Second War of Scottish Independence

Second War of Scottish Independence Anglo-Scottish War of Succession
Part of the Wars of Scottish Independence and the Hundred Years' War
Date 1332–1357 Location Scotland Result Scottish victory David II retained the throne and independence from the Kingdom of England
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland Kingdom of France	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale Philip VI of France Alexander Ramsay David II of Scotland Donald II, Earl of Mar Sir Archibald Douglas William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray Sir Andrew Murray	Edward III of England Edward Balliol Henry de Beaumont William Zouche Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk David of Strathbogie Ralph Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre Henry de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy
Strength
Up to 13,000	Up to 9,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

Scottish victory

The Second War of Scottish Independence, also known as the Anglo-Scottish War of Succession (1332–1357) was the second cluster of a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

The Second War arose from lingering issues from the First. The Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton by which the First War had been settled had never been popularly accepted among the English, and it had created a new group of disenfranchised nobles called the "disinherited" who felt unduly deprived by it of their rights to Scottish lands. One of these "disinherited" was Edward Balliol, son of a former Scottish king. With the discreet backing of Edward III of England, Balliol demanded the return of his ancestral lands, and when these were not forthcoming invaded Scotland, following which he had himself crowned King of Scots, despite the young David II already holding the title. What followed became both a war of succession and civil war, as some Scottish citizens rose in defense of David II and others cast their lot with Edward Balliol, who was soon joined in his efforts by the English king. David II was forced to take shelter under the "Auld Alliance" with Philip VI of France until he reached his majority, while a series of guardians including future Scottish king Robert Stewart fought back and forth battles with Balliol and Edward III for territory in Scotland. Upon his majority, he returned, but was not long in Scotland before he was captured by the English, following which he served for the rest of the Second War as a bargaining point.

The politics of the situation were ever complex. The Scottish faced discord in their own ranks, as various nobles jockeyed for position and power both before and after the majority of David II. Balliol's English allies grew distracted from his cause by their own growing preoccupation with France, with whom they were poised to enter the Hundred Years' War. The same conflict weakened the ability of the French to aid the Scots in their battles. Eventually, after several decades of repeated engagements, the Second War of Scottish Independence was settled with the signing of the Treaty of Berwick in 1357. Balliol had already relinquished his claim to the Scottish crown to Edward III, who dropped his pursuit of Scotland and released the then-captive David II in return for a pledge of 100,000 merks.

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