Short course
Edward III
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
19/01/2027 - 23/03/2027
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
By the standards of his time, Edward III was one of the most successful kings of England, being widely revered as the pre-eminent chivalric warrior knight in Western Christendom. Yet his reign started with the deposition and murder of his father, Edward II. The course will examine how Edward III restored the authority of the English monarchy so successfully.
We will look at Edward’s wars against Scotland and France, and the financial and political problems that followed in their wake; and examine how he united the English nobility in the chivalric pursuit of war. We will cover domestic politics, and how Edward’s government dealt with crises such as the Black Death. We will conclude with Edward’s decline into senility, and defeat in France; did the very success of his wars lead to the difficulties which beset England at the end of his reign?
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Programme details
Courses starts Tuesday 19 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 2.00-4.00pm.
Week 1: Introduction: The Mortimer Regime, 1326–30.
The course will start by examining the regime installed by Edward’s mother, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, after the overthrow of Edward II. The session will also provide a brief introduction to the historical sources for his reign.
Week 2: The Recovery of Royal Authority.
In April 1330, Edward III led a successful coup against Roger Mortimer, and established himself in power for the first time. The session will examine how he set about restoring the authority of the Crown.
Week 3: Scotland and France, 1332–7.
1332 saw the dramatic triumph of a private expedition to Scotland, by the ‘Disinherited’. This session will look at Edward’s attempts to capitalise on this victory and how this in turn contributed to growing tensions with France.
Week 4: France, Scotland and Bankruptcy, 1337–41
This session will examine how Edward’s conduct of his wars led his government to the verge of bankruptcy and political crisis, and how he recovered.
Week 5: Years of Victory: Crécy, Neville’s Cross and Poitiers, 1342–56
Victory in battle against the French and the Scots, with the capture of kings David II and John II, brought Edward the reputation as the foremost warrior king in Christendom. This session will examine how he achieved this.
Week 6: The Fruits of Victory? Ransoms, Treaties and diplomacy, 1357–69
The treaty of Brétigny, 1360, seemed to offer Edward victory in his war with France. The session will examine the negotiation of the treaty, and its consequences.
Week 7: Edward’s Government: Plague and Law and Order
This session will look at how Edward ruled England, and how his government dealt with problems such as law and order and the plague of 1348–9.
Week 8: Senility and Defeat, 1369–77
This session will examine the increasing opposition to Edward’s government, culminating in the ‘Good Parliament’ of 1375, arising from the renewed outbreak of war, and his infatuation with his mistress, Alice Perrers.
Week 9: Edward and the English Nobility
The fourteenth century was a period which saw considerable change in the English nobility. This session will examine Edward III’s relations with his nobles, and his successful promotion of favourites and relatives to noble rank.
Week 10: Conclusion: The Uses of Chivalry
What were the contemporary expectations of kingship, and how did Edward fulfil them? This session will examine Edward’s style of kingship, and what made it successful.
Teaching methods
Teaching will be based around a mix of informal lectures and class discussion based on short set readings from contemporary chronicles and documents (in translation). Emphasis will also be placed on developing the skills to analyse these texts.
Learning outcomes
Students should have gained an understanding of the course and nature of politics and war in Edward’s reign.
Students should have developed an understanding of the nature of successful kingship in late-medieval England.
Students should be able to analyse textural material and relate it to their understanding of the reign.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
You will be set various pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed pieces of work totalling 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
No prior knowledge of medieval history is required.
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the politics of Edward III’s reign.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- explore how politics functioned in England during the reign of Edward III and consider the factors that contributed to his success as a ruler and military leader
- develop an understanding of the nature, powers and limitations of kingship and government in late medieval England
- engage with a range of historical documents and develop skills in analysis, interpretation and critical evaluation
Programme details
Courses starts Tuesday 19 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 2.00-4.00pm.
Week 1: Introduction: The Mortimer Regime, 1326–30.
The course will start by examining the regime installed by Edward’s mother, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, after the overthrow of Edward II. The session will also provide a brief introduction to the historical sources for his reign.
Week 2: The Recovery of Royal Authority.
In April 1330, Edward III led a successful coup against Roger Mortimer, and established himself in power for the first time. The session will examine how he set about restoring the authority of the Crown.
Week 3: Scotland and France, 1332–7.
1332 saw the dramatic triumph of a private expedition to Scotland, by the ‘Disinherited’. This session will look at Edward’s attempts to capitalise on this victory and how this in turn contributed to growing tensions with France.
Week 4: France, Scotland and Bankruptcy, 1337–41
This session will examine how Edward’s conduct of his wars led his government to the verge of bankruptcy and political crisis, and how he recovered.
Week 5: Years of Victory: Crécy, Neville’s Cross and Poitiers, 1342–56
Victory in battle against the French and the Scots, with the capture of kings David II and John II, brought Edward the reputation as the foremost warrior king in Christendom. This session will examine how he achieved this.
Week 6: The Fruits of Victory? Ransoms, Treaties and diplomacy, 1357–69
The treaty of Brétigny, 1360, seemed to offer Edward victory in his war with France. The session will examine the negotiation of the treaty, and its consequences.
Week 7: Edward’s Government: Plague and Law and Order
This session will look at how Edward ruled England, and how his government dealt with problems such as law and order and the plague of 1348–9.
Week 8: Senility and Defeat, 1369–77
This session will examine the increasing opposition to Edward’s government, culminating in the ‘Good Parliament’ of 1375, arising from the renewed outbreak of war, and his infatuation with his mistress, Alice Perrers.
Week 9: Edward and the English Nobility
The fourteenth century was a period which saw considerable change in the English nobility. This session will examine Edward III’s relations with his nobles, and his successful promotion of favourites and relatives to noble rank.
Week 10: Conclusion: The Uses of Chivalry
What were the contemporary expectations of kingship, and how did Edward fulfil them? This session will examine Edward’s style of kingship, and what made it successful.
Teaching methods
Teaching will be based around a mix of informal lectures and class discussion based on short set readings from contemporary chronicles and documents (in translation). Emphasis will also be placed on developing the skills to analyse these texts.
Learning outcomes
Students should have gained an understanding of the course and nature of politics and war in Edward’s reign.
Students should have developed an understanding of the nature of successful kingship in late-medieval England.
Students should be able to analyse textural material and relate it to their understanding of the reign.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
You will be set various pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed pieces of work totalling 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Andy King
Andy King completed his PhD at Durham University in 2002, and is currently a Lecturer in History, at Southampton. He wrote the Edward I volume for the Penguin Monarchs series, and has published on late-medieval English politics, the Anglo-Scottish Marches and on chronicles.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Level and demands
No prior knowledge of medieval history is required.
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Module code: O26P416HIW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
