Why did Robert the Bruce succeed in rebelling against England when William Wallace failed only a few years earlier?
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William Wallace undoubtedly had many smaller scale successes but his one big victory against England in a large scale battle was Stirling Bridge. He’s not in Braveheart but Wallace actually shared command here with Andrew de Moray, who led a successful guerilla campaign in the North of Scotland. De Moray was wounded in the battle and later died. Wallace was in full command for the Battle of Falkirk, which he lost, ultimately ending his campaign.
It’s hard to verify, but the commonly accepted wisdom is that whilst Wallace was undoubtedly a great warrior and leader, de Moray was the “brains”, and the better general / commander. And that his loss at Stirling was fatal for Wallace’s campaign.
Also, as mentioned, Wallace was up against a fully fit Edward I, who was a formidable and experienced opponent.
Robert the Bruce was an incredibly skilled Knight but also an exceptional tactician, strategist and military leader. He was also up against Edward II, who was nowhere near the leader his father was.
It’s worth noting as well that, if you study Bruce’s success at Bannockburn, he very clearly learned the lesson of Wallace’s defeat at Falkirk.
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