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2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216

  • 14 subtopics
  • 39 things to know
  • Component 2

What 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 covers

Option 2A is a depth study of the Angevin kings, taken as one of the Component 2 choices. It examines how royal authority was restored under Henry II, tested by Becket and rebellion, and lost under John.

Where it is assessed

Component 2

A depth study, of which a student sits one.

Check the AQA specification ↗

The 14 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What period of civil war preceded Henry II's accession in 1154, and between whom was it fought?

Key term

How had the Anarchy affected royal revenues by 1154?

Key term

To whose reign did Henry II aim to restore royal authority?

Key term

What administrative challenge did Henry II's extensive overseas territories create?

Key term

What regular process did Henry II ensure to improve financial administration?

Key term

What was the Assize of Clarendon and when was it issued?

Key term

What social functions did the Church provide in medieval society?

Key term

Why were bishops and abbots significant feudal tenants?

Key term

Who was Richard de Clare, and what was his nickname?

Key term

Who was Thomas Becket and what was the nature of his conflict with Henry II?

Key term

Why did Henry II personally lead an invasion of Ireland in 1171?

Key term

What was the Great Rebellion of 1173-1174 and who was involved?

Key term

What was Henry II's primary political task regarding the barons after the Great Rebellion of 1173-1174?

Key term

What happened to towns in England during Henry II's later reign?

Key term

Why did the Treaty of Windsor fail to provide a lasting settlement for Ireland?

Key term

How did Richard I view crusading in relation to his personal faith?

Key term

How much time did Richard I actually spend in England during his ten-year reign?

Key term

Who replaced Longchamp as the leading figure in English government, and how did this come about?

Key term

What dominated the remainder of Richard's reign after his release from captivity in 1194?

Key term

What was becoming increasingly significant to the English economy during Richard's reign?

Key term

In what year did John become king, and whose death created the vacancy?

Key term

What were John's main political and military aims during his reign?

Key term

Why did John's preference for foreign mercenaries and advisers damage his relations with English barons?

Key term

How many times was scutage levied under John compared to Richard I, and how did the rates differ?

Key term

Who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1193 to 1205, and what other royal offices did he hold?

Key term

Who did Pope Innocent III appoint as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1207, and how did John respond?

Key term

When did the loss of Normandy occur, and what was its historical significance?

Key term

Why did John's campaigns to regain Normandy drive his exploitation of English revenues?

Key term

Why did John invade Ireland in 1210?

Key term

What was the outcome of John's final campaign to recover Normandy in 1214?

Key term

What was Magna Carta, and what areas did its provisions address?

Key term

What circumstances made the succession problematic when John died in 1216?

Process

What was the quarrel between Henry II and Thomas Becket, and how did it end?

Process

What roles did the Church play in medieval society and government?

Process

How did Henry II manage the baronage after the Great Rebellion of 1173-74?

Process

Why was Philip II's strategy of exploiting Angevin family divisions effective?

Process

What characterised relations between Henry II and Philip II of France during the 1180s?

Process

How did English towns develop under Henry II?

Process

How did Richard I's absence weaken royal authority in England?

Take 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

  • Common law vs Customary law

    Common law: royal justice applied consistently through central courts. Customary law: local practice varying between communities and lordships.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What period of civil war preceded Henry II's accession in 1154, and between whom was it fought?

    Model answer

    The Anarchy (1135-1154), fought between Stephen and Matilda.

  2. 2

    What was the main political consequence of the Anarchy for royal government?

    Model answer

    Central royal authority had been significantly weakened.

  3. 3

    What had happened to English coinage during the Anarchy?

    Model answer

    The coinage had become debased.

  4. 4

    How had the Anarchy affected royal revenues by 1154?

    Model answer

    Royal revenues had been reduced.

  5. 5

    What impact did the Anarchy have on trade in England?

    Model answer

    Trade had been damaged and disrupted.

  6. 6

    What were unlicensed castles built during the Anarchy called?

    Model answer

    Adulterine castles.

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Henry II died on 6 July 1189 at Chinon.
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2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 revision questions

What does 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 cover in AQA A-Level History?
14 subtopics: the anarchy and the legacy henry ii inherited, henry ii's challenges and early reforms, the church and the angevin empire, henry ii, becket and ireland, the great rebellion and the management of the barons, philip ii and the last years of henry ii, richard i and the crusade, government, society and the jews under richard i, richard's war with philip ii and his death, the accession and character of king john, john's finances, hubert walter and the interdict, the loss of normandy, john in scotland, ireland and wales and bouvines, magna carta and the death of john. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216 organised?
By the AQA 7042 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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