Robert Bruce as a Great Scottish King - Essay Example

Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king? Does Robert Bruce deserve to be remembered as a great Scottish king? Introduction Robert Bruce was born on 11 July 1274 to an aristocratic Scottish family who controlled huge swathes of land in Scotland, showing their extensive power over the masses (Halliday 2012, n.p). At the heat of the succession dispute in Scotland, Bruce’s father was amongst the claimants to the throne in the period 1290 to 1292. Currently, the English king, Edward I chose John Balliol to be the king, bit Balliol did not receive the backing of Bruce and his family. When Edward I invaded Scotland, he ruled it as a province of England, but later, Bruce supported the uprising instigated by William Wallace against the English rule. When Wallace was defeated, Bruce became the custodian of Scotland ruling it with Comyn but they later fell out. Robert Bruce was later excommunicated and banished from Scotland, leading to his exile in modern day Northern Ireland. However, Robert Bruce returned and waged a successful war against the English and their rulers, whereby at the Battle of Bannockburn, he defeated the English army that was under the command of Edward II. After this, the Declaration of Independence was made at Arbroath that made Scotland be recognized as an independent nation with Robert Bruce as the king of Scotland. Robert Bruce is considered one of the greatest kings in the history of Scotland as he led them to many victories against their enemies. This king was born of Norman and Celtic ancestries and led the Scots to most of the wars against the English, especially under King Edward I. Notable amongst his many victories is the victory achieved under his rule at Bannockburn in the year 1314, which culminated in the freedom of the Scots from English rule (Brown 2008, p. 1). Due to the supremacy of the English forces over their northern Scottish neighbours, the Scots were continuously humiliated in wars and battles over resources and territories. However, with the rise in the nationalist fervour amongst the Scots under the leadership of Robert Bruce, the English were defeated at the Battle of Bannockburn, which marked an important defining moment for Scotland and an evaluation of the greatness of Robert Bruce as a leader. Battle of Bannockburn The Battle of Bannockburn is considered the highlight of the greatness of Robert Bruce as a great and exceptional leader in the history of Scotland as he led Scottish forces to a major defeat against the English troops (Spiers 2011, p. 7). As at 1313, Robert Bruce had demanded that the remnants of the Balliol regime acknowledge him as the absolute king of the Scotland as well as surrender their estates and the Stirling castle. This made Edward II of England to invade Scotland. Edward II mobilized a big military machine that comprised 25,000 infantry and 2000 horses in preparation for the invasion of Scotland. However, the Scottish army numbering about 6000 troops only and it was under the command of Robert Bruce. When Edward II crossed the border into Scotland, he found that the Scottish army had blocked the road to Stirling castle. Further, the English troops were also blocked in the east by the Bannock and Pelstream burns. After the victory of the Scots on the first day of the battle, the Scots were of high morale and made good use of the Schiltroms to carry out major offensives against the English troops. With the English troops subdued, they camped at the Carse of Balquhiderock. The course of the war was further changed when Sir Alexander Seton, who was a Scot serving in the English army defected and offered the much needed intelligence to the Scottish troops. Most important of this intelligence was the fact that the English troops were under low morale levels and were much confined within their camp. The following day, Robert Bruce decided to face the English enemies in open battle after prayers and the invoking of the names of saints who were believed to bring good luck to the warring parties. Apart from the archeries, which played a central role in the battle, there were also the hand-to-hand battles that helped in the fighting of the enemy troops. Using Gaelic warriors from the Highlands and the Islands, the Scottish troops under the leadership of Bruce were able to drive away the English troops towards the burns. Edward II and his troops later retreated and most perished in the burn while trying to escape. In this battle, the English troops lost a huge number of troops while others were captured by the Scottish troops who followed them consistently. With this victory, the Scots under the leadership of Robert Bruce were able to exercise control over themselves, hence marking the independence of Scotland (Crome, 1999, p. 9). In addition, the supporters of Balliol who had been opposed to Robert Bruce changed their positions and quickly swore allegiance to him as the absolute and only king of Scotland. Bruce’s wife and daughter as well as Bishop Wishart who had been captured by the English under Edward II were also released in the midst of the victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. Therefore, it can be stated that on the 24th day of June in the year 1314, the battle of Bannockburn became a defining moment in the history of Scotland and the greatness of Robert Bruce as a leader (Armstrong 2014, p. 61). This is because the largely outnumbered Scottish troops were able to apply good tactics that prevented the British forces from using its superior numbers and strengths to win the war at Bannockburn. This military success also helped Scotland under the leadership of Robert Bruce to invade other territories such as Ireland in its expansionist agenda. He was also able to drive away the military incursion led by Edward II at the north that forced the intruders to seek peace with Scotland. It is worth noting that the military successes of Robert Bruce were supplemented by diplomatic overtures that were extended to the enemies. This enabled Robert Bruce to make friends that would help Scotland to win most of the battles it fought with its neighbours especially against the English. The Declaration of Independence Soon after the lifting of the excommunication of Robert Bruce by the Pope, he went ahead to sign a peace treaty recognizing Scotland as an independent kingdom distinct from England. This treaty signed at Northampton made Robert Bruce the absolute ruler of Scotland in that he was recognized as the only Scottish king. This later culminated in the Declaration of Independence at Arbroath that highlighted the successes of Robert Bruce as he led Scotland to independence from the tight grip of the English rule (Fritze and Robison 2002, p. 490). The Declaration of Independence at Arbroath also guaranteed the fact that had Robert Bruce accepted the rule of the English over the Scots, the Scottish subjects would not recognize him as the king of Scotland. Therefore, Robert Bruce is still listed amongst the greatest rulers and kings of Scotland, as apart from winning the battle at Bannockburn, he was also successful in restoring the monarch in Scotland under a single king (Barrow 2005, p. 341). The reason as to why the Declaration of Independence is considered a major milestone and measure of greatness of Robert Bruce is the fact that he ensured that Scotland was the first nation in Europe to be unanimous in terms of its leadership under one king. The Declaration of Independence at Arbroath was also a major point of evaluating the greatness of Robert Bruce as a great leader as with it, came a letter requesting the pope to remove the excommunication decree that had been placed upon all Scottish citizens. This excommunication had been placed upon Scotland for defying and refusing to swear allegiance King Edward II of England. This ensured that all the Scots could enjoy the freedom of choosing their kings and the religion that they would practice without any control or coercion by the English king and his representatives. It is worth noting that the Battle at Bannockburn and the Declaration of Independence of Scotland at Arboarth was a diplomatic war, whereby Robert Bruce and Edward II wanted to attract the influence and support of the pope. During the medieval age, the pope was powerful and his act of excommunicating Bruce and his lieutenants necessitated the need to write a letter requesting the excommunication of the leaders in Scotland. According to the Declaration of Arboath, the Scottish people under the leadership of Robert Bruce sought the liberty of its citizens, especially the will of the people as opposed to that of the king. Similarly, this declaration affirms the independence of the Scottish people irrespective of their race and nation that bound the Scottish people against the tyranny of the English rulers. Military Leadership of Robert Bruce In winning the Battle at Bannockburn and later being instrumental in the Declaration of Independence at Arboarth, Robert Bruce had exhibited exemplary military qualities (Grossman 2007, p. 292). An outstanding quality of Robert Bruce is the fact that he took advantage of impenetrable countryside and the hills in order to attack the enemy, while at the same time taking advantage of the enemies’ inability to attack under such circumstances. In addition to this, Robert Bruce ensured that he relied on ambush as a strategy to finish off the enemy while they were unaware of the impending attacks. Part of the strategy by Robert Bruce was also to use small engagements in order to minimize the casualties that were likely to be suffered by the Scottish forces, while inflicting more harm on the enemy troops, in this case the English forces. In addition, as a strategy, Robert Bruce also appreciated the fact that the English army was large, and therefore adopted a strategy that would use its limited resources to fight the enemy. This strategy informed his decision to station his army at Bannockburn that presented a higher ground that would offer a vantage point of view in case of any attack by the English forces. Robert Bruce was also an effective military leader in the sense that he knew when, where and how to fight his battles against the enemies, especially the English invaders under Edward II. In the pitched battles, Robert Bruce used heavy cavalry that were heavily organized into troops and archers that could use either the longbows or the crossbows in order to actualize the attacks against the enemies. These troops were also well organized and followed a battle plan that was organized under a defined chain of command. In order to make these possible, Robert Bruce was also highly organized and decisive whenever a decision was to be made on when to attack the enemy or go into war with the English invaders. Further, with the prospects of fighting superior enemies such as the English, Robert Bruce recognized that the easiest way to fight such opponents is to wage guerrilla warfare that involves ambushing, hitting and concealing the movements of the opposing or enemy troops. Robert Bruce also ensured that that the morale of his troops was high and this ensured that he was victorious in most of the battles that he fought. These battles and victories in battles ensured that Robert Bruce could encourage most of the young men in Scotland to join his course and support the war. He also took advantage of the death of Edward I and the transition to the leadership of Edward II in order to sustain the attacks as the English could not mount an attack during the three years in which England could not manage a formidable attack against Scotland. Therefore, Bruce made use of his disciplined and devoted troops in order to wage a successful warfare that effectively defeated the much larger English forces in the battles that they fought, including the more famous Battle of Bannockburn. It is also imperative to note that Bruce also used his superior military leadership capabilities to open up a new war front named the Irish campaign that distracted and created problems to the English campaign. This is because the English got concerned of the ability of the Scots to wage a war even in English controlled territories, where King Edward II of England feared a Celtic alliance. Further, Robert Bruce offered support to Welsh chieftains, and this made England use most of its resources and time to fight the Scots leading to their defeat at the Battle of Bannockburn and the eventual Declaration of Independence at Arboarth. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be restated that Robert Bruce was the greatest leader in the history of Scotland. This is because he is credited with the defeat of the retrogressive English regime of King Edward II of England that had lorded over the affairs of Scotland. At the battle of Bannockburn, he managed to lead the small Scottish forces against the massively staffed English troops leading to their defeat. This victory set the nation of Scotland to independence through the Declaration of independence at Arboarth and his installation as the king of Scotland. It can therefore be authoritatively stated that Robert Bruce was the greatest Scottish king that ever lived. This is because he led them to defeat the English troops and the independence of Scotland from the authoritarian English rule under King Edward II. References Armstrong, P., 2014. Bannockburn 1314: Robert bruces great victory. London: Osprey Pub. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=U6Jiy1DyuKwC&pg=PA61&dq=battle+of+Bannockburn+made+Robert+Bruce+greatest+leader+of+scotland&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=battle%20of%20Bannockburn%20made%20Robert%20Bruce%20greatest%20leader%20of%20scotland&f=false Barrow, G. W. S. (2005). Robert Bruce: And the community of the realm of Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Univ. Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=fmA1R9aPK90C&pg=PA341&dq=robert+bruce+restored+the+monarchy+in+scotland&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=robert%20bruce%20restored%20the%20monarchy%20in%20scotland&f=false Brown, M., 2008. Bannockburn: The Scottish war and the British Isles, 1307-1323. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=bMczrrimZDcC&pg=PA1&dq=Battle+at+Bannockburn+led+robert+bruce+led+to+scotland+independence&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Battle%20at%20Bannockburn%20led%20robert%20bruce%20led%20to%20scotland%20independence&f=false Crome, S. (1999). Scotlands first war of independence. Alford: Auch Books. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=LXX9m4JiKskC&pg=PA9&dq=battle+of+bannockburn+enabled+scotland+to+be+independent&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=battle%20of%20bannockburn%20enabled%20scotland%20to%20be%20independent&f=false Fritze, R. H., & Robison, W. B. (2002). Historical dictionary of late medieval England, 1272-1485. Wesport (Conn.: Greenwood press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=INmdwCSkvIgC&pg=PA490&dq=Declaration+of+Independence+at+Arbroath+marked+scotland+independence+under+robert+bruce&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Declaration%20of%20Independence%20at%20Arbroath%20marked%20scotland%20independence%20under%20robert%20bruce&f=false Grossman, M. (2007). World military leaders: A biographical dictionary. New York, NY: Facts on File. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=QSJoaugn2h8C&pg=PA292&dq=Battle+at+Bannockburn+and+declaration+of+independence+showed+robert+bruce+as+a+good+military+leader&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Battle%20at%20Bannockburn%20and%20declaration%20of%20independence%20showed%20robert%20bruce%20as%20a%20good%20military%20leader&f=false Spiers, E. M. (2011). A military history of Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Univ. Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=WItiFFHTnYgC&pg=PA7&dq=Battle+at+Bannockburn+is+what+makes+robert+bruce+the+greatest+leader+in+scotland+military+history&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Battle%20at%20Bannockburn%20is%20what%20makes%20robert%20bruce%20the%20greatest%20leader%20in%20scotland%20military%20history&f=false Halliday, R. (2012). Famous Scots and the supernatural: How the supernatural changed history. Edinburgh: Black & White. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=oxUjAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29&dq=robert+bruce+was+born+on+11+july+1274+to+an+aristocratic+scottish+family&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=robert%20bruce%20was%20born%20on%2011%20july%201274%20to%20an%20aristocratic%20scottish%20family&f=false Read More