The Leadership Characterities Of King Richard II

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“We were not born to sue, but to command” (Bevington, 2014). King Richard II was born to rule England. He came from a long line of English leaders. King Richard II played a very important part by leading his country and serving his country in their military. Early during King Richard II’s reign as king he seemed to be doing great, but he soon took a drastic downward turn. He was betrayed from within his own family. King Richard II was born to be a leader, but his strong presence in the military would eventually become his downfall.
To better establish the personal attributes and leadership qualities of King Richard II, his background must first be understood. He was born in England in the year 1367 and ruled England from 1377 to 1399 (Saul, 1997). Around the time of King Richard II’s birth the English military was one of the strongest in the world. They were strong at sea with their navy, but also in the fields where they were led by some of history’s best commanders (Saul, 1997). The high population of England during that time probably contributed greatly to the victories that the military was achieving. A population of about six-seven million people while King Richard II was being molded into a king took a drastic cut due to the Black Death in 1348 (Saul, 1997). The population was somewhere around two-three million when King Richard II’s reign began. Already on the downward slope, England was in a disasterous state. Though seeking refuge in King Richard II, the people of