ABSTRACT
The reign of Edward IV has been thoroughly studied in recent years, most notably in the life of the King by Ross and in various papers by Lander. The political struggles within France, notably between the Crown and the duchy of Burgundy and indeed were to play an important part in English diplomacy throughout Edward's reign. The international situation was highly fluid, and in the search for allies most parties were prepared to adopt a very flexible policy. Edward's marriage removed his person as a factor in international negotiations; it did not immediately affect England's position in relation to the European powers. Warwick's alliance with Lancaster was a desperate attempt to recover his position in England, and it was his last resort; initially he had hoped to regain it in other ways. One factor which contributed to Edward's victory was undoubtedly such divisions within the Neville-Lancaster alliance, for these enabled him to destroy his enemies one by one.
