The History of Richard II: Digital Study Guide

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The short summaries of journal articles on this website are designed for university students revising for exams, A-Level students writing essays, and anyone else interested in reading detailed and specialist research into late medieval England.

Start by reading the digital study guide, which provides a short introduction to the reign of Richard II.

Then follow the links within the text to read more detail about specific topics. Each link takes you to a summary of a journal article.

What is a journal article?

A journal article is a specialist essay written by a professional historian – usually a lecturer or researcher at a university. Before being published they are peer-reviewed. This means that they are read and critiqued by other professional historians – sometimes articles are rejected and not published on the basis of this peer review. This helps to ensure that the research is of a high quality.

Journal articles usually analyse the existing historical writing (known as historiography) on a very specific topic, and then put forward conclusions based on new evidence or based on a new interpretation of existing evidence. They are primarily written for other professional historians, and as such, they are usually very difficult to read for anyone who isn’t an expert. They use jargon, and assume knowledge on the part of the reader.

University students are expected to read, understand and analyse journal articles. However, even for university students and professional historians, a journal article often takes over an hour to read, longer to digest, and can even longer if you're taking notes.

You can see an alphabetical list of the journal article summaries. 

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Phillpotts, Christopher, 'The fate of the truce of Paris, 1396-1415', Journal of Medieval History 24 (1998), 61-80

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Quick Summary The Truce of Paris (1396) formed a framework to reduce the level of warfare between England and France up until 1415 The focus of the truce changed depending on the particular ambitions of subsequent English kings Richard II maintained the truce after 1397 to secure dowry payments from France Henry IV and Charles VI put their differences aside to establish a peace between kingdoms Key Conclusion Phillpotts explores the longest truce of the Hundred Years War, agreed at Paris between Richard II of England and Charles VI of France in 1396, and its subsequent extension, redefinition and clarification until 1415. Truces reduced the level of warfare, rather than ended it, and needed to be periodically renegotiated to be effective. Phillpotts concludes that the truce of 1396 ‘formed the central framework of a series of general and particular truces’. The focus of the truce changed between 1396 and 1314, from Richard II’s initial concern to p...
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Theilmann, John M., 'Stubbs, Shakespeare, and Recent Historians of Richard II', Albion 8 (1976), 107-124

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Quick Summary The idea that Richard II was a tyrant persists even though a satisfactory history of his reign is yet to be written According to the Stubbsean Orthodoxy, Richard II was a coldly calculating king A revision to the Stubbsean Orthodoxy cast Richard II as insane Existing research distorts history by its fixation on constitutional issues Key Conclusion Theilmann explores the historiography of Richard II’s reign from the 1890s to the 1970s and, in particular, the verdict reached by historians about his approach to kingship. This historiographical review leads Theilmann to conclude that the traditional interpretation of Richard’s reign – the ‘Stubbsean Orthodoxy’ – has been slowly challenged but its influence remains strong. According to this Orthodoxy, Richard II was a ‘coldly calculating king’ (p. 110). He was a tyrant determined to diminish parliament and destroy constitutional government. Theilmann notes that while more recent research h...
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Wilkinson, B., 'The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381', Speculum 15 (1940), 12-35

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Quick Summary The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was primarily a ‘movement of reaction’ against John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster Historians have paid too much attention to one particular source Common hatred of John of Gaunt brought the Londoners and the rebels together After the destruction of Gaunt’s palace in London the Peasants’ Revolt began to wane Key Conclusion Wilkinson provides a revisionist interpretation of the events in London during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. Wilkinson contends that historians have paid too much attention to one particular source – the return of the jurors in the Sheriffs’ Inquisitions of 1382. The evidence presented to the Sheriffs’ Inquisitions was ‘thoroughly and, it seems likely, intentionally misleading’ (p. 12), since the London jurors ‘did their best to conceal the powerful support which Londoners themselves gave to the revolt’ (p. 29). Wilkinson concludes that the revolt was primarily a ‘movement of reaction against J...
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