The Anarchy
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Was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153 that followed the death of King Henry I.
Chronology
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December 1135: David of Scotland, related to Matilda on her mother's side, Queen Margaret, once again invaded the north of England, pressing southward into Yorkshire.
January 1135: Robert of Gloucester, illegitimate son of Henry I and half-brother of the Empress Matilda, one of the most powerful Anglo-Norman barons, as he controlled large estates in Normandy and was Earl of Gloucester, rebelled against the king in Kent and south- west of England.
April 1136: The royal army marched north rapidly, and Stephen of England met David of Scotland at Durham. Here an agreement was reached whereby David would return most of the acquired territories, with the exception of Carlisle.
January 1137: In 1136, following the Welsh victory in January at the Battle of Llwchwr, in the county of Glamorgan, and the successful ambush of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare in April of the same year, a rebellion broke out in south Wales.
January 1139: Dover surrendered to the forces of Stephen.
January 1139: Still as part of the maneuvers aimed at stemming the now rampant civil war, Stephen himself went west in an attempt to regain control of Gloucestershire, first striking in the north of the Welsh Marches, taking Hereford and Strewsbury, and then moving towards Bath.
January 1139: The English king took the opportunity of his military advantage to reach an agreement with Scotland: Matilda of Boulogne, wife of the king, was sent to negotiate a treaty between her husband, King Stephen, and David I of Scotland. With the Treaty of Durham, Northumbria and Cumbria were granted to the Scottish king.
November 1139: Matilda now controlled a compact block of territories: in the southwest from Gloucester and Bristol up to Devon and Cornwall, in the west in the Welsh Marches and in the east up to Oxford and Wallingford (see the situation shown on the map).
April 1140: Nigel, Bishop of Ely, was a supporter of Matilda, who was in a power struggle with King Stephen for the English throne. After having his castles confiscated by Stephen, Nigel rebelled against the king in 1140 in Ely.
January 1141: Stephen brought an armada into the Fens and using pontoon bridges to form a causeway which enabled him to make a surprise attack on Ely island. Nigel managed to escape from Gloucester but his men and castles were captured, thus restoring order to the east.
February 1141: Battle of lincoln.
June 1141: On June 24, shortly before the planned coronation, the city of London rose against Matilda and Geoffrey de Mandeville. Matilda and her supporters managed to escape in a chaotic retreat towards Oxford.
August 1141: Godfrey of Anjou invaded Normandy again and, in the absence of Waleran of Beaumont, who was still fighting in England, took possession of all the duchies south of the Seine and east of the Risle.
December 1142: Shortly before Christmas, Empress Matilda managed to flee the castle on foot, crossed the frozen river and reached Wallingford, leaving the castle garrison free to surrender the following day.
February 1144: Godfrey of Anjou finished securing southern Normandy and in January 1144 advanced as far as Rouen, the capital of the duchy, concluding his campaign. Louis VII of France recognized him as Duke of Normandy shortly thereafter.
December 1154: After the death of Stephen of England, he is succeeded by Henry of Anjou. The Treaty of Wallingford had allowed Stephen to keep the crown until his death, but at the same time had forced him to recognize Henry of Anjou (also known as Henry FitzEmpress), son of Matilde, as his successor.
