B2) Wolsey Years Flashcards
1
Q
what were Henry’s earlly aims?
A
- est his status amongst Eu monarchs through marriage
- est himself as a warrior King through success in battle
- re-est the role of the nob
2
Q
How did henry fair in est his status amongst Eu monarchs through marriage?
A
- married CoA (his brother’s widow) on 11th June 1509
- sought to quickly overthrow his father’s forign policy legacy
- Catherine exerted some infl over policy making in the early years
- occasional alliances w the french against Sp and HRE however H not foolish enough to go to war w Charles V
- by mid 1520s, H came to resent the rapidity of his marriage due to the lack of male heir and the fact that she was 5 yeras older than him
3
Q
how did henry fair in est himself as a warrior king through success in battle?
A
- shared the tastes & dominant military culture of the aristocracy
- nobles accompaied h to war in northern france
- overthrowing h7’s idea of forign pol
- persuit of military glory led directly to war w France, whereby vast amounts of £ spent to acheive painfully small gains of little strategic signif
- never foolish enough to go to war w Charles V
4
Q
how did henry fair in re-est the role of the nob?
A
- shared tstes & doinant military culture of the aristocracy
- nobles accompanied h to war in northern france
- nobles did not achieve the political domination they hoped for, as h instead chose to promote the interests of churchman Thomas Wolsey
- henry partnered w the sons of the nob, who were slightly older than him, in sports and revels that took up much of his time
5
Q
how do historians think of h7 and h8 dffereing at start in attitudes to ruling?
A
- h7 wanted a lot of control
- h8 cared but was not bpthered unless it impacted him personally or got power/ infl
- left day-to-day running to others/ not directly involved
- h7 delegates local rule- similar
- h7 more paranoid- h8- dynasty is alr est
- h8 liked to have an overview overview of his gov but happy to have others do mundane work for him- where TW comes in
6
Q
who was thomas wolsey?
A
- butcher’s son
- good education- Oxford uni + awarded BA at 15, then MA
- ordained preist in 1498 & bursar of magdalen college
7
Q
how did patronage help wolsey’s rise?
A
- chaplain to Archbishop of Canterbury
- then the deputy-lieutenant of Calais (Sir Richard Nanfan) brough thim to h7’s attention- became h7’s chaplain 1507- minor missions to Sc & Netherlands
- career promoted by Bishop Fox of Winchester- quickly eclipsed him
- 1509= Royal Almoner (responsible for distributing alms to poor)
-^ automatically member of council - became indispensable through org Fr expeditions of 1513
- many positions- eg Archbishop of York, Chancellor, Cardinal for life from 1515
8
Q
what did wolsey become in 1518?
A
- LEGATE LATERE- a cardinal who reps the pope on some special assignment w such powers as are delegated to him)
- app by pope
- now outranks his last opponent in ch- the ancient Archbishop Warham at Canterbury
- has auth to reform both secular church & the monastic system + to grant decrees + appoint to benefices
- made him 2nd in power to k himself- even that close
8
Q
how did dealing w opponents help wolsey’s rise?
A
- ruthlessly
- had been reported that Buckingham had been heard threatening to kill h8 & thought little of King’s councillors
- ^ his complaints were on back of the fact that wowlsey had just persecuted Sir William Bulmer for illegal retaining- Bulmer had worn Buckingham’s livery (crest) & was his man- so the attack was an indirect on Buckingham
- W’s actions that Buckingham was arrested, charged w treason & executed (1521)
8
Q
How did pol divisions help wolsey’s rise?
A
- council divided on h wanting to wage war on Fr
- TW backed pro-war faction to get h’s favour- would reap the rewards of his gratitude
- helped plan campaign of 1513- awarded w app of Lod Chancellor & Lord Privy Seal in 1515/16
9
Q
who were wolsey’s main opps?
A
- Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk
- Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey
- Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham
10
Q
how did luck help w rise to power?
A
- h was young, lazy & focused on all-action, heroic kings like henry5th rather than frugal administrators like h7
- but h8 not prepared to leave affairs in hands of h7’s old-fashioned great servants- e + d executed, Foxe & Warham reaching retirement age & were encouraged out of court through insults by w
- so w left to moniter state affairs while h8 remained at ease
11
Q
how did charm help wolsey’s rise?
A
- made most of opps given to him
- ability to gauge his aud, flatter, enterain
- gift of natural eloquence
- ^ imp in the age of renaissance diplomacy
- enjoyed fine things in life
- sociable, witty, convivial, sponsor of musicians & artists
- when wanted something from h8, often brought him small present to charm him while he put forward the issue
- good at networking
12
Q
how did opportunism help wolsey’s rise?
A
- flexibility of outlook
- initially opp to h’s idea o war w france but became enthusiasit of the idea when h refused to change mind
- ready to advnace the k’s will & pleasure w/o any respect from the actual matter- described by Cavendish
- ^questionable moral trait but useful politically
13
Q
how did intelligence help wolsey’s rise?
A
- phenomenal org skills when put in charge of fr expedition- h noticed
- student & fellow at oxford- showed similar acumen- engaged in ambitious building works whilst in charge of magdalen college’s finances ( almost bankrupted it in process)
- prided himself at early academic achievements
- had recog that a career in thech was the best way to fame & fortune for anyone born w/o privilige
14
Q
how did industry help wolsey’s rise?
A
- v hardworking & fast- others at gentler pace
- h even encouraged him ti take holiday- one of the few demands w felt able to ignore from his master
- eg
- ^ h ordered w to travle to flanders as a special envoy to Emporer Maximillian- did this within 3 days there and back to prove his worth
-^ h upbraided him for his tardiness as beleived he hadn’t left yet
