- •The ancient population of Britain.
- •Neolithic Period
- •Prehistoric monuments. Causeway Camps
- •Long Barrows
- •Passage Graves
- •Stone Circles
- •Paganism on the territory of Britain.
- •The Roman Invasion
- •The Romans on the territory of Britain. Queen Bodiciea`s revolt.
- •The Anglo-Saxon Invasion.
- •Christianity on the territory of Britain. Augustine and his mission.
- •Anglo-Saxon England.
- •Alfred the Great and his role in the history of the country.
- •Edward the Confessor, Westminster Abbey
- •William the Conqueror and his feudal state. The structure of the state after the Norman Invasion.
- •William Rufus, Henry I.
- •Stephen and Matilda, the wars for the throne.
- •Henry II and the Plantagenet dynasty. Thomas Becket and his opposition to the king.
- •Richard the Lion Heart and crusades. John Lackland and Magna Carta.
- •Henry III. Simon de Monfort`s opposition. The first parliament.
- •Edward I and his wars in Wales and Scotland. Edward II. EdwardIii. The first stage of the Hundred Years` War.
- •England's economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. Richard II and Wat Tyler's rebellion...
- •Henry IV. Henry V and the continuation of the Hundred Years` War.
- •The Wars of the Roses. (Henry VI, Edward IV, V)
- •Richard III. Henry VII- the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
- •22. Henry VIII and the reformation of the church.
- •23. Edward VI, Jane Grey.
- •24. Mary I. Elizabeth I. Foreign policy and economy of the country in the 16th century.
- •25. England at the beginning of the 17th century. Charles I and his conflict with Parliament.
- •26. The Civil Wars. England after the Civil Wars. The economic situation during and after the Civil Wars. Oliver Cromwell and his Protectorate.
- •27. Restoration of the monarchy. Charles II, the Merry Monarch and his reign.
- •1660-85. Early Life
- •28. James II.
- •29. The Glorious Revolution and its meaning. Mary II and William III.
- •30. Queen Anne. The Unity of England and Scotland.
- •31. The economic development of the country in the 18th century.
- •32. The economic development of the country in the 19th century.
- •33. Science and culture in the 19th century.
- •34. Edward VII. England before World War I.The results of World War I.
- •35. Britain between the World Wars. The Results of World War II. Loss of colonies.
- •Ideological impact:
- •36. Britain at the end of 20th century.
- •37. Britain today: economy, political influence, role in the world.
- •Dates to be remembered
Stephen and Matilda, the wars for the throne.
Henry`s daughter Matilda was married to a Norman aristocrat, Geoffrey Anjou (nickname Plantagenet). When his only son died Henry made his courtiers swear their loyalty to Matilda. Matilda was known as a very clever and powerful woman, but the trouble lay in her husband who was a foreigner of Norman origin, and the English did not want to see another Norman pretender to the throne. After the king's death his nephew Stephen got the throne. Stephen was the son of Henry`s sister, countess of Blois, but he was brought up in England at his uncle's court. Matilda, sure of her right, started to fight for the throne for herself and her son, whom she wanted to see the king. The civil war (called anarchy) began. The war finished only in 1153 when by the Treaty of Winchester, it was agreed that Stephen would rule the country, but Matilda`s son Henry would be the heir and follow him after his death. It was an easy agreement to carry out, because Stephen`s son had recently died and Henry was the only allegeable heir.
Stephen died in 1154 and Matilda`s son Henry Plantagenet succeeded to the throne under the name of Henry II. He ruled for 35 years and died in 1189. His father came from the family whose emblem was planta genista, so from Henry`s time they started speaking about the dynasty of the Plantagenets. Henry was 22 when he succeeded to the throne.
Henry II and the Plantagenet dynasty. Thomas Becket and his opposition to the king.
Stephen died in 1154 and Matilda`s son Henry Plantagenet succeeded to the throne under the name of Henry II. He ruled for 35 years and died in 1189. His father came from the family whose emblem was planta genista, so from Henry`s time they started speaking about the dynasty of the Plantagenets. Henry was 22 when he succeeded to the throne.
The territory of his country made him one of the most powerful monarchs in Europe. He ruled Normandy, Brittany, some parts of Italy etc. His marriage to a former French queen brought him to some other provinces of France. He led wars in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Henry II reestablished the authority of the central power and tried to overcome the conflicts between the landlords. He created the Common Law system, according to which every free man had a right to appeal to the royal Court. It was he who created a sort of Jury, as he established the rule according to which all land disputes were to be solved by a council of 12 noble men.
Henry II is also remembered by his quarrel with Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas was an educated man of high mental abilities. In youth he was the king`s friend. Later Becket became the king`s Chancellor and helped him to rule the country and make reforms. In 1162 Thomas Becket became the Archbishop of Canterbury and soon after it Thomas changed his life. He left his luxurious palace, started to profess moderate life and stood at the head of the Church in its opposition to the king`s reforms. He condemned the king for his actions against the Church as he aimed at taking the power of appointing bishops. In 1164 Henry exiled Thomas, who found refuge in France. 6 years later Becket returned to England and continued his struggle against the king. The king did his best to reconcile with the cleric and his former friend, but in vain. When Thomas went to Normandy, he excommunicated several clergymen of high rank for their obedience to the king and tried to set people against Henry. The legend says that when Henry got the report about it he exclaimed in despair. He wished somebody could help him to get rid of the tiresome priest. Four of his courtiers went to Canterbury, where the archbishop was cruelly stabbed on the threshold of the cathedral. He was canonized later and is considered to be one of the most powerful English saints.