King Richard II vs Peasants - Negotiation Gone Sideways
Richard II was only 14 years old but had already been king for four years. And now he was dealing with the largest peasant uprising in England’s history. And you thought you had it rough as a teenager.
(This is part three of three about the English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381)
Fed up with high taxes and low wages, the peasants attacked government buildings and destroyed tax records. They killed the Archbishop of Canterbury and burned the palace of the kings’ uncle. Now they gathered outside the Tower of London where the king and other high nobles were hiding.
Wat Tyler, the leader of the rebels, demanded to speak to the king. He then listed his demands:
1) End the institution of serfdom
2) Get rid of all nobles except the king
3) Limit all rents (they’re too dang high)
4) Confiscate all the Church’s property
5) Free prisoners and grant rebels amnesty
So, kinda just change all of medieval society right here, right now. It was a big ask. But maybe not a bad anchoring bid to kick off a negotiation.
King Richard II agreed to the demands. What choice did he have? He was surrounded and outnumbered. He told the peasants to go home and they would meet again tomorrow. This was not a deal he wanted to make. Maybe he wanted to sleep on it. Maybe his advisors wanted to tell him just how bad the deal was.
The next day, King Richard II met again with Wat Tyler in a field just outside of the city’s walls. The Lord Mayor of London was not at all happy that a commoner was acting like he was the equal of the king. Wat Tyler made even more radical demands than he had the day before, so the mayor pulled out his dagger and stabbed Tyler in the neck. (pictured above)
With their leader struck down, the rebels scattered. The king’s well-armed soldiers rode out and surrounded the poorly-armed peasants. Now the tables turned in the negotiation. King Richard II had been negotiating from a position of weakness, but now suddenly he had the upper hand. The king changed the terms of the deal with his people, saying:
“Serfs you were and serfs you are. You shall remain in bondage, not such as you have hitherto been subject to, but incomparably harsher.”
The rebellion was over. The leaders were rounded up and executed. Although there were a series of bloody reprisals, most of the rank-and-file rebels were not killed. Eventually many of the richest rebel peasants would be able to buy themselves a pardon.
And what happened to John Ball, the radical priest who stirred all this up? He was given a comfortable retirement at a university, lecturing his socialist ideas of equality to incoming freshmen. Just kidding. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered in the presence of King Richard II. Then his head was displayed on a pike on London Bridge.
After the rebellion, things went back to the way they had been. Most peasants were serfs, back under the control of their lord. But times were changing. Market forces would continue to erode the feudal system, and serfdom as an institution would continue to decline. King Richard II did not get this memo, instead reimagining himself as an even grander king with even lowlier serfs. That would get him into trouble down the road though. See Shakespare’s Richard II for the details.
Negotiations can be tough. Neither party would ever sit down at the table if they didn’t think that a mutual agreement would lead to a better outcome. Did King Richard II negotiate with Wat Tyler and the peasants in bad faith, never intending to honor the deal? Or did he just see that the situation had changed once the rebel leader was killed and the people scattered?
In negotiation, it’s called “re-trading the deal” once an agreement has been reached, but then one party wants to change it substantially. This is different from discovering things during a due diligence process, then altering the offer to account for the difference in what you thought you were buying than what you actually bought. Re-trading is changing the terms at the last minute, because you can wait (or you can walk) but they can’t. It’s kind of a dirty trick.
If you’re in a transactional negotiation to buy or sell something to someone you’ll never see again, knock yourself out. Do whatever your conscience will allow to pay the lowest / get the highest amount possible. Get, grab, snatch, take.
But most of your negotiations are with people you’ll see again and again. If you make a deal with your manager, you need to stick to it. If you arrange to work from home so you can take care of your sick dog, then don’t let the boss catch you on the ski lift during the team call. Unless you live in Colorado and it’s a powder day. Then the boss will surely understand.
