Lancastrians Vs Yorkists | 1485 Historical Battle of Bosworth | Total War Battle

The day is the 22nd of August, 1485. In the vicinity of Market Bosworth, three armies form up for the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses. The clash that will decide who will sit on the throne of England is about to begin. The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil-military conflicts that shook 15th century England. They pitted the House of York against the House of Lancaster, both descendants of the Plantagenet dynasty, over the throne of the Kingdom of England. After the decisive victory of the House of York at the Battle of Tewkesbury, almost the entirety of the House of Lancaster had been wiped out, with only a minor descendant, Henry Tudor, exiled in France. For almost 15 years, Edward IV of the House of York reigned over England, and the conflict seemed to be concluded. However, upon the death of Edward IV, his brother Richard declared his children illegitimate and seized the throne for himself, crowned Richard III of the House of York. This tyrannical behaviour granted him many enemies at court who sought to have him deposed, placing their faith on the exiled Henry Tudor. Finally, on August 7th of 1485, Henry Tudor landed in Wales with a small army of mercenaries, granted to him by the King of France. Soon, he was intercepted by the lieutenant in West Wales appointed by Richard himself, Rhys ap Thomas. However, Rhys had arrived to defect to the Lancastrian side, and an important Welsh contingent joined Henry Tudor's forces. The inland march of the rebel army continued, and eventually, Henry Tudor arrived at Stafford. There, the Lancastrian pretender met another army. This time, it was a slightly larger contingent than his, under the command of his stepfather, Thomas Stanley. Lord Stanley was known for his skilled political manoeuvring, concealing his true allegiance until the last moment, and once more, he didn't join Henry Tudor's army, but he didn't engage it either. As the Lancastrian force set out, the host under Lord Stanley simply marched behind at a safe distance. As for the Yorkist forces, King Richard rallied his army at Nottingham, and soon marched west with the intention to crush the Lancastrian rebellion once more. It is worth noting that Richard III had a reputation as a brilliant and staunch military commander, and during the earlier stages of the War of the Roses, whenever his brother Edward required a skilful intervention, he entrusted Richard with the task. In contrast, Henry Tudor was considerably younger, and had no previous experience in battle, though he was humble enough to heed the counsel of his most experienced allies. Finally, the Lancastrian army of Henry Tudor, the Yorkist army of Richard III, and the host of Thomas Stanley, met in the vicinity of Market Bosworth on the 21st of August of 1485. The Yorkist forces laid camp on Ambien Hill, which dominated the area, with the Stanleys at the south, and the Lancastrians at the southwest. The engagement would take place the following morning, when the army of Henry Tudor appeared seeking battle. Henry's main body, or battle, was a thick front line of infantry. The nature of his host prompted a mixed formation of poorly equipped footmen, who would fight alongside heavily armed knights. Welsh men-at-arms, as well as the French mercenaries that had arrived with him from France, were the strongest components of the Lancastrian infantry. Henry, not being much of a military leader himself, had entrusted the command of the front line to the experienced Earl of Oxford, John de Vere. Behind his front line, a slimmer rearguard had been arranged, with the Lancastrian cavalry and Henry Tudor's personal guard. In total, the estimated numbers of the Lancastrian side are thought to be around 5,000 men, 2,000 of them being French mercenaries. In the south, the Stanleys also formed up. Lord Stanley remained in a neutral position, a safe distance from the field, and still not having compromised to any of the sides yet. On Ambion Hill, the Yorkist forces were the last to prepare for battle. Not expecting the inexperienced and outnumbered Henry Tudor to make the first move, they were forced to skip their breakfast in order to draw their battle order in time. The Yorkist troops were more professional in contrast with the Lancastrian composition, with a greater presence of heavy men-at-arms on their side. King Richard divided his army into three divisions, the right flank, under the Duke of Norfolk, facing Henry Tudor's army, the left flank facing the Stanleys, and his own body of infantry standing at the centre. Overall, Richard III commanded a force of around 10,000 well-armed men. The Battle of Bosworth Field was about to begin. Before launching any military actions, both King Richard III and Henry Tudor sent messengers to Lord Stanley, ordering him to join their attack on their respective enemy. However, Lord Stanley refused to commit to any of the sides. Before Stanley's refusal, it dawned on Henry Tudor that he would have to face the Yorkist army on his own, at least for the moment. Outnumbered two to one, it is unclear if Henry Tudor expected to break the enemy on his own, or if he took a gamble and advanced hoping the Stalneys would follow. However it may be, he gave the order, and the Lancastrian vanguard under the Earl of Oxford pushed forward. King Richard was once more surprised with the boldness of the Lancastrian pretender, and commanded the Duke of Norfolk to charge downhill to meet the advancing foe. The clash was fierce, and both sides pushed fiercely to gain ground. Behind the front lines, rows of archers released their arrows on their foe. As the melee intensified, the struggle turned into a stalemate. Henry had tossed the coin. He turned towards Lord Stanley, expecting him to charge Norfolk's left flank, but his men remained idle. Back in Ambion Hill, the inaction of Lord Stanley infuriated King Richard. He was in possession of Lord Stanley's eldest son, and held him in captivity with his army as a way to ensure Stanley's loyalty. However, the stubborn Lord did not join him in battle. King Richard sent an ultimatum, threatening to execute Lord Stanley's son if he kept refusing him, to which the old Lord simply replied, I have other sons. King Richard was absolutely infuriated by this response, and calerically demanded that Lord Stanley's son was killed on that very moment, but his officers persuaded him to leave the execution for after the battle, effectively saving the life of the young man. On the front lines, the progress of the division of the Earl of Oxford seemed to be stalled. Not only the Lancastrian side wasn't gaining ground anymore, but their lightest troops began to break, succumbing to the pressure of the heavy Yorkist knights. Henry Tudor watched from afar. If the battle followed its course, the Yorkist would win the day. Henry needed the intervention of Lord Stanley's force, and if the old Lord wouldn't heed his messengers, the Lancastrian pretender would go himself. Tudor spurred his cavalry reserve towards his right, heading for the Stanley host. However, this manoeuvre didn't go unnoticed. King Richard spotted the Tudor bodyguard moving away from his infantry into open ground, and seized the opportunity to strike, charging forward with his own reserve of cavalry. Henry's division was struck from the side by the Yorkist cavalry. The heavy Yorkist knights, led by their enraged king, fought like demons, and pierced deep in the formation, slaying Henry Tudor's standard bearer and almost reaching the Lancastrian pretender himself. Henry Tudor's bodyguard was thrown into disarray, and the death of the Lancastrian pretender was only a matter of time. But it was at this decisive moment that the Stanleys played their part. If you're enjoying the video, it's thanks to our collaboration with Bellum Cinematics, the maker of the battle you're watching right now. We strongly recommend you check out his channel, linked in the description, and while you're at it, subscribe to my own. Thank you for your support. Sir William Stanley, Lord Stanley's younger brother, darted forward with a strong contingent of knights charging into the melee. The Yorkist pretender was ambushed, outnumbered, and far from the rest of his forces. One by one, King Richard's men were either killed or dismounted. While the cavalry of the Stanleys pressed Richard III's men, Henry Tudor retreated from the fight. King Richard now gathered his men for the last stand, allegedly claiming that, God forbid that I retreat one step. I will either win the battle as a king, or die as one. Henry Tudor's historian, Polydor Virgil, recalls the fate of the Yorkist king as follows. King Richard alone was killed fighting manfully in the thickest press of his enemies. And thus, Richard III, the last Yorkist king of England, was slain. News of the death of King Richard soon reached the front line, where the Earl of Oxford barely held his ground. Despite having the advantage, the Yorkist troops routed as soon as they heard of the fate of their leader. The Duke of Norfolk, along with many of the Yorkist infantrymen, was slain during this retreat. At the end of the day, Henry Tudor was victorious. The Battle of Bosworth was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, and saw the House of York removed from the throne by the House of Lancaster. After the battle, Henry Tudor was crowned king, as Henry VII of England, and soon married Richard III's niece, Elizabeth of York. This union effectively joined the House of Lancaster and the House of York together, and was the birth of Henry VII's own house, the House of Tudor. The Tudor dynasty, represented by the Red Rose of Lancaster with the White Rose of York at its core, would go on to reign the Kingdom of England for more than a century.