AQA AS-Level History 7042
1A The Age of the Crusades, c1071–1204
1B Spain in the Age of Discovery, 1469–1598
1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603
1D Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603–1702
1E Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682–1796
1F Industrialisation and the People: Britain, c1783–1885
1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain, c1851–1964
1H Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
1J The British Empire, c1857–1967
1K The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975
1L The Quest for Political Stability: Germany, 1871–1991
2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216
2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499
2C The Reformation in Europe, c1500–1564
2D Religious Conflict and the Church in England, c1529–c1570
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660
2F The Sun King: Louis XIV, France and Europe, 1643–1715
2G The Birth of the USA, 1760–1801
2H France in Revolution, 1774–1815
2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877
2K International Relations and Global Conflict, c1890–1941
2L Italy and Fascism, c1900–1945
2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957
2N Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953
2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945
2P The Transformation of China, 1936–1997
2Q The American Dream: Reality and Illusion, 1945–1980
2R The Cold War, c1945–1991
2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
2T The Crisis of Communism: The USSR and the Soviet Empire, 1953–2000
2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499
- 6 subtopics
- 51 things to know
- Component 2
What 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 covers
Option 2B is a depth study of the Wars of the Roses, taken as one of the Component 2 choices. It covers the breakdown of Lancastrian government, the Yorkist triumph, the reign of Edward IV and the fall of the dynasty.
Where it is assessed
Component 2
A depth study, of which a student sits one.
Check the AQA specification ↗The 6 subtopics
Each one has its own page. AQA AS History students sit this topic in the first year.
- Henry VI, Cade's Rebellion and the Loss of NormandyRecall questions on Henry VI's weaknesses and collapse in 1453, Somerset and the baronial factions of 1450, the grievances and demands of Jack Cade's Kentish rebels, and the effects of losing Normandy.Open →
- Richard of York and His Claim to the ThroneRecall questions on the losses English nobles suffered in Normandy and on York's descent, wealth and appointment to Ireland.Open →
- The Protectorates, St Albans and the Uneasy PeaceRecall questions on York's two Protectorates, the first Battle of St Albans and Somerset's death, Margaret of Anjou, the Loveday of 1458, the Percy-Neville feud and how noble faction corrupted local justice.Open →
- Edward IV and the Woodville MarriageRecall questions on the start of Edward's personal rule and on the secret marriage that offended Warwick and the nobility.Open →
- Warwick, Margaret of Anjou and the ReadeptionRecall questions on the flight of Warwick and Clarence, Margaret's role during Henry VI's incapacity and the alliance brokered between them.Open →
- Barnet, Tewkesbury and the Impact of the WarsRecall questions on Edward IV's return in 1471, Warwick's death at Barnet, Tewkesbury and the deaths of Prince Edward and Henry VI, and what the wars cost the nobility, trade and ordinary people.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why were baronial disputes in 1450 allowed to escalate rather than being resolved?
What regional grievances fuelled support for Cade's Rebellion?
What material losses did English nobles suffer from the fall of Normandy?
What position did Richard of York hold from 1447, and how was this appointment perceived?
What was one source of rivalry between York and Somerset regarding access to the king?
What ended York's first Protectorate, and what were the political consequences?
How did the balance of military power stand between Yorkists and Lancastrians in 1455?
What northern feud exemplified how local rivalries became entangled with the York-Lancaster conflict?
What caused resentment among the established nobility following the Woodville marriage?
What was the key difference between Warwick and Edward IV regarding foreign policy?
Who brokered the reconciliation between Warwick and Margaret of Anjou, and where did this occur?
Why was the Readeption government unstable?
On what date was the Battle of Barnet fought, and what were the weather conditions?
What happened to Lancastrian military leadership at and after the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury?
Which trade was particularly disrupted by the wars during this period?
What caused localised economic disruption during periods of conflict?
Why did Edward IV bypass the Exchequer in favour of Chamber finance?
How did increased crown lands revenue reduce Edward IV's dependence on parliamentary grants?
Who headed the Council of the North under Edward IV?
What were benevolences as used by Edward IV?
Where did Richard, Duke of Gloucester, build his independent power base?
What was the source of factional rivalry between Gloucester and the Woodvilles?
Which commodities formed the basis of English trade recovery during Edward IV's peaceful reign?
How was the rise of gentry families evident during Edward IV's reign?
How did failure of male lines contribute to changes in the nobility?
How old was Edward IV when he died, and how old was his heir?
Why was control of the regency government contested after Edward IV's death?
Whom did Edward IV's will name as Lord Protector?
Why did Richard III's status as a usurper weaken his position?
How did dissensions among Yorkist nobility affect Richard III's regime?
Why did Buckingham's rebellion fail?
When and where did the Battle of Bosworth take place?
Where was Henry Tudor proclaimed King Henry VII?
What was the intended purpose of Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth of York?
Who led the Lovell revolt of 1486 against Henry VII?
Who did Lambert Simnel claim to be?
Who provided the German mercenaries that fought for Lambert Simnel?
From where did Margaret of Burgundy provide support to Yorkist pretenders?
When did Henry VII begin imprisoning the Earl of Warwick?
How was Perkin Warbeck captured in 1497?
Which trade was particularly affected by the political instability of the Wars of the Roses?
What methods did Henry VII use to control the nobility and ensure loyalty by 1499?
How was the relationship between central authority and the regions transformed during this period?
Who led the dominant baronial faction under Henry VI by 1450, and what divided the factions?
What happened at the first Battle of St Albans, and what ended York's Protectorate?
What happened at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in February 1461?
What conditions and events decided the Battle of Towton on 29 March 1461?
Which leading Lancastrian noble was killed at the Battle of Northampton?
How did Richard III take power, and why was his position weak?
Who were Margaret of Anjou and Prince Edward, and how was Warwick reconciled to them?
Take 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Yorkist vs Lancastrian
Yorkist: supporter of the dynastic claim descended through the house of York. Lancastrian: supporter of the rival royal line descended through Lancaster.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What was one key weakness of Henry VI as a ruler regarding the nobility?
Model answer
His inability to control noble factions
- 2
How did Henry VI's relationship with certain individuals undermine his rule?
Model answer
He was susceptible to manipulation by favourites, allowing them undue influence over royal policy
- 3
What attitude did Henry VI display towards warfare that weakened his kingship?
Model answer
He showed a lack of interest in military affairs
- 4
What happened to Henry VI in 1453 that created a political crisis?
Model answer
He suffered a mental breakdown, rendering him incapable of ruling and creating a power vacuum
- 5
Who led the dominant baronial faction by 1450 and held significant influence over Henry VI?
Model answer
Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset
- 6
What was one characteristic of baronial factions in 1450 relating to royal favour?
Model answer
Competition for royal patronage
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 revision questions
- Is 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 examined at AS in AQA History?
- Yes. It sits in Component 2, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.
- What does 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 cover in AQA AS-Level History?
- 6 subtopics: henry vi, cade's rebellion and the loss of normandy, richard of york and his claim to the throne, the protectorates, st albans and the uneasy peace, edward iv and the woodville marriage, warwick, margaret of anjou and the readeption and barnet, tewkesbury and the impact of the wars. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 organised?
- By the AQA 7042 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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