Subtitle The War Of The Roses | 2026 Edition |

: Richard, Duke of York , held a strong claim to the throne through his descent from Edward III's second and fourth sons, challenging the Lancastrian line.

: A thirty-year power struggle between two branches of the royal House of Plantagenet. subtitle The War of the Roses

: Powerful nobles maintained private armies (livery and maintenance), allowing local disputes to escalate into national warfare. III. The Three Phases of War : Richard, Duke of York , held a

: King Henry VI (Lancaster) was a pious but ineffective ruler who suffered from mental instability, creating a power vacuum. Duke of York

: Following the end of the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453), England faced an economic depression and the return of restless soldiers.