3B- Foreign diplomacy and the Treaty of Picquigny, 1475 Flashcards
important aspect of the English political psyche in the 15th century
The memories of spectacular victories in France during the reigns of Edward Ill and Henry V- protecting his realm, gaining personal glory and, of course, the political security which came
with it. The outcome of Edward’s invasion of France in 1474 was therefore surprising and for many
contemporaries, dishonourable for the king.
Edward began to plan to invade France in
1468, obtaining taxation for this cause from parliament,
Edward’s planned invasion didn’t go ahead- what did this cause
considerable resentment about the waste of money
that probably helped Warwick and Clarence gain support for their rebellion in some quarters during
1469.
What did Edward do during 1470s
During the 1470s, however, Edward IV resumed his preparations for a large-scale invasion of
France.
How did Edward financially prepare for this 2ND planned invasion
By 1474. he had secured an alliance with Burgundy against France and he was granted a
special tax of one-tenth of all income from land by the parliament of November 1472. which was to
pay for 13.000 archers for the campaign. In oddition, the king tricd various other. less conventional.
methods of acquiring money to support the planned war which were largely responsible for his
subsequent reputation as an avaricious monarch who took money unfairly from his subjects. In
particular, Edward began to raise money through benevolences Edward went to considerable
trouble to acquire these gifts, personally touring his kingdom and requesting money from his wealthier
subjects - requests that were extremely herd to refuse Indeed, the king was so pressing that rumours
circulaled about the rather dubious lactic he was prepared to use to gain the cash he wanted
Edward finally crossed to Calais on 4 July 1475 with a substantial army. What happened?
The planned military campaign did not, however, go ahead. This was partly because Edward’s
ally, Duke Charles of Burgundy, proved unsupportive, but also because the very able diplomat and
politician, King Louis Xl of France, effectively managed to buy off the English invaders. Louis and
Edward met on a bridge over the Somme at Picquigny and signed a treaty there.
Key Terms of Treaty of Picquiny
a seven-year truce between the two countries
the marriage of the Dauphin Charles (Louis XT’s eldest son and heir to the French throne) to
Edward’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth
• France to pay the English €15,000 immediately and then f10,000 annually in the form of a
pension.
The consequences of the treaty at home in Eng and were fairly predictable:
Edward and his army
were heavily criticised for what was seen as a cushonourable settlement and many were very
angry that their taxes and benevolences (which, needless to say, were not returned) had been
wasted. Indeed, such was the unpopulanty of the benevolences that the first Commons pention of
Richard Ill’s first (and only) parliament requested that they never be levied again.
Nonctheless, the French settlement of 1475
was extremely advantagcous for Edward, as
the pension allowed him to manage without further
appeals to parliament for taxation to meet his costs until 1482, when war with Scotland required
an army to be raised. In this way. he neatly circumvented the need to give parliament a licence to
‘advise’ or critique his rule, and gave himsell considerable financial certainty that helped him to
secure his hold on the throne more firtoly
