4 henry vis weaknesses

Factor

Explain

Significance (in the outbreak of conflict)

Losses in France

He didn't understand the relevance of the conflict with France and so he was careless with French land. He gave away Maine and Anjou which lead to France recapturing Normandy

This angered people such as RDOY due to them being removed from their post their and then having that land lost which caused him to lose faith in Henry

Financial Irresponsibility

Henry was unable to live of his own and his minority ending lead to the cost of running the household doubling. The increase in debt in the crown lead to taxes increasing, angering the people

The increase in taxes lead to people getting angry, especially as taxes were unfair and this lead to conflict such as Cades rebellion

Mental Instability

Henry VI was already known for being gullible and naïve when he was sane which people thought he was insane due to. He then went into a catatonic state for 18 months where he could not speak or move

There was no stable monarchy in England which caused them to be more vulnerable as the king was publicly known to be catatonic

Lack of leadership skills/attributes

He was incredibly naïve, as he couldn't recognise manipulation and bribery over friendship. He also did not understand how severe conflicts were both domestically and in other countries

The king was easily manipulated and used for his power due to his lack of understanding and knowledge of how to run the country

Lack of popular support

Henry VI was widely seen as incapable and childish which caused him to lose support. Some of his actions such as agreeing to give away Maine also made him unpopular

This meant that it was easy for people to side against him due to his naivety and immature actions

Misgovernment (e.g. lack of justice)

Henry VI was known for pardoning people and not offering proper punishment which highlighted misgovernment. When he then gave away Maine and Anjou, this was further seen as he allowed France to take Normandy as well

People could get away with more leading to more corruption in the country as they knew that there was no proper punishment and that they could likely get away with it

Favouritism

Henry grew up with nobles and advisors running the country until he reached majority in 1937 leading to him having favourites who continued to run the country after this point. This lead to political rivalries and tension which the king couldn't control or manage

This was what caused the initial tension and divide between the noble families which lead to conflict later on