on February the 2nd 1141. Stephen's warriors were inspired by Baldwin fitzgilbert one of the king's captains and a descendant of the illustrious Claire family as soon as the combat started Steven's opponents swiftly gained ground the Monarch was besieged and outnumbered as his army withdrew and after fighting valiantly he was eventually captured losing was a tragedy for the Lincoln citizens as well as a disaster for the king the citizens were massacred and their town was turned to ashes the plans for Matilda's coronation were put into motion as she traveled to Winchester and took possession of the crown and the treasury replicating Stephen's own initial actions as a result of a large disruptive realignment that prompted people to shift their allegiances and offer explanations as to why they didn't support her in the first place she then became the focus of attention overnight more than anywhere else Stephen's brother Bishop Henry of Winchester required both intellectual and political dexterity the Archbishop of Canterbury was among the great men who came to Bristol disturbed no doubt by their consciences however now that the game appeared to be over the king liberated them from their fealty at a subsequent gathering in Winchester Matilda was introduced to the political Elite as Lady of England a transitional title for the future Queen the other Matilda Stephen's Queen remained devoted to her husband's cause as well as that of her son Eustace who was now entering his adolescent years and whose eventual accession to the crown must have been her sincere hope in order to exert pressure on London in support of Stephen Queen Matilda sent men led by William Ave to the city's outskirts the populace had supported the king with loyalty trade established enduring ties between beloin and the city and Stephen actively courted the londoners by easing their financial responsibilities since their delegates refrain from attending the meeting at which the empress would Proclaim Regent it was noticed by all that she hadn't made any effort to win over the city's residence they were however amenable to courtship and bribery from Stephen's Queen in contrast the empress Matilda made few friends the lady was not known for being wasteful no gifts or honors were bestowed to reward supporters or placate adversaries instead she confiscated and revoked grants that had been issued by Stephen no Financial burdens were eased either in fact the empress tried to squeeze London severely she also had a remarkable demeanor there was no trace of Stephen's informality she seemed stiff and pompous and with a greater Royal arrogance in the atmosphere the empress was considered by many to be aloof and authoritative on June the 24th 1141 the night before the coronation in Westminster the tables were set and Empress Matilda was ready for a celebratory Feast when the londoners arrived at the palace with other ideas they converged on Matilda and her Entourage who in turn were forced out in chaos still steadfastly loyal to Stephen under pressure from his Queen and mercenary Captain William of e they had had enough of being harassed by the Antoine for their own money the empress quickly withdrew to Oxford before traveling on to Winchester [Music] Henry reinforced his castle in Winchester in preparation for the arrival of Stephen's Queen there with a company of men that comprise David of Scotland and Robert of Gloucester they steal themselves for battle the earlier in the occurrences at Lincoln were now reversed since she had Jeffrey to Mandeville a powerful Baron on her side Stephen's Queen descended upon the town and bolstered it with her forces between the castle and Stephen's Queen the empress's Army encountered stronger opponents closing in on them the empress escaped the encirclement fleeing to her castle in devises it wasn't long before Robert was captured in an effort to reach a long-term peace agreement while both Stephen and Robert of Gloucester were both captives of the opposing sides negotiations were made the two sides basically traded the two leaders with Robert going to the empress who was now in Oxford and Stephen going back to his Queen showing just how fast fortunes could change a new coronation of Stephen and his Queen was convened at Canterbury on Christmas Day 11 41. [Music] Robert went back to Normandy in the middle of 1142 to help the empress's husband Jeffrey in operations there against some of Stephen's last remaining supporters in the meantime Steven's men intensified their pressure on the empress who was now confined in Oxford now Oxford was considered a very safe Town compared with many others guarded by a combination of high walls and the River Thames Stephen quickly traveled to Oxford and led an unexpected attack over the Thames leading the charge whilst then swimming some of the distance the king and his army invaded the town and trapped the empress inside the castle Stephen had to settle in for a protracted Siege at Oxford Castle due to the fortress's strength however he was confident that Matilda was now completely trapped Legend has it that this room here is where the emperor stayed whilst cornered by Stephen she then made her move a few days before Christmas 1142 the empress and some of her Knights climbed out of the castle through this window here apparently they dressed in white to blend in with the snow that lay on the ground they successfully traversed the Frozen Thames and made their way to Abingdon Abbey where Fresh Horses awaited them from there they rushed to Wallingford Castle which is situated about six miles away the very next day the castle Garrison surrendered Stephen had had a huge opportunity to bring the fighting to an end on his terms but with the empress's Escape that opportunity was now completely blown after spending a short time with Fitz count in Wallingford Matilda returned to the safety of her castle in devises to re-establish her Court thank you between the years 1142 and 1146 neither side was powerful enough to overpower the other thus a form of stalemate occurred the war continued with raids on each other's lands and castles but no real meaningful breakthrough ever seemed likely allegiances of nobles frequently shifted from one side and then back to the other their loyalties depending on who would reward them the most while Jeffrey of anju solidified his hold on power in Normandy and was recognized there as duke after capturing Ruan in 1144 the struggle between the two factions in England came to a standstill in the mid 1140s in 1143 Robert of Gloucester besieged Stephen at Wilton Castle a rallying point for Royal soldiers in herefordshire things again got problematic for the king the Battle of Wilton raged and Stephen attempted to escape to safety it's briefly seemed like Stephen might be taken prisoner yet again as the age of end Cavalry once more proved to be too formidable William Martell Stephen Stewart made a valiant rear guard effort allowing Stephen to successfully flee the scene of battle one key figure Stephen found near impossible to trust was Jeffrey de Mandeville who the king appointed Earl of Essex in 1140. it didn't take long for him to come to the conclusion that Mandeville was overly influential Mandeville in turn found it difficult to avoid the current political machinations because of his ties to London where he possessed the tower and also had many other interests in the east of England he received support from both the empress and the Monarch in exchange for Grants and honors and as the political landscape changed he frequently shifted his position he was won back into the king's Army after 1141 but rumors continued to circulate in the court not for the first time and not for the last the Monarch just couldn't put his trust in someone who was so unpredictable Mandeville was suddenly detained as Saint Albans in 1143 and compelled to give up the castles in pleshy and Walden as well as The Greatest Prize of all the Tower of London itself however Stephen was unwilling or possibly unable to imprison the Earl indefinitely Mandeville then reappeared on probation the king's allies Estates and possessions were attacked by Mandeville who led a guerrilla campaign out of the English fans the wetlands region before withdrawing back into his peace-filled strongholds one of his tactics was to use his own disguised spies to find Targets for raids and kidnappings and in so doing developed an almost Robin hood-like image as a renegade Jeffrey de mandeville's Rebellion ended in 1144 after being struck by an arrow during an attack on Burwell Castle [Music] in 1145 the Western campaign made better Headway for Stephen thanks to the king's retaking of oxfordshire's faringdon Castle in the north Stephen and ranolf of Chester reached a new agreement however in 1146 Stephen repeated the trick he had used on Jeffrey de Mandeville he first summoned ran off to court before detaining him and then threatened to have him put to death unless he turned over a number of castles including Lincoln and Coventry ran off like Jeffrey revolted as soon as he was set free Stephen had insufficient forces in the north to launch a new campaign and Randolph possessed few resources to sustain an assault on Stephen by this time Stephen's reputation was spiraling downwards as mistross was growing due to his habit of summoning Barons to court and then detaining them foreign first 1147 the eve of All Saints Day the empress Matilda suffered a severe blow when Robert's Earl of Gloucester became ill with a fever and died he was probably in his late 50s Robert developed into a very tenacious and Powerful Champion for the empress over time he had contributed military might and political know-how to the empress's campaign in spades in 1148 she decided to return to Normandy but the empress was not abandoning the fight all that had changed was the focus of her ambitions these were now transferred from herself becoming Queen of England to that of her son the young Henry becoming King following the announcement of the Second Crusade numerous anjavon followers notably valeran of Beaumont enlisted and left the area for a number of years to protect their Estates and military victories many of the Lords were entering into Separate Peace Accords with one another Matilda's son Henry attempted a minor mercenary invasion of England in 1147 but the mission was unsuccessful in part because Henry lacked the money to pay his troops unexpectedly Stephen decided to cover their expenses allowing Henry to safely travel home it is unknown why he did this one possible explanation is his General civility to a member of his wider family another is that he was beginning to think about a peaceful solution to the war and regarded Henry as someone he could build a relationship and do business with so as to bring about a peaceful ending to The Conflict for the remainder of the war Matilda stayed in Normandy working to secure the duchy and Advance her son's claim to the English crown in 1149 the youthful Henry plantagenet visited England once more with the intention of joining forces with runoff of Chester in the North as part of the arteran scheme ranov would renounce his claim to Carlisle which was controlled by the Scots in exchange for being granted the right to the entire honor of Lancaster Randolph would pay homage to both Henry plantagenet and David with Henry having precedence after this peace treaty Henry and ranolf decided to strike at York most likely with assistance from the Scots Stephen getting wind of this swiftly headed north to confront the planned Invasion this proved a success afterwards Henry returned to Normandy where his father made him Duke even though he was still young Henry was developing a reputation as a dynamic and skilled leader Eleanor of aquitain an attractive Duchess of Aquitaine and a newly divorced wife of Louis VII of France surprisingly became Henry's wife in 1152 significantly enhancing his status and Authority as a result of this Union Henry became one of the most powerful Nobles in Europe Stephen also started to concentrate on the issue of his offspring and his future successor although Stephen had awarded the county of beloin to his eldest son Eustace in 1147 it was still unknown if Eustis would also receive England Steven's preferred alternative would have been to have Eustis made King whilst he Stephen was still alive as was practice in France however this was not the custom in England and Celestine II who served as pope from 1143 to 1144 had forbade any alteration to this custom the only person who could crown Eustis was Archbishop Theobald and it's possible that he foresaw this as a Prelude to more civil conflicts after the death of Stephen when the Archbishop declined to anoint Eustace without the new pope Eugene III's agreement the situation reached a stalemate numerous disputes over Privileges and rights with church members only served to exacerbate Stephen's position at Easter 1152 Stephen tried again to have Eustace crowned he gathered his Nobles to swear allegiance to Eustace and then insisted that Theobald and his Bishops crown him as king when Theobald resisted once more Stephen and Eustace jail him and the Bishops and wouldn't let them go until they accepted eustace's claim to the throne Stephen's relationship with the church hit a low point when Theobald once more escaped and went into brief Exile in Flanders being pursued all the way to the coastline by Stephen's Knights [Music] foreign [Music] plantagenet invaded England yet again in 1153 the final skirmishes of the conflict commenced Hugh be God the Earl of Norfolk and ranolf were allies of his abnormally wintry weather prevented more fighting and forced a brief cessation in hostilities Robert de Beaumont a strong nobleman endorsed Henry in exchange for the return of his Normandy lands Stephen besieged Wallingford castle in the interim and Henry marched to liberate it the scene appeared to be set for a massive conflict but William D Albany analyzer's new husband was able to persuade them that fighting would be pointless would result in many deaths and would provide no advantage to either faction so instead they decided on calling a halt to the fighting Eustis the son of Stephen separated from his father and traveled to Cambridge to raise money to carry on the fight on his own after possibly realizing where this was leading but it was all for nothing since he then fell ill the next month and died suddenly although there was still minor fighting continuing between the opposite sides efforts were now being made to establish a more long-lasting truce naturally the two seasons peacemakers Archbishop Theobald the Archbishop of Canterbury and Henry of War were at the center of the peace negotiations the Treaty of Winchester officially recognized Henry as the heir which was The Logical solution William the younger son of Stephen gave up his claim to the crown and accepted the count of beloin title from his mother the question of how long this piece would last and whether either side was merely buying time became irrelevant the following year when Stephen there was roughly 60 years old passed away from a stomach condition on the 25th of October 1154. Henry didn't think it was vital to return to England straight away on his arrival on December the 8th 1154 Henry swiftly took Allegiance Oaths from a number of the barons later that year Henry and Eleanor were crowned and during the early years of his Reign Henry was largely preoccupied with repairing the harm that more than 15 years of war had brought to the realm he first sought to restore the Frontiers with Scotland and Wales to their pre-war boundaries temporary castles were demolished foreign mercenaries were driven from the country and to achieve this numerous displays of force were required so the first significant Civil War in English History came to an end not with us resounding Victory but with a settlement and a smooth transfer of power during the war England had endured immense suffering in several areas of the nation including the Thames Valley the southwest and East Anglia the war and raiding had undoubtedly left a terrible amount of Destruction with regards to coinage the empress Stephen and some of the local Lords all had their own coins minted fragmenting the previously centrally controlled Royal coinage mechanism however other regions of the nation rarely experienced any effects from the war for instance David the first of Scotland effectively ruled his Holdings in the north of England Stephen's domains in the Southeast and the archiban heartlands around Gloucester and Bristol the dispute significantly reduced the king's overall estate income especially after 1141. and the Royal authority over coin production outside of the southeast and East Anglia remained constrained as Stephen was frequently headquartered in the Southeast Westminster began to take precedence over the more historic location of Winchester as the seat of Royal Authority began to rebuild the realm to his vision the 19 years of Stephen's Reign were described by the new Administration as turbulent and problematic with all of the issues stemming from Stephen's seizure of the crown despite the fact that Stephen had attempted to carry on Henry the first system of government during the conflict the new King Henry also took care to demonstrate that in contrast to his mother the empress Matilda he would be open to receiving advice from others numerous actions were taken straight away however much of the work had to be undertaken remotely because Henry remained in France for six and a half of the first eight years of his reign Henry's Reign though would prove to be anything but secure over the years his own son would turn against him his wife Elena would end up betraying him and his remaining two sons would end up vying for the throne Henry had though established a dynasty that would go on to dominate England for more than 300 years [Music] and what of the empress Matilda well she lived in Normandy for the rest of her life frequently representing Henry and overseeing the duchy's administration the king relied on her for policy guidance in the early years of his rule when Henry and his Chancellor Thomas Beckett clashed in the 1160s Matilda participated in efforts to reconcile the conflict in 1151 Jeffrey her husband passed away suddenly Jeffrey reportedly developed a fever as he was leaving a royal Council even though she continued to be involved in the administration of Normandy throughout her life Matilda began to focus more and more on Church concerns and her own faith as she grew older she died in 1167 in Ruan aged 65 and he's buried in that City's Cathedral foreign s say that the English Civil War began in 1135 when Stephen ascended to the throne While others placed the beginning of the conflict in 1139 the Earth the empress Matilda landed in England also there is debate about when the war ended the Treaty of Wallingford in the 1153 is sometimes cited as the point at which the war came to an end but for many people the real end of the Anarchy came with the death of Stephen the following year the engagement of Lincoln in 1141 was the only actual pitched battle during the entire conflict as absurd as that may sound open Grand combat was exceptionally rare and regarded as an extremely risky affair during the Middle Ages the majority of competent leaders in the 12th century endeavored to avoid open combat whenever possible attrition and Siege were the order of the day the biggest battles including those at Oxford Winchester Wilton and Wallingford were raids battle withdrawals or Siege skirmishes [Music] however a number of historians have recently made the case that rather than being an anarchy Steven's Reign was typical of a medieval Mayhem or at the very least a bloodbath compatible to earlier turbulent periods in the anglo-norman Years according to several historians the Earth's 1135-1154 were undoubtedly extremely violent and Stephen's rule may have been even bloodier than the Chronicles suggest the violence and disorder spread throughout much of England during this period lawlessness torture massacres of innocent people hunger and population decline were definitely the norm for this period in history [Music] well anyway I do hope that you have enjoyed this void through this period of History known as the Anarchy if so please give this video a like And subscribe if you would like to see more content like this also if you have anyone or event in mind you would like to see me put under the microscope of history please drop me a comment below so until next time bye for now

Channel: History’s Life Stories

Views: 29,812

Keywords: King Stephen of england, king stephen, king of england, william II, henry i of england, Matilda, medieval history, Empress Matilda, william rufus, medieval europe, simple history, england, educational, murder mystery, animated history, duke of normandy, monarch, education, anglo-saxon, brief history, norman conquest, Stephen, middle ages, normandy, English History, English Monarchs, English Kings

Id: TJvPuUoA-Rw

Length: 51min 9sec (3069 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 30 2022