Battle of Barnet – Wikipedia

The Battle of Barnet It was a decisive battle in the war of the two roses held on April 14, 1471 near the city of Barnet, today I suburb north of London.

The outcome of the battle marked the victory of King York Edoardo IV of England against Richard Neville, XVI count of Warwick the marquis Montague and John De Vere, thirteenth count of Oxford (1442 – 1513), supporters of Lancaster Henry VI of England . About 1500 men remained on the field, including the Warwick and Montague themselves, after a fight that lasted three or four hours.

Warwick had long been an ally of Edoardo IV, but the two had moved away following the king’s wedding with Elisabetta Woodville who had been secretly celebrated that he had not satisfied the count who was planning much more illustrious wedding at all. At first Warwick had defeated Edoardo and had helped Margherita D’Angiò to put her husband Enrico VI of England back on the throne of the Lancaster family. Edoardo had had to escape and took refuge at Carlo I of Burgundy and had convinced him to give him men and means to regain England. Edoardo’s offensive started right from Barnet, with the favor of darkness the Yorkists went to the Lancasterians, however John De Vere, the XIII count of Oxford managed to fall back the Yorkists commanded by William Hastings, the Baron Hastings by pushing them to Barnet. In returning to the field, Oxford’s men were mistakenly affected by the allies, led by John Neville, the Marquis of Montagu who exchanged them for Yorki. This caused a mess and panic within the Lancasterian files so much that many of the soldiers abandoned the field and Warwick was killed during the retreat

The war of the two roses had broken out in 1455 and saw the Lancaster family against that of York opposed, the conflict had reached a turning point in 1461 when Edoardo di York had risen to the throne like Edoardo IV of England after dirtying the cousin Lancaster Enrico VI of England who about five years later ended up prisoner in the Tower of London ^[first] . Queen Margherita d’Angiò with his son Edoardo of Lancaster heard in Scotland to organize the resistance ^[first] . Edoardo suffocated all forms of resistance, pressing Scotland to drive away the queen and son and the two had to look for asylum in France ^[first] .

Once the strict control over England Edoardo obtained all those who had supported him starting from his cousin Richard Neville, the XVI count of Warwick who received noble titles and lands confiscated from the nobles lovas to the Lancaster to the Lancaster had rewarded him. ^[first] .
Warwick did not cease to believe he had to continue leading Edoardo and designed for him a rich marriage with Bona di Savoia in order to strengthen the king’s position in the international community and to create a link with the Kingdom of Savoy ^[2] . However Edoardo would have preferred to bind to Burgundy and in 1464 he had even more infurious Warwick when he chose to secretly marry Elisabetta Woodville a woman from the low nobility and widow of a Lancasterian. Warwick thought that no less suitable queen could be there for a Yorkist sovereign ^[first] And out of supermisure Edoardo donated, at the request of his wife, titles and lands to the brothers and sisters of Elisabetta organizing for them among the most influential families of England. Several young nobles ended up marrying the Woodville girls by undermining the hunting ground that Warwick had thought of beating to marry their daughters.

Of these weddings two had to hit Warwick particularly, one was that of John Woodville (1444circa-12 August 1469), one of the Queen’s brothers, with Katherine Neville (1400circa-dope on 1483), sister of Cecily Neville, a rich and noble woman As well as linked to the royal family (being the grandson of Giovanni Plantagenet, the Duke of Lancaster. The other was the engagement between Anna Holland (about 1455 about August 26, 1467 and 6 June 1474) (nephew for the mother of Cecily Neville) with Thomas Gray, the Marquis of Dorset, son of the first bed of Elisabetta Woodville.
The growing power of the Woodville made Warwick feel marginalized and removed from the side of Edoardo and understood that his influence on the young king was stupid, and thought that he remained only two alternatives or force things and return to the graces of the king or conspire against him Together with Edoardo’s younger brother, the young Giorgio Plantagenet, the Duke of Clarence ^[2] .

The two together managed to attach several rebellions to the North forcing Edoardo to leave the South, a region where he recorded the maximum support, bringing it to a land where the sovereign found himself in decisive numerical inferiority. While Edoardo repaired south he learned that Warwick and his brother Giorgio were calling the country to the revolt, on 26 July 1469 the Lancasterians won the battle of Edgecote Moor and Edoardo found himself without the support of the noble faith in the York. Warwick intervened to take him to Warwick Castle to “protect him” ^[3] And the Lancasterians did not lose time, aware that the king was more or less imprisoned they reflected the war. What Warwick had perhaps not foreseen was that although at the last battle the nobles had not supported Edoardo were not even ready to run to the call to arms of the count who saw himself forced to release the sovereign. Returning to Corte Edoardo did not act directly against Warwick, however he felt that the king kept the grudge against him and designed a new revolt to dethrone Edoardo and put Giorgio on the throne ^[4] . On March 12, 1470 the Lancaster were defeated to the battle of Losecoat Field and Warwick together with Giorgio was forced to repair in France after Edoardo had discovered, thanks to some letters and confessions of some prisoners that Warwick and Giorgio had betrayed him ^[4] . Louis XI of France organized an agreement between the two and the deposed Queen Margherita d’Angiò, Warwick and Giorgio put themselves at the head of the Lancaster army and in October they attracted in England forcing Edoardo to escape and find asylum in Burgundy, while Henry VI was restored on the throne.

On March 14, 1471 Edoardo with the men and means provided by Carlo I of Burgundy returned to his homeland determined to resume the crown.

As usual, Edoardo put himself at the head of the army, his 1.90 mt, on the other hand, made him a concentrating and inspiration figure for the men who fought with him and who saw him attack the enemies in their golden armor. The texts of the time report the figure of a man of beautiful and muscular aspect, with a charismatic and fascinating personality and who easily managed to convince others of the rightness of his own cause. In battle he was able to make quick decisions and was a good tacticalist capable of locating the weaknesses of the enemy lines and to exploit them to his advantage and in 1471 he was already a respected military leader. His command skills and charisma had made him a happy alternative to the most Sciallbo Henry VI especially among ordinary people ^[2] during the years of government he had implemented policies aimed at protecting and expanding English trade, managing to conquer merchants too ^[2] . However, in 1469 much of that consent had been eroded, the euphoria for the new sovereign had stuck and the people blamed him for having failed the goal of making England great and not punishing the abuses perpetrated by the noble Yorkists ^[2] .

When Edoardo returned home in 1471, popular support was rather scarce and there were not many who openly celebrated his return. In Barnet Edoardo he reunited with his younger brother Riccardo di Gloucester and with Giorgio who had returned to him, Riccardo unlike Giorgio was leaner and seemed much more delicate ^[2] And he was only eighteen years old and Barnet was his first great clash. However, its military value was not under discussion and there are many historians who consider it a talented and capable leader. Giorgio was not considered as much as Riccardo above all as regards the loyalty that over the years he had been somewhat doubtful, when Edoardo had climbed to the throne Giorgio was his natural successor, but the birth of Edoardo and Riccardo had made him relegated him ^[2] .

Since he had decided to follow Warwick Giorgio had married his daughter, Isabella Neville, in the hope of taking the throne to his brother, only to lose confidence in him when he had allied herself to the Lancaster and had married the other daughter Anna Anna Neville in Edoardo di Lancaster, the only son of Henry VI. When Edoardo was left to conquer the country Giorgio had accepted the forgiveness offer and reached the Yorkist army at Coventry on April 2, 1471 ^[5] . The last of the commanders of York was William Hastings, the Baron Hastings who had been loyal to Edoardo from the beginning and who had also followed him in exile and had supported his return. His loyalty had been awarded with Calais’ lieutenance and had become his main adviser.

The count of Warwick had long been an ally of the York and had fought alongside his cousin Edoardo on many occasions, his loyalty, his military and political triumphs, the popularity he enjoyed at the people had yielded his home trust him Real of York by making him an important and powerful man ^[4] . Its influence was such as to be called the Creator of king And his contemporaries considered him a military genius, even if in the last century his military acume has been resized. Some historians argue that in some cases he found themselves at the right time in the right place, as in the case of the first battle of St Albans ^[2] And that he missed a certain mental elasticity and that he played too much on the defensive.

His brother John Neville, the Marquis of Montagu was less ambitious, but tactically more effective, in 1464 had commanded the Army of York, which, thanks to an ambush, had brought home the victory to the battle of Hedgeley Moor and the battle Hexham had won thanks to a surprise attack. These victories had strengthened Neville domains to the north and Edoardo had given them the Northumberland countryside making them one of the richest families in the country ^[4] . These gifts were particularly rewarding for the Neville who had long been engaged in a skirmish with the previous accounts of Northumberland, the Percy, which instead were of Lancasterian faith. In March 1470 Edoardo, in an attempt to captivate Percy, returned the countryside to Henry Percy, IV count of Northumberland and Neville as compensation was awarded the title of Florence Di Montagu , but the lands he received were decidedly poorer and the smaller properties than those he had lost ^[2] . Neville saw the title of Marquis as an insult, an unfair and inadequate reward for many years of faithful service ^[5] However, Warwick did not immediately follow, he only reached him when he invaded England in late 1470.

By John De Vere, the XIII count of Oxford, another Lancasterian commander, little is known and the documents are scarce until he appears to the battle of Losecoat Field of 1470, his father had been murdered in 1462 following a failed attack on Edoardo’s life IV who had tried to make sure John’s support giving him the title of Knight and forgive him paternal errors. It was not successful, John remained a convinced Lancasterian and set up Warwick in an attempt to dethrone Edoardo ^[2] . Henry Holland, III Duke of Exeter (27 June 1430-September 1475) was of real blood (because he descended from Giovanni Plantageneto and by the white wife of Lancaster), but was commonly seen as little more than a criminal ^[6] ready for violence. Sworn enemy of the Neville ^[7] and nourished particular hatred against Warwick because he had been awarded in his place of the degree of Lord High Admiral In 1457 ^[4] . Nonetheless, when Warwick joined the Lancaster Exeter obedì in Margherita d’Angiò and served him during the invasion of England. Although he supported the Lancaster Exeter he had ties to the York since he was married to Anna of York, Edoardo’s sister.

Edmund Beaufort, IV Duke of Somerset was a man of proven Lancasterian faith and a trusted adviser to Margherita d’Angiò, his relations with Warwick were everything less than cordial since for many years they had argued about the respective properties that were neighboring. To worsen things there was also the death of Edmund’s father, Edmund Beaufort, the Duke of Somerset, who had been killed in St. Albans and the family still broods Rancore with Warwick for the incident. The coeval chronicles report that Beaufort was in Barnet, but some historians tend to believe that it was not present, some claiming that he was in London to supervise Henry VI by order of Warwick or that he was in the South to welcome Margherita d’Angiò ^[2] , on the basis of the fact that the bad relations with the Conte made it preferable for him to go to recruit volunteers for the Lancaster army who fights alongside him ^[5] .

On March 14, 1471 Edoardo arrived in Ravenspurn bringing behind a considerable army and immediately marked to York. At the beginning the march was quiet and without resistance because it took place in the territories of the Percy and the count of Northumberland was supposed to Edoardo the newfound property of the family lands. For good extent Edoardo announced that he returned to claim the paternal duchy and not for the English crown ^[3] , the stratagem worked and the Baron Montagu who supervised the advance was unable to push his men against Edoardo ^[4] . Once he reached a sufficient number of men he put aside the deceived and turned south, directed towards the capital, driven out the armies of Oxford and Exeter Edoardo put under a siege Warwick in Coventry hoping to be able to battle him. For his part, the Count was waiting for Giorgio to unite his strength and overwhelmed Edoardo who, meanwhile, had sent his other brother Riccardo to offer a peace proposal to Giorgio who was promptly accepted. The three brothers gathered besieged Coventry by forcing Warwick to the surrender ^[2] , the count was so furious for the betrayal of the son -in -law that he even refused to speak to him, in any case Edoardo was not in a position to definitively bring down Warwick and continued to proceed south ^[3] .

Within a few days Oxford and Exeter were able to give Warwick strongly and all three followed him, their hope was that Beaufort, who controlled London, closed Edoardo and his army outside the gates allowing them to meet him in the open field. After almost two years, however, the climate had changed and Edoardo was welcomed except with heat, at least not with coldness and the absence of Beaufort certainly did not benefit from the Lancaster ^[3] , Enrico himself put his life in the hands of the certain cousin who would have not run any danger ^[7] . The Lancasterian Rangers attempted to explore the Barnet area, which was about 12 km north of London, but were rejected and their army took a position on the ridge of a hill north of Barnet preparing for the imminent battle. Warwick positioned his men along an east-west line on the other side of the Great North Road who crossed Barnet ^[3] , while Oxford placed himself on the east side and exeter on the west. Montagu placed himself in the center and Warwick finally prepared to give orders from the reserves and also decided to move all his line a little towards the west so as to hinder Exeter men if they had been rejected behind.

Warwick’s army was far more numerous than Edoardo’s and for this reason he launched himself into a surprise attack against the Lancasterians and also brought Henry VI to prevent them from trying to take it back. Edoardo arrived in the evening and without knowing the exact position of the opponents well, he unfolded the army by placing Hastings on the left and Riccardo in command of the right row deciding to keep Giorgio by his side so that both were in the center. It is likely that this decision did not come from the trust in the war skills of his brother, but from the need to keep an eye on the one who had betrayed him twice. A reserve contingent was placed at the rear ready to intervene at Edoardo’s call ^[3] . At the fall of the night Edoardo decided the plan for the surprise attack of the following morning and with the order to march the Army of York in absolute silence approached the furtive one to that of Lancaster. During the night none of the Lancasterian commanders identified the Yorkists in approach, something that was decisive at the sunrise ^[3] .

Warwick ordered that the cannons were shooting against the area in which the opponents were presumably camped all night, which however had approached too much to be centered by the blows of the Lancasterians. For his part Edoardo ordered his cannons to keep silent so that their position was not revealed ^[3] . As soon as the troops went to rest Montagu approached his brother to warn him that the men were of low mood by suggesting that, as head of the army, it was better that he fought on foot in my hand and alongside the soldiers instead of on horseback since the belief that fighting on horseback induced the generals to abandon the field when things went badly. Fighting on foot would have inspired the idea that he would have been ready to fight until death and Warwick agreed, the horses were therefore sent to the rear ^[3] .

At four in the morning the armies got up, Edoardo had planned an attack on early and ordered men to prepare for the office. Both armies caught the cannons and arrows before throwing themselves to each other with weapons disposed of, that morning the fog was dense and the night movements had moved the sides with each other. None of the groups faced the other being all deviated a little to the right, which meant that the right margin of one could get around the other wrapping around his left side. The Lancasterians were the first to use this advantage and Oxford’s men soon ended up getting the better of the Hastings that had to fall back to Barnet chased by the Count’s men. A few Yorkist even reached London by spreading the rumor that Edoardo had lost and Warwick won the clash, however Oxford’s men dispersed as soon as they separated to plunder the bottles of the enemies and the city of Barnet ^[3] . Oxford was forced to chase and recall his soldiers and managed to bring 800 on the battlefield.

Due to the thick fog, however, no one had noticed the victory of Oxford on Hastings Co that the collapse of the entire Yorkist wing had a little effect on their morality, meanwhile the battle hired between Edoardo and Montagu was decidedly intense and the left wing of the Lancaster was falling back under Riccardo’s blows that rejected the men of Exeter more and back ^[3] . Riccardo’s progress were small because they were fighting on a slight slope slope, however his slow pressure, but constant made the entire combat line rotate. Warwick seeing what was happening ordered the reservations to relieve the pressure around the exeter and sending the remaining to fight to the center ^[3] Gradually the combat line took place from the north-east to the south-west.

Meanwhile Oxford was retracing his steps to return to fighting unexpectedly behind the shoulders of Montagu, in the dense fog he confused the emblem of the count made of stars with rays with the shining sun of Edoardo ^[8] , thinking that the allies were instead the reserves of Edoardo ordered them a discharge of arrows. Oxford immediately shouted to betrayal because from Lancasterian iron it was very cautious about the recent time to face Montagu and ordered to respond to the attack as they retired. Their shouts of treason spread in the ranks of the Lancaster precipitating men in panic and confusion, as soon as the fog raised Edoardo saw that the opposing files were on course and sent the reservations about them accelerating their fall. The rumor that Exeter had fallen under an ASSEMBLE ASSEMBLY RISMATED ALL THE FIELD and Montagu was killed in the confusion, it is not known by an opponent or by one of Oxford’s men ^[3] .
Warwick saw the death of his brother and understood that the battle was lost and tried to head towards the horses in an attempt to retire, Edoardo understood that he had won and also understood that Warwick was worth more alive than as a dead and sent soldiers with the order to bring it to him alive ^[3] . Some historians believe that Edoardo wanted to convince Warwick to return within the House of York because he was a talented ally, others instead who only wanted the opportunity to execute him publicly ^[4] .

The Army of York was great and perhaps because ignoring Edoardo’s orders or perhaps because they were unaware of it a group of soldiers put their hands on Warwick, pulled him off the horse and stabbed him around his neck, his body was found by the guards of Edoardo, mutilated and without his signs.

The battle itself lasted about three hours and like all the battles brought many deaths, about 500 Yorkists and the double between the lancaster files ^[5] . The bodies of the two Neville brothers were brought back to the capital and the ordeal was spared to be quartered and hung as a warning to the gates of the city, however Edoardo exhibited their naked bodies for three days in the cathedral of St.Paul to silence the rumors who wanted them alive, later he authorized their burial to the Bisham Abbey.

Although Edoardo had won was far from quiet, Margherita d’Angiò had arrived in Weymouth on the day of the battle and through a simulated march towards London he was recruiting men in Wales and in the Welsh brands, she was discouraged by the death of Warwick, but Beaufort He had suggested that they were definitely more free ^[3] . In spite of the defeat, the Lancasterians had turned to the queen in the hope that she would put her husband back on the throne, alerted by his spies Edoardo chased and intercepted the Queen’s army by hiring war on the battle of Tewkesbury, Margherita was defeated and his killed son.

Exeter was considered dead in battle, but was alive even if seriously injured. His men took him to the Westminster Abbey and despite having asked you asylum he was taken to the Tower of London where he lived four years before submitting to Edoardo.
Oxford ran away to France giving himself piracy against English ships and continuing to oppose the kingdom of Edoardo, he was finally captured in 1473 after having conquered the island of St Michael’s Mount. Twelve years later Oxford fled and reached Enrico Tudor fighting by his side in the battle of Bosworth Field.