Scottish Wars of Independence - battle of falkirk and continuing resistance

Scottish Wars of Independence - battle of falkirk and continuing resistance

1. Scottish Wars of Independence, 1249-1328 The Battle o f Falkirk

2. The Battle of Falkirk LEARNING INTENTIONS Describe events at the Battle of Falkirk Explain why the Scots lost the battle Describe events after the Battle of Falkirk

3. The Battle of Falkirk After victory at Stirling Bridge, Wallace set about securing Scotland’s independence, including attacking England. King Edward was angered by this and led a huge army north.

4. The Battle of Falkirk Falkirk was not planned by Wallace in the way that Stirling Bridge had been. Edward did not know where Wallace was when he marched north and he had almost given up looking for him. However he was informed by two Scottish nobles where to find Wallace (just north of Falkirk ).

5. The Battle of Falkirk Wallace’s plan had been to wait until the English army headed towards Edinburgh to get more supplies. Wallace hoped to attack small groups of English soldiers, including their rearguard . He was surprised by Edward’s decision to attack in July 1298 .

6. The Battle of Falkirk The English army at Falkirk was very different from Stirling Bridge. It was led by their king, Edward, a very experienced military leader. It was also much larger – up to 2000 cavalry and also up to 12,000 soldiers (many with longbows).

7. The Battle of Falkirk The Scottish army was also stronger than at Stirling Bridge, although not as large as Wallace had hoped. There were around 6000 soldiers (organised into piked schiltrons of 2000) and also 600 knights on horseback too. They also had some longbow archers too.

8. The Battle of Falkirk The Scots army was positioned behind a boggy marsh , which Wallace hoped would stop a frontal attack from the English.

9. The Battle of Falkirk The English cavalry attacked the Scots’ two flanks , allowing them to avoid the boggy area. The strength of the English attack drove the Scots cavalry from the battlefield. Scotland’s schiltrons were now undefended and at the mercy of English archer attacks.

10. The Battle of Falkirk After the English archers attacked, their foot soldiers did the same, with the Scots either being killed or fleeing (heading towards the Callendar Wood ). Wallace and his commanders also fled, burning Stirling Town as did so, to try to stop it falling into English hands. They found safety in the Tor Wood .

11. The Battle of Falkirk There were many reasons for the Scots’ defeat: Some claim the cavalry was to blame, although most accounts suggest they fought bravely against a bigger army The timing was said to be a problem; many believe the Scots should have waited Depiction of English cavalry , during the 100 Years War with France (1337-1453)

12. The Battle of Falkirk The location also hurt the Scots. It meant the English did not attack from the front (which was the Scots’ best defence) and that the schiltrons could not move. The use of schiltrons was a problem because they were not mobile enough, so could not attack the English

13. The Battle of Falkirk Wallace was also blamed for defeat, with many saying his lack of military experience meant the Scots had poor tactics . Shortly after the battle, Wallace resigned his Guardianship of Scotland. Two of the replacement Guardians were John Comyn and Robert the Bruce .

14. The Battle of Falkirk In the years after Falkirk, the Scots found other ways to oppose English rule. In 1299 , some Scots travelled to Rome to win the Pope’s support on issues such as Edward’s treatment and also the fate of John Balliol . King John was eventually released into the Pope’s custody.

15. The Battle of Falkirk The Scots also took part in military action against the English, including attacking their garrisons and forts. The Scots also won back control of much of the north of Scotland, and created fear amongst English occupiers across the country.

16. The Battle of Falkirk Edward fought back, including attending sieges at places such as Caerlaverock Castle , attacked using siege engines (a trebuchet ). The Scots lost the support of the French ( 1303 ) after they agreed a treaty with England and the Pope ( 1302 ) who blamed Scottish bishops for the wars.

17. The Battle of Falkirk Edward’s final invasion in 1303-1304 saw him take control of castles and towns across the country, including Stirling (attacked using the Warwolf trebuchet). Edward offered amnesty to various Scottish leaders, allowing them to keep their lands and also promised to respect Scottish laws.

18. The Battle of Falkirk After 1297, little is known of Wallace. It is suggested he travelled to France and Rome to try to win support for Scotland’s case. He returned to Scotland in 1303 but was hunted by the English. Unlike other Scottish leaders, he was not offered amnesty .

19. The Battle of Falkirk In August 1305 , Wallace was betrayed by Sir John Menteith . He was captured and taken to London for trial. Wallace was found guilty of treason and hanged, drawn and quartered on the same day . Parts of his body were sent to different towns and his head placed on a stick on London Bridge.