Results of the Scottish Wars

Post BannockburnPost Bannockburn

• Despite being a great victory, Bannockburn was not the decisive victory that ended the war.

• Edward II escaped, and thus lived on to fight another day.

• After the battle Bruce took steps to secure his position as undisputed king of Scots.

• He issued a proclamation in 1314 at a parliament at Cambuskenneth forbidding any Scottish nobles from owning land in England and Scotland.

The war goes onThe war goes on

• Edward II maintained that he was still overlord of Scotland.

• Bruce decided to take the war to Edward.

• Bruce’s brother invaded England-controlled Ireland, in the hope of creating a pan-Gaelic alliance (eventually to include Wales) against England.

• Unfortunately this met with little success, other then the recapture of the Isle of Man.

Problems for BruceProblems for Bruce

• In 1318 Bruce was excommunicated by the Pope for his murder of Comyn and ignoring papal bulls.

• Scotland was similarly placed under an interdict.

• This led to the Declaration of Arbroath.

• Bruce also had to deal with an attempted assassination and conspiracy to take his throne in 1320.

• William Soulis of Liddesdale (a relative of Balliol) tried to kill the king and invest young Edward Balliol as king.

Declaration of ArbroathDeclaration of Arbroath

• This was a direct counter to the Pope’s actions.

• The statement was sealed by eight earls and 31 barons.

• It set out to do three things:

– to prove that the Scots were fighting a just war– to justify Robert’s leadership– to request the Pope to urge Edward II to leave the Scots in peace.

• The Papacy did not change its mind until 1328.

What historians say about theWhat historians say about theDeclaration of ArbroathDeclaration of Arbroath

• Traditionalist historians have argued that the Declaration of Arbroath is proof of nationalism in Scotland.

• It shows that the Community of the Realm was behind Robert Bruce.

• Barrow and Duncan support this view.

• Others argue that it was a political tool by Bruce, and that many who signed it could not have done so in person.

The war continuesThe war continues

• Robert took the battle to Edward and invaded England every year between 1314 and 1323.

• Edward invaded Scotland several times, but could not get Bruce to commit to battle. These invasions soon became too costly.

• Eventually Edward II was murdered by his wife and her lover, Roger Mortimer.

• Bruce took the opportunity to invade again, this time with a large army.

• Queen Isabella offered to make peace in the name of her 14-year-old son.

Treaty of Edinburgh 1328Treaty of Edinburgh 1328

• This treaty gave formal acknowledgement of absolute Scottish independence.

• It set out a marriage agreement between Bruce’s son, David, and Edward III’s sister, Joan.

• The Scots agreed to pay the English £20,000 (they had stolen six times this amount in previous years).