Mercenaries in the War of roses, Help!!!

[Mencey]

 Hi all, anybody can help me?? I need to know if Burgundian were allies for Lancasters or Yorks, and if other mercenaries fought in the "War of Roses", i tried to looking for information in spanish about it in the web but i didnt find nothing, cos i understand english, but sometimes is confuse when is not your native languish, anyway, if somebody can help me it was really great for me, it s not clear for me this part in this war!!! I bought the Perry miniatures mercenaries, are excellent miniaturesn in plastic!!! Sorry for my english in sure is not correct!!!! Thanks !!!

[Hu Rhu]

Mencey,

There were lots of mercenaries who fought for both sides in the WotR.  The Burgundians provided some troops to the Yorkists at various times and they were allies (at least for a time) in their war against France. French and Breton mercenaries assisted the Lancastrians, Irish troops fought for both sides at various times and there were some German troops who supported the Yorkists in their later battles.  Finally the Scots provided mercenaries mostly for the Lancastrians.  I am sure that others can give you more details but that should be enough to get you started.

By the way your English is a lot better than my Spanish.

[janner]

Lots of scope for mercenaries, especially Scottish, Irish and French.

For Burgundy, that'll be Edward IV and the House of York.

[Mencey]

Woow, really fast to answer me, really, thank u very much, u help me a lot, thanks!!!

[Arlequín]

While Burgundy and France provided the money, the mercenaries themselves in some cases, could come from a somewhat wider area. Juan Salazar (Spanish) was at Bosworth with Richard III as just one example. Germans were at Stoke Field. Many of the French in Henry Tudor's Army were in fact disbanded French 'Royal Troops' from the base at Pont d'l'Arche and had been trained in 'Swiss' tactics. Italians operated in the Low Countries, so potentially could be within the 'Burgundians'.

Pretty much as a rule France and Scotland supported the Lancastrians and Burgundy the Yorkists... but Charles the Bold sheltered Lancastrians and was personally sympathetic to their cause... politics pushed him to support their opponents.

[H.M.Stanley]

"Many of the French in Henry Tudor's Army were in fact disbanded French 'Royal Troops' from the base at Pont d'l'Arche and had been trained in 'Swiss' tactics."

And we all know what that brought about in turn ... 

[Franz_Josef]

The Duchess of Burgundy was Edward IV's and Richard III's sister, so pretty much Burgundy tends towards York.  In contrast, Henry VI's wife was a French princess (mother of the Prince of Wales).

[Arlequín]

The Duchess of Burgundy was Edward IV's and Richard III's sister, so pretty much Burgundy tends towards York.  In contrast, Henry VI's wife was a French princess (mother of the Prince of Wales).

Margaret didn't marry Charles until 1468 and Queen Margaret was a cousin somewhat removed to the French King and not a princess. While yes, the Burgundians more or less went with the Yorkists and the French with the Lancastrians, it was a much more complex story than it seems at first glance. French help in 1461 was wholly contingent on Margaret's agreement to cede Calais to France, which at the time was surrounded by Burgundian territory... that prompted Burgundian support of York more than any other reason.

Despite Charles's supposed 'Yorkist' sympathies, it didn't stop him sheltering and providing money to the Dukes of Somerset and Exeter after 1464, or having previously obtained Somerset's release from Louis's imprisonment in 1460. Queen Margaret and the PoW chose to sail to Flanders rather than a French port in 1464 and from there made their way to Anjou; a longer journey, but they just could not trust Louis not to hand them over to Edward. Charles received them with all honours when they arrived too.

Despite having had Burgundian troops in 1461, the Earl of Warwick sought a marriage for Edward and an alliance with France, not Burgundy. Edward himself sold out his brother in law Charles in 1475... marital and family ties were less important than you might imagine. 

[Mencey]

Thanks all for information, a really good forum!!!