england's relations with foreign powers, 1485-1509

Question 1

What was Henry’s main concern with foreign policy?

Answer 1

Maintaining good relations and defence.

Question 2

Why did Henry seek to maintain positive relations with foreign powers?

Answer 2

• National security
• Recognition of the Tudor dynasty
• Defence of English trading interests

Question 3

Why did Henry summon Parliament in 1489?

Answer 3

The French had invaded Brittany (a fiefdom of the French Crown) and it seemed as if they were about to gain complete control of the land.
Henry called for Parliament to grant him extraordinary revenue to raise an army against the French.

Question 4

What were Henry’s main reasons for calling Parliament after France invaded Brittany?

Answer 4

• His sense of obligation to the Bretons
• His fear that direct French control of Brittany could increase a potential French threat to England

Question 5

What was the Treaty of Redon?

Answer 5

This was a treaty between England and Brittany in which the Duchess Anne would pay for a small English army to defend Brittany from the French.

Question 6

When was the Treaty of Redon?

Answer 6

February 1489.

Question 7

Who was Duchess Anne?

Answer 7

• Brittany was a fiefdom ruled over by Duke Francis II, who had no sons, and so his daughter Duchess Anne was his only heir
• When her father died there was nobody to take over as ruler of Brittany but her
• However this was during a time where it was strange for a woman to rule, and so France tried to take this opportunity to claim Brittany and strip its independence

Question 8

How did Henry try to strengthen his position with Maximilian in 1489?

Answer 8

Maximilian was a Holy Roman Emperor candidate and so Henry allied with him.
Maximilian had contracted a marriage-by-proxy between him and Anne, therefore having no desire for the Duchy of Brittany to fall to the French

Question 9

Why did Anne marry Charles VIII?

Answer 9

She feared the futility of prolonged resistance to the French

Question 10

What did Anne and Charles’ marriage mean for Henry?

Answer 10

It left Henry in a difficult position as the English army were trapped in Brittany, as well as Maximilian losing interest in their ‘alliance’.
All of this was made worse by Perkin Warbeck who was seeking assistance from the French crown to back his claim to the English throne

Question 11

How did Henry recover his position when Anne married Charles?

Answer 11

He launched an invasion into France in 1492, and the French quickly sought for a peace settlement.
Despite his invasion seeming like a gamble, he used information he’d gathered from agents that Charles VIII was much more interested in invading Italy than England, which is why he wanted a peace settlement immediately.

Question 12

What was the treaty between France and England in 1592 called, and what were the agreements?

Answer 12

The Treaty of Etaples
- Charles agreed to withdraw support of Perkin Warbeck
- He also agreed to pay a pension to Henry to compensate him for his expenses on having recruited and army of invasion

Question 13

Where did the bulk of English exports go through?

Answer 13

The ports of the Netherlands such as Antwerp and Bruges, all of which came under Burgundy’s jurisdiction.

Question 14

Why was it particularly difficult for Henry to maintain good relations with Burgundy?

Answer 14

The Duchess of Burgundy was the sister of Edward IV and Richard III, the Yorkist family who Henry had usurped for the English crown.

Question 15

How were Margaret of Burgundy and Maximilian connected?

Answer 15

Maximilian was the stepson-in-law of Margaret.

Question 16

Why did England and Burgundy’s relationship deteriorate once Maximilian became Holy Roman Emperor?

Answer 16

He and his son Philip, who was in charge of the Netherlands, had been harbouring Perkin Warbeck

Question 17

What did Henry do when he discovered Maximilian and Philip giving hospitality to Warbeck?

Answer 17

He implemented a trade embargo, thinking that would ease the matter.

Question 18

What did Henry’s trade embargo with Burgundy do?

Answer 18

This put two of his foreign policy objectives against one another, highlighting him giving priority to protecting his dynasty rather than the commercial interests of England.

Question 19

How did relations between Henry and Philip improve?

Answer 19

Warbeck left Burgundy and the two came to agreement in the Intercursus Magnus in 1496, which brought the trade embargo to an end.

Question 20

Why did Anglo-Burgundian relations become central to Henry’s foreign policy in 1504?

Answer 20

This was due to the death of Isabella, Queen of Castile.

Question 21

What was the Intercursus Malus?

Answer 21

This was a new trade agreement that had resulted from the Treaty of Windsor between Henry and Philip of Burgundy.

Question 22

What approach did Henry show with the Intercursus Malus?

Answer 22

A forceful approach, he demanded a trade deal which would give a much stronger trading position to English merchants within the Netherlands.
He also insisted that Philip and Maximilian would agree to hand over Yorkist fugitive, Earl of Suffolk.

Question 23

Who was Spain ruled over by in the early 1500s?

Answer 23

Ferdinand and his wife, Isabella.

Question 24

Why did Henry want to better his relations with Spain?

Answer 24

Spain were an incredibly powerful state, so having them as an ally would be hugely beneficial.

Question 25

What did the Treaty of Medina del Campo give Henry and when was it signed?

Answer 25

It gave Henry international peace and security.

Question 26

What were the conditions of the Treaty of Medina del Campo?

Answer 26

• The two monarchies offered mutual protection in the event of attack
• They agreed not to harbour rebels or pretenders
• Arranged a marriage alliance between Arthur, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Aragon (daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella)

Question 27

Why were there problems with the implementation of the treaty?

Answer 27

• Arrangements for the royal marriage did not go smoothly
• Ferdinand proved reluctant to allow the marriage to take place due to Perkin Warbeck continuously threatening Henry’s position
• The two monarchs had argued over the size of Catherine’s dowry

Question 28

When did the marriage of Arthur and Catherine take place but what complications quickly erupted?

Answer 28

In 1501, but Arthur passed the following year which caused complications between Ferdinand and Henry.

Question 29

What were the complications caused from Arthur’s death?

Answer 29

• Henry immediately suggested that Catherine should marry his second son, Prince Henry, instead. Ferdinand was reluctant to agree as he had little need for an English alliance and the remarriage would require a papal dispensation
• Isabella died in 1504, making Henry lose interest in the marriage alliance due to Ferdinand losing political power. There was a succession battle between Ferdinand and Juana (Catherine of Aragon’s sister) and Henry chose to support Juana
• Juana and Philip of Burgundy (her husband) had set sail for Spain in January 1506 but had to take shelter in England when their ship wrecked at sea

Question 30

How did Henry take advantage of Juana and Philip’s position?

Answer 30

He proposed the Treaty of Windsor in 1506.

Question 31

What did the Treaty of Windsor contain?

Answer 31

• The Intercursus Malus
• The return of the Earl of Suffolk
• A proposed marriage alliance for Henry VII himself and Philip’s sister Margaret (aimed at strengthening Henry’s rule after his wife Elizabeth had died)
• Henry’s recognition of Juana and Philip as rulers of Castile

Question 32

How did Philip of Burgundy’s death prove distastrous?

Answer 32

• Juana was described by Ferdinand as having gone mad within her grief
• Ferdinand had the opportunity to become regent of Castile
• Henry was diplomatically isolated and outsmarted by a major European monarch
• Ferdinand ensured Catherine of Aragon would not marry Prince Henry during Henry VII’s lifetime

Question 33

What were Anglo-Scottish relations like during 1485-95

Answer 33

Tense.

Question 34

Why did problems arise when King James IV came of age in 1495?

Answer 34

He offered hospitality to Perkin Warbeck, where he stayed for two years at the Scottish court.

Question 35

What did Warbeck receive from James IV?

Answer 35

A Scottish pension and an aristocratic marriage to the King’s cousin Lady Catherine Gordon.

Question 36

What did James encourage Warbeck to do?

Answer 36

He encouraged him to take a small Scottish army across the border in 1496. However, the army did not spend much time in England as he received no support from the people of Northumberland.

Question 37

How did Henry retaliate at Warbeck’s attempt in 1496?

Answer 37

He built up a larger army himself to launch an invasion on Scotland, but had many political repercussions as a tax rebellion formed the following year.

Question 38

When was the Cornish Rebellion and what did it do?

Answer 38

In 1497, and it took the interest of both Scotland and England to signing an immediate truce.

Question 39

What happened to Anglo-Scottish relations onwards from 1498?

Answer 39

Anglo-Scottish relations had improved massively, and James had decided he had no use for Warbeck and handed him over to Henry where he executed him in 1499.

Question 40

What was the Treaty of Perpetual Peace?

Answer 40

A treaty between James and Henry which married Henry’s daughter Margaret off to James.

Question 41

How far into Ireland did Henry’s power extend?

Answer 41

Only as far as the ‘Pale’, which was the area of land that surrounded Dublin.

Question 42

Who did the power of Ireland lay with and who were the most important of those?

Answer 42

The Anglo-Norman barons who had settled there in the 12th century.
The most important were the Fitzgeralds and the Butlers.

Question 43

Who was the dominant figure of Ireland?

Answer 43

Earl of Kildare, who was leader of the Fitzgeralds and Lord Deputy of Ireland since 1477.

Question 44

Why was the Earl of Kildare feared by Henry?

Answer 44

He had many Yorkist sympathies, this idea being reinforced when he supported Lamber Simnel and crowned him King of Ireland in 1486.

Question 45

How did Kildare firmly confirm Henry’s suspicion that he should fear him?

Answer 45

Kildare openly supported Perkin Warbeck in 1491.

Question 46

What did Kildare’s actions force Henry to do?

Answer 46

• Instead of relying on the established Irish aristocracy, he attempted the more costly approach of ruling the Pale through an Englishman, backed by an armed force
• He appointed his infant son, Prince Henry, as Lieutenant of Ireland and appointed Sir Edward Poynings as his deputy

Question 47

How was Poynings initially successful in establishing royal authority in the Pale?

Answer 47

He used threats of force as well as bribery.

Question 48

What was ‘Poynings Law’ and when was it passed?

Answer 48

It passed in 1495 and meant that the Irish Parliament could not pass a law without the approval of the English Crown.

Question 49

What were the problems with Poyning’s approach?

Answer 49

The strategy proved too expensive for Henry and these financial problems were made worse when Warbeck returned to Ireland in 1495 with a force in the town of Waterford.

Question 50

What was Henry forced to do when Warbeck returned to Ireland in 1495?

Answer 50

He had to recall Poynings due to his lack of money to retaliate against Warbeck forces and had to recede back to the cheap option of Kildare as deputy.

Question 51

What had Kildare decided by 1496?

Answer 51

That there was no benefit in supporting the Yorkist cause and had decided to serve Henry loyally.

Question 52

Why did Henry need the threat of the Earl of Suffolk gone?

Answer 52

It put the Tudor dynasty at risk as he was a strong claimant to the throne, and the death of Arthur had left the succession extremely threatened.

Question 53

Who were arrested soon after Henry’s death?

Answer 53

To send a clear message that a new regime was to take place, that it’d be different from the old.

Question 54

Why did Henry seek appropriate marriage alliances?

Answer 54

In order to help bring about dynastic security.

Question 55

Who did Henry arrange his oldest daughter Margaret to be married to?

Answer 55

King James IV of Scotland.

Question 56

Who did his youngest daughter, Mary, marry during Henry VIII’s reign?

Answer 56

The much older King Louis XII of France.