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How Successful Was Henry II

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One of the problems Henry II faced was the barons. Under Stephen the baron had become too powerful and Henry had the issue of regaining this power. Many baron had taken advantage over Stephens lack of control and authority, several barons built castles without asking the kings permission and had taken over large areas of land Henry had to reassert his authority as the barons where becoming too powerful. If the barons carried on as they were Henrys fate would have ultimately reflected that of Stephens. Also the barons would have been seen as undreaming the king’s power and authority. Henry took control of the situation by demolishing the illegal castles built in Stephens’s reign the barons saw this as an attack on baronial power but the king was asserting his authority and keeping the barons on a tight leash to prevent them from becoming too powerful. Furthermore Henry had the problem of resolving the splits in the country which had caused confusion. During Stephens reign there were resentments from supporters. Henry had to regain the support of his people as he would not have been able to …show more content…

The Scottish king began taking land in the North east of England bordering Henrys II kingdom, he had to regain all the land that had been taken by the Scottish king in steepens reign. If he allowed the king to keep the land it would have made him looked weak. Additionally the Church was a major problem for Henry II Stephen gave so much power to the church Henry had to regain the power to stop the church from having too much control. Henry II right to the throne was his “Divine right” if the church was seen as discounted from the king by the people they would have rebelled because at this point in time the church was a big factor in people lives Henry faced many problem becoming king which were largely due to Stephen and his lack of control. Henry II effectively dealt with many of the situations which lead him to assert his

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