'Not every rebellion was a total failure although every rebellion ended in defeat for the rebels.' Assess this view of Tudor rebellions.
Intro: Say what you conclusion is gonna be. It will show the examiner what your line of argument and structure will be. So, yes most of the rebellions did not achieve any of their aims, however some achieved some part of their aims or achieved them indirectly. And yes pretty much all of the rebellions ended in defeat of the rebels, apart from the Amicable Grant.
First paragraph: "Total Failures" (We agree with the question)
Yes, most of the rebellions failed to achieve their aims and were defeated by the monarchy. (After making a point, I usually unload everything I know about rebellions) So, our first sentence is true because:
1486 - Lovell and the Stafford Brothers failed completely. This is a minor one.
1487 - Simnel failed to usurp the throne. The rebels were defeated by the King.
1492-99 - Warbeck failed to usurp the throne. Executed in 1499
1489 - Yorkshire, the subsidy was not lifted. The rebels were defeated.
1549 - Western Rebellion, failed because the prayer book was not changed. The government religious policies were not changed to more conservative ones. The rebels were defeated by Lord Russell.
1549 - Ket's... hmm, it failed because... i dunno have to look into this... The rebels were defeated by the royal army though.
1554 -Wyatt's failed, because the marriage still went ahead. Wyatt and his army defeated.
1595 - Oxfordshire, failed because it failed to attract any support and the three guys were executed.
1601 - Essex failed and was executed.
Paragraph 2: While on the face of it some rebellions failed, in fact they did achieve SOME of their aims. (We reveal the more subtle side of the argument) Unload examples:
1497 - Cornish, although the rebels were defeated at Blackheath, the subsidy was not collected. Thus, while the rebellion might seem as if it failed, it did in fact achieve its aim.
1536 - PoG, failed in bringing Catherine of Aragon back to the throne, failed to stop the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but it did make Henry change the Act of 10 Articles into Act of Six Articles, which was much more conservative. It also resulted in the strengthening of the Council of the North.
1569 - This is a weak point. Northern Earls failed completely. It did not depose Elizabeth, did not restore Catholicism. However it resulted in strengthening of the Council of the North, just like the PoG.
Third paragraph: We diagree with the question.
Some rebellions succeeded in achieving all of their aims and were not defeated.
1525 - Amicable Grant led to the end of war with France and the Grant was dropped. Noone got killed. The rebels triumphed.
1553 - Weak point, but Northumberland did succeed in putting Lady Jane Grey on the throne, even if only for 9 days. After this "successful" rebellion, however, Mary overthrew him with a rebellion of her own.
Conclusion
Yes, most of the rebellions failed to achieve their main aims and ended in defeat. However, quite a few rebellions managed to influence government policy and hence achieve some of their aims. Amicable Grant is an example of a completely successful rebellion, however this should be seen as a deviation and abnormality. It was just one rebellion in the whole century.