![]() Armies mostly consisted of armoured knights and footsoldiers, many of them mercenaries. The castles of the period were easily defensible, so the fighting was mostly attrition warfare comprising sieges, raiding and skirmishing. Much of the rest of the country was held by barons who refused to support either side. In the initial years of civil war, neither side was able to achieve a decisive advantage the Empress came to control the south-west of England and much of the Thames Valley, while Stephen remained in control of the south-east. Following a major rebellion in the south-west of England, Matilda invaded in 1139 with the help of her half-brother Robert of Gloucester. Stephen's early reign saw fierce fighting with disloyal English barons, rebellious Welsh leaders, and Scottish invaders. On Henry's death in 1135, his nephew Stephen of Blois seized the throne, with the help of Stephen's brother Henry of Blois, who was the Bishop of Winchester. Henry sought to be succeeded by his daughter, known as Empress Matilda, but was only partially successful in convincing the nobility to support her. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin, the only legitimate son of King Henry I, who drowned in the sinking of the White Ship in 1120. The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 11, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order.
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