Elizabeth's Foreign Policy

Question 1

When was the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis and what happened?

Answer 1

• England was in conflict with France when Elizabeth came to the throne
• they lost Calais and had weak finances
• Peace Treaty in April 1559
• France would retain Calais for 8rs after which it would be returned to England - otherwise they would pay a 500,000 crowns fine

Question 2

What was the situation in Scotland in June 1559?

Answer 2

• Henry II was succeeded by Francis II in France
• Francis II was married to Mary Queen of Scots, a potential Catholic claimant and Elizabeth’s cousin
• this brought the strongly Catholic Guise faction to power in France
• French troops were sent to garrison Scottish fortresses

Question 3

How did Protestants react to Catholics coming to power in Scotland?

Answer 3

• John Knox, a Protestant reformer, and his allies, the Lords of the Congregation, asked for help from England

Question 4

Why was Elizabeth cautious about interfering in Scotland?

Answer 4

• another nation’s domestic affairs where subjects were rebelling against a sovereign authority
• she loathed Knox, who’s written against the ‘monstrous regiment of women’

Question 5

Why did Cecil support intervention in Scotland?

Answer 5

• England would be more secure without a French border
• there was an opportunity to remove Mary from the throne

Question 6

How and when did England intervene in Scotland?

Answer 6

• end of December 1559: navy sent to Firth of Forth to stop French reinforcements landing
• Lords of Congregation were offered conditional support at the Treaty of Berwick in Feb 1560, and an army was sent in March

Question 7

What was the result of the intervention in Scotland?

Answer 7

• siege failed however other circumstances forced withdrawal
• the French fleet was damaged by storms and the regent Mary of Guise
• Cecil was therefore able to secure favourable terms at the Treaty of Edinburgh in July
• Lords of Congregation accepted as the provisional conciliar government
• after the death of Francis II, the Guises fell from power

Question 8

Was the intervention in Scotland a success?

Answer 8

• yes: Mary’s political influence was reduced and Scottish Protestants were protected
• however, Elizabeth was conscious that this success had been achieved through good fortune and would proceed more cautiously in the future

Question 9

How did Elizabeth respond when conflict broke out between Protestants and Catholics in France in 1562?

Answer 9

• Robert Dudley encouraged her to put military pressure on the French so they would return Calais
• E promised the Huguenot leader (the Prince of Condé) 6000 men and £30,000 with control of the port of Le Havre as security

Question 10

What was the result of English intervention in France?

Answer 10

• the Huguenot army was defeated and Condé was captured
• on the Catholic side, the Duke of Guise was assassinated
• both sides were leaderless so the French factions accepted peace terms and united to drive the English out of Le Havre
• English forced to seek unfavourable peace settlement at the Treaty of Troyes in 1564
• permanently lost Calais: blow to prestige and led to more caution with regards to supporting Protestants abroad

Question 11

How did relations with Spain deteriorate in the 1560s?

Answer 11

• Philip wanted tighter political organisation in the Netherlands under more direct Spanish control to root out heresy
• Elizabeth felt pressure to aid Dutch Protestants (however reluctant to take action after French intervention and had qualms about aiding rebels fighting a sovereign authority)
• November 1968: storm forced Spanish ships to seek shelter in English ports
• ships were carrying 400,000 florins intended to pay the Duke of Alba in the Netherlands - E impounded the money

Question 12

What was the situation in the Netherlands in the 1570s?

Answer 12

• 1572: E expelled sea beggars from English ports - forced to land in the Dutch port of Brielle and their occupation sparked a full scale revolt against Spanish rule
• by 1576: all provinces rose against what they saw as atrocities by the Spanish army

Question 13

What did the Pacification of Ghent call for?

Answer 13

• the expulsion of all foreign troops and the restoration of the provinces’ autonomy

Question 14

What did divisions in the Netherlands lead to?

Answer 14

• quarrels between provinces led to the emergence of two separate entities, the Union of Utrecht (Protestant) and the Union of Arras (Catholic)
• the Spanish made peace with the Union of Arras, creating an opportunity for the new general the Duke of Parma to begin the reconquest of the Northern provinces

Question 15

Why and how did England adopt a more overtly anti-Spanish stance in the 1580s?

Answer 15

• Spanish power had been strengthened by the annexation of Portugal in 1580
• knighted Francis Drake after he circumnavigated the globe
• supported the Portuguese pretender, Don Antonio

Question 16

How did the situation in the Netherlands deteriorate in the 1580s?

Answer 16

• Parma’s reconquest of the North gained momentum
• rebel leader William of Orange was assassinated in 1584
• 1584 Treaty of Joinville - Philip and French Catholic League came to an agreement - meant Philip no longer had a political motive to stop him supporting Mary Queen of Scots

Question 17

When was the Treaty of Nonsuch and what did it result in?

Answer 17

• 1585
• alliance with the Dutch Protestants
• troops sent under the command of the Earl of Leicester
• however, troops were badly paid, leading them to behave poorly and alienate the Dutch
• Leicester returned in Jan 1588, encouraging Philip to exploit divisions

Question 18

What events took place during the Spanish Armada and what was the result?

Answer 18

• sailing delayed due to a successful English attack at Cadiz
• set sail 1588: objective to reach Gravelines, where the Spanish army, commanded by the Duke of Parma, would launch an invasion of England
• however, forced to return to Spain due to unfavourable winds