Conflicts & Resolutions · War

The Anarchy

1138–1153 · 12th century

The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between King Stephen and Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I, over the succession to the English throne. Fighting, sieges and the breakdown of royal authority lasted from 1138 until the Treaty of Wallingford of 1153, which made Matilda's son Henry heir to Stephen. Henry II's accession in 1154 restored strong royal government.

The Anarchy
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Abbasid CaliphateMilitary

Battles and settlements

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). The Anarchy. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-anarchy
MLA
“The Anarchy.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-anarchy. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “The Anarchy.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-anarchy.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘The Anarchy’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/the-anarchy (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻