How to suppress a rebellion: England 1173–74

Abstract

In March 1173, Henry II’s crowned, eldest son Henry surreptitiously left his father at Chinon and went to Paris, to the court of his father-in-law, Louis VII. Between then and September 1174, at the end of which peace terms were agreed, Henry II’s numerous dominions, with few exceptions, were convulsed by rebellion to one degree or another.1 Internal rebellion was supplemented in some cases with invasion from outside, most notably in Normandy, attacked by the king of France, supported by the counts of Flanders, Boulogne and Blois, and in England where the Scottish king attacked and French and Flemish troops were brought in to support the rebels. Although certainly not ignored, this substantial and relatively prolonged conflict has perhaps still not received its due from historians.