The Battle of Towton

Question 1

The Battle of Towton

Answer 1

29th March 1461, Palm Sunday
Lasted 10 hours = Massacre
The bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil

Question 2

Lancastrians

Answer 2

Lancastrian numbers: 25,000 men
Lancastrian losses: 9,000
Lancastrian leaders: Somerset, Northumberland, Lord Clifford ( who was killed at Ferrybridge)

Question 3

Yorkists

Answer 3

Yorkist numbers: 20,000 men
Yorkist losses: 6,000 men
Yorkist leaders: King Edward, Warwick and lord Fauconberg

Question 4

A change of wind

Answer 4

Lancastrians have an advantageous position on Higher Ground
Somerset put his Men in a defensive position so Archers can rain down arrows on the enemy

However, the wind changes direction and drives Northwards into the faces of the Lancastrians
Lancastrian arrows catch the wind and don’t meet their Yorkist target

Fauconberg uses the direction of the wind to the Yorkist advantage, taking his Archers up front to deliver a highly effective volley that took a large toll on the Lancastrians

Question 5

Lancastrians are forced to give up their position

Answer 5

The Lancastrians are forced to move forward giving up their position on high ground and engage in one-to-one combat with the Yorkists

The Lancastrians are now counting on their numerical advantage

Fauconberg realises this and purposefully leaves thousands of arrows sticking out of the ground which hinders the Lancasterian advance

Question 6

Turning point

Answer 6

Norfolk arrives on the battlefield just in time, driving into the Lancastrian left

This is a turning point in the battle and Lancastrian leaders begin to flee
Such as Somerset, Northumberland and Devon

Lancastrian lines break and Edward orders his men to give no quarter and it becomes the Killing Fields known as the Bloody Meadow

Question 7

Why was Towton a decisive Yorkist Victory?

Answer 7

Edward claims victory and it was clear he remained firmly on the throne

15000 men were killed

Many Lancastrian leaders were killed (Northumberland and Devon)
and those that remained simply changed their alliance to Edward such as lord rivers

Question 8

Lancasterian weaknesses

Answer 8

Lancastrian leaders allow their troops to plunder at will which made them lose a lot of support from northerners after 2nd BOSTA

Warwick capitalised on this and spread propaganda which lead to hate for the Lancastrian army and saw the Yorkist army swell in ranks

The Lancastrians had weak military leaders as Somerset had little military experience
and Lord Clifford died at Ferrybridge

Margaret and Henry were not present so the Lancastrians didn’t have the psychological advantage of having the king on their side and the King’s Stand was therefore not present

Question 9

What was the main reason why the Yorkists won the Battle of Towton?

Answer 9

The Yorkist strengths were a key reason why the Yorkists won the Battle of Towton

Theoretically, the Lancastrians should’ve won as they had the Higher Ground and a larger army
They had more Nobles on their side

They were well-rested as they arrived earlier and weren’t exhausted like the Yorkists who had just fought at Ferrybridge

Question 10

The Earl of Warwick

Answer 10

Edward owed his victory to the military support of Warwick and his kinsmen
The reinforcements he bought from the Midlands swelled the King’s forces

After Towton, Warwick stayed North to consolidate Edward’s authority as King in the region
He suppressed the disorder that continued in Yorkshire and Durham

By October 1461 the North had been secured for the King by Warwick

The debt owed to Warwick was acknowledged by the King who heaped rewards on Warwick including renewing his captaincy of Calais and making him Admiral of England

Question 11

Yorkist strengths

Answer 11

The Yorkist strengths were a key reason why the Yorkists won the Battle of Towton
despite having a smaller army, being exhausted from Ferrybridge, and lower ground

1. they had good military leaders
   Fauconberg uses the direction of the wind to the Yorkist advantage, taking his Archers up front to deliver a highly effective volley that took a large toll on the Lancastrians
   Fauconberg realises this and purposefully leaves thousands of arrows sticking out of the ground which hinders the Lancasterian advance

Norfolk arrives on the battlefield just in time, driving into the Lancastrian left

2. waricks propaganda
   Warwick capitalised on this and spread propaganda which lead to hate for the Lancastrian army and saw the Yorkist army swell in ranks