This episode examines one of the darkest periods in England’s early history—the civil war known as The Anarchy. After King Henry I’s only son drowned in the White Ship Disaster, the succession passed to his daughter, Empress Matilda. But upon Henry’s death in 1135, his nephew Stephen seized the throne, sparking nearly two decades of conflict.

The kingdom descended into chaos as Matilda and Stephen fought for power. Castles sprouted across the land, nobles switched sides at will, and law and order collapsed. Chroniclers described villages burned, famine spreading, and a kingdom where “Christ and his saints slept.” For a brief moment in 1141, Matilda captured Stephen and seemed poised to rule, but popular resistance drove her out, prolonging the war.

Peace finally came in 1153 with the Treaty of Wallingford, naming Matilda’s son Henry as Stephen’s heir. When Stephen died the following year, Henry became Henry II, founding the Plantagenet dynasty. The Anarchy left scars of destruction but also paved the way for reforms under a stronger monarchy.