Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester briefly ruled England while Henry III and his son Edward lay languishing in prison. He encouraged directly elected representatives of the people to be elected but in the end alienated baronial support for reform by betraying Englands interests. WI he hadnt? WI he had been slightly more patriotic, and perhaps stayed away from alliances with Welsh princes? Could it all lead to a Serene Republic of England?
Do you honestly see Longshanks being out of the picture long enough for any government under the control of anyone but himself to exist for any real period of time?
Remember that none of those men and women who rose in rebellion against Longshanks ever suceeded in the long run while he was alive. Simon de Montfort was killed at the Battle of Evesham, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was crushed under Longshanks opressive heel and his Princedom was subjugated and the will of his people shattered and by the time Longshanks died in OTL there was nobody in England, Wales or Scotland who opposed him. All of his enemies had been killed or expelled.
Really? Go find out where Edward died, and what he was doing there.
I got a bit mixed up, let me review:
All but one of his enemies had been killed or removed by the time of his death.
Well 'one' if you mean the leaders of his enemies. And Scotland had been in rebellion for a decade - hard to see him ending that overnight, although I'm sure he'd have crushed Bruce.
I did mean the leaders of his enemies. I was very aware that Scotland was still, in many parts, in open opposition to him but they were not really in open rebellion against him anymore.
Robert the Bruce had murdered/participated in the murder of the Red Comyn and thus taken away the chief opposer of Longshanks in Scotland. Then he was forced to flee for his life and spent a while fighting the Earl of Buchan in a Civil War. Only after Buchan was defeated did he pose some kind of threat to Longshanks.
If Longshanks had fought the Bruce at Bannockburn in stead of his useless son I would fully expect the Scots to lose.
True, but I'd expect the Scots to win in the end. They'd keep rebelling, and the English barons would keep resisting taxation. Eventually civil war in England would allow Scotland to break free again. Complete and lasting English conquest is a fairly outside shot - surely 10-1 at least.
I got a bit mixed up, let me review:
All but one of his enemies had been killed or removed by the time of his death.
Alright good point. At that point in the Middle Ages, a trade-based oligarchy wasnt to be. But i think an oligarchy would take form; rejection of Monarchy (which this time conveniently lasts) and Barons balancing each others power i think would lead to an oligarchy, maybe trade based later. Perhaps Columbus, hearing of the English's hunger for profits later in the period goes to London first, to make his case to the High Chancellor.....
Alright good point. At that point in the Middle Ages, a trade-based oligarchy wasnt to be. But i think an oligarchy would take form; rejection of Monarchy (which this time conveniently lasts)
and Barons balancing each others power i think would lead to an oligarchy, maybe trade based later. Perhaps Columbus, hearing of the English's hunger for profits later in the period goes to London first, to make his case to the High Chancellor.....
What your describing IS an oligarchy in all but name. The legitamacy of the courts therefore in such an oligarchy would be owed from the King, but the real and lasting power would lie with the Barons under weak Kings. They would make the decisions, and no more.
I think that the barons constant feuding would open England (quite easily) to a restoration. The urban merchants won't like the barons' rule, the peasants won't like the barons rule, a lot of barons will be engaged in warfare against other barons. The whole thing is just a house of cards with a strong wind blowing.Of course, would such a situation inevitably last (weak king that is). For that with England we have no parallels other than today, but after maybe 100 years of good/mediocre Baronial rule, a Republic would eventually shape itself via Parliament. Moreover, you mention the stability of England; no recurring invasions give this experiment in English oligarchy and then Republicanism a chance....