Edward IV (1442-1483), king of England (1461-1470; 1471-1483), who established the house of York on the English throne. Edward was born in Rouen, France, the eldest son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. During the Wars of the Roses, Edward was driven from England by King Henry VI, of the house of Lancaster. Edward became head of the house of York in 1460. He defeated the Lancastrians in the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 and was acclaimed king. In 1470 the Lancastrians and Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, drove Edward from the throne and into exile. Henry VI again became king of England. Edward returned to England in 1471, raised a large army, and won decisive victories over his enemies. Thereafter the crown was securely in his possession.

During the Middle Ages, the king was expected to play a number of roles: In law, he was the primary dispenser of justice; in statesmanship, he was the country's leading diplomat; in war, he was the first soldier of the realm. Edward IV not only played all of these parts but also--just as important--looked the part of king.

Contemporary writers always used superlatives to describe Edward. He was "the tallest," "the fairest," "the strongest." When his coffin was opened in 1789, his skeleton was found to measure 6 feet 3_ inches--tall for a 20th-century man, but gigantic for 15th-century England. And he knew how to use his height to his advantage. In battle, he was always in the van where he could be seen by all, hammering away at the nearest enemy with mace and battle-axe. As commander, Edward always set an example for his men; inspired by Edward, his troops always tried to give more than their best.

Besides being the strongman of the Yorkist party, Edward also had the ability to outthink the enemy, as well as outfight him. At Tewkesbury, the placement of 200 men-at-arms in Tewkesbury Park was fairly typical of Edward--trying to anticipate a surprise flanking movement by the enemy and, in doing so, take the enemy by surprise. Knowledge of the finer points of tactics, of flanking movements and feints, gave Edward an edge on the field, but he realized that the enemy had to be brought to battle before any kind of strategic moves could be employed. The offensive was another characteristic of Edward's generalship. At both Barnet and Tewkesbury, Edward placed his forces in a position where battle could not have been declined by the Lancastrian commander. By challenging the enemy, Edward was able to force battle and fight on terms that gave him the advantage.

In addition to boldness and brains, Edward also had another indispensable trait--luck. In several instances, the Yorkists won decisive battles because of happy coincidences. At Towton on March 28, 1461, the weather helped Edward's troops--the wind blew snow in the face of the Lancastrians, blinding the enemy's archers and allowing Yorkist foot soldiers to close with and eventually turn the Lancastrian left flank. At Barnet, heavy fog obscured the battlefield. Neither side could see more than a few feet, which could have brought disaster to either Lancaster or York. But luck favored Edward. Two Lancastrian units collided and, mistaking the other for the enemy, each force attacked the other. In the confusion, Edward was able to launch a successful attack of his own. That resulted in a decisive defeat for the House of Lancaster that paved the way for Lancaster's final defeat at Tewkesbury.

Edward's skill, resourcefulness and luck combined to make him one of the most successful commanders of his day. The historian Paul Murray Kendall, author of several books on the 15th century, summed up Edward's military career: "King Edward was the mightiest warrior in Europe."