Skip to content
    History A-Level

    The role of the nobility

    What The role of the nobility means in History A-Level, as defined for AQA.

    Definitions of The role of the nobility

    Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.

    Check what you remember

    Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain The role of the nobility in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.

    Reference: AQA

    Richard, Duke of York, alongside his Neville allies, commanded a larger, highly motivated force, and his reinstatement as Protector fundamentally altered the military balance.
    AQA · 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 – The origins of conflict, 1450–1459 (study guide)
    York's attempts to assert his influence polarised the nobility, and his use of armed force escalated political disputes into military conflict.
    AQA · 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 – The origins of conflict, 1450–1459 (study guide)
    The execution of the Duke of Somerset and other nobles was a deliberate strategy to destroy the Lancastrian nobility.
    AQA · 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 – The triumph of the Yorkists, 1461–1471 (study guide)

    Topics that use The role of the nobility

    Related terms

    Using The role of the nobility in the exam

    Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.

    Practise History questions

    Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.

    Start free

    A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge

    All History A-Level terms