England's relations with Scotland and other foreign powers

Question 1

What were Henry’s aims in foreign policy?

Answer 1

To maintain good relations with European powers
To gain international recognition of the Tudor dynasty
To maintain national security
To defend English trading interests

Question 2

What happened in 1487 with Brittany and France?

Answer 2

Death of Duke Francis II of Brittany (without a male heir + women couldn’t rule) gave an excuse for the French invasion of the Duchy of Brittany , the last independent area within France.

Question 3

What and when was the treaty of Redon?

Answer 3

Treaty of Redon- 1489:

Henry agreed to support the claim of Duke Francis’ young daughter, Duchesse Anne (who would pay for a small English army to defend Brittainy) although he was conscious not to antagonise the French.

Question 4

How many troops were sent to Brittany in 1491?

What was the outcome?

Answer 4

6000 English volunteers were sent to Brittany.

Anne surrendered to the French - it was arranged that Anne would marry Charles VIII of France, ending Breton independence

Question 5

What happened in 1492 when Henry learned that France were in Italy?

Answer 5

Invaded France with 26,000 men. The French rapidly sought peace.

Question 6

What did Henry have to raise in order to invade France?

Answer 6

Two parliamentary subsidies

Question 7

What was signed in November 1492?

Answer 7

The Treaty of Etaples:

Charles agreed that he would no longer assist any pretenders to the English throne.

Henry received a pension of £159,000 paid in annual instalments of £5,000 a year.

This was 5% of Henry’s annual income.

(Dynastic + national interests + increased finance).

Question 8

Why was the Netherlands important to the English?

Answer 8

Its’ ports were important for English trade- particularly cloth. (Antwerp and Bruges were under Burgundy’s jurisdiction)

Question 9

What was the problem with the Netherlands/Burgundy and who controls them?

Answer 9

Margaret, Maximillian and Duke Philip IV supported the pretenders to Henry’s throne (Simnel and Warbeck) so relationships deteriorated

Question 10

What did Henry do in 1493 following Margaret’s support of Perkin Warbeck?
Who did this effect the most in England?

Answer 10

Trade Embargo with Burgundy in 1493 as he was more concerned with securing the dynasty than protecting the commercial interests of London,

Decision was unpopular with London and east-coast merchants who’s interests were sacrificed )

Question 11

What did Henry VII and Philip IV agree in 1496?

Answer 11

The intercursus magnus in 1496 which ended the trade embargo.
Margaret recognised Henry’s position as King (after Warbeck left Burgundy this was signed)

Question 12

Who died in 1503

Answer 12

Margaret of Burgundy

Question 13

What happened in 1506 with Juana of Castille?

Answer 13

Philip and his wife Juana were blown into the English coast as they set out for Spain following Isabella of Castile’s (Juana’s mother) death in 1504 - they stayed for three months and agreed two treaties

Question 14

What two treaties did Philip and Henry agree in 1506?

Answer 14

Treaty of Windsor - Henry recognised Philip’s claim to Castile (and recognised him + Juana as rulers of it) and they both promised to assist each other against rebels.

Intercursus Malus it was over generous to England (demanding a stronger trading position of English Merchants in the Netherlands)

Question 15

What further agreements were made between Philip and Henry?

Answer 15

Philip handed over the Yorkist Earl of Suffolk who had been sheltering in Burgundy (Henry then imprisoned him in the tower)
A marriage was arranged between Henry (widowed) and Philip’s sister Margaret duchess of Savoy but this came to nothing

Question 16

Why was the trade treaty between Henry and Philip never implemented?

Answer 16

Philip died in September 1506 and the new Burgundian governor disapproved of the treaty

Question 17

What treaty was signed in 1507 between England and Burgundy?

Answer 17

A third treaty reverting to the terms of the first intercursus magnus

Question 18

In 1508 how was Henry diplomatically isolated?

Answer 18

By not being signatory to the League of Cambrai which was formed by the HRE, France, Spain and the Papacy

Question 19

What was signed in 1489 with Spain?

Answer 19

The treaty of Medina del Campo agreed a marriage alliance between Catherine of Aragon and Arthur.

Tthey agreed not to harbour rebels or pretenders and the two monarchs offered mutual protection in the event of an attack

Question 20

When did Arthur and Catherine get married?

Answer 20

1501

Question 21

Who died in 1502 and why was this a problem?

Answer 21

Arthur - made Henry anxious to propose a new marriage between Catherine and Arthur’s younger brother Henry , a treaty was signed in 1503 and the marriage planned for 1506

Question 22

Who died in 1504 and so what did Henry support (S)?

Answer 22

Isabella died so Henry supported Juana’s claim to Castile

Question 23

What happened in 1506 - Spain?

Answer 23

Philip’s death led Ferdinand to deprive his daughter Joanna of her inheritance. The marriage between Catherine and Henry was jeopardised and didn’t take place until June 1509 after Henry VII’s death.

Question 24

Between 1485 and 1495 what were English relations with Scotland like?

Answer 24

Tense but for the first few years of H’s reign they remained relatively friendly

Question 25

What did James IV of Scotland do between 1495 and 1496?

Answer 25

Supported the pretender Perkin Warbeck and provided a small army to invade England in 1496- war was threatened

Question 26

When did Scotland and England make a truce and what was it called?

Answer 26

1497 - Treaty of Ayton (became a full peace treaty in 1502) as the Cornish rebellion of this year shook Henry

Question 27

What happened in 1502-1503 regarding Scotland?

Answer 27

It was agreed that James IV should marry Henry’s daughter Margaret.

In 1502 this was sanctioned by a formal peace treaty (The Treaty of Perpetual Peace).

The marriage took place in 1503.

The improvement in relations lasted until the end of H’s reign (successful in ensuring security of the dynasty).

Question 28

Which part of Ireland did Henry rule?

Answer 28

Henry rules only part of the ‘pale land’

Question 29

Who was the Earl of Kildare and what did he do to make him a threat to Henry?

Answer 29

The leader of the Gerald Fitzgerald.

Due to his Yorkist sympathies. He crowned Lambert Simnel king of Ireland in 1486 and supported Perkin Warbeck in 1491

Question 30

What was Henry’s response to Kildare’s actions?

Answer 30

He appointed his infant son (Henry) as Lieutenant of Ireland and appointed with Sir Edward Poynings as his deputy.

Question 31

What did Edward Poynings then do and was he successful?

Answer 31

He got the Irish Parliament to pass the ‘Ponyings’ law’ of 1495 which declared that Irish Parliament needed the approval of the English monarch before it could pass laws.

He also tried to subdue the Irish by force

Question 32

What was Kildare later persuaded to do and what were the consequences?

Answer 32

Persuaded to abandon the Yorkist cause (having decided there was no benefit in supporting it) and was reinstated in 1495
He served Henry loyally.

Question 33

Who were Henry’s four children who survived childhood?

Answer 33

Arthur, Margaret, Henry, Mary

Question 34

What happened in 1504 causing further instability?

Answer 34

Henry’s wife Elizabeth of York died, shortly after giving birth to Katherine (who also died), meaning no more children

Question 35

Who was imprisoned during this insecure period?

Answer 35

Earl of Suffolk was imprisoned in 1506 (after Philip and Juana had to take refuge in England and agreed to hand him over)

Question 36

When did Henry VII die?

Answer 36

Health deteriorated rapidly from Feb 1506 and he died 21st of April 1509

Question 37

What were the two reasons for Henry wanting to raise an army against the French in 1489 and help Brittany?

Answer 37

His sense of obligation to the Bretons

His fear that direct French control of Brittainy could increase a potential French threat against England

Question 38

Who did Henry try to strengthen relations with at the same time as the treaty of Redon in 1489 and how?

Answer 38

His position by an alliance with Maximillian - A widower, Maximillian had contracted a marriage-by-proxy with Anne so had no desire for the Duchy of Brittainy to fall into French hands.

Question 39

Why did Anne’s marriage to Charles VIII put Henry in a difficult position?

Answer 39

The English army was stranded in Brittainy and it meant that Maximillian lost interest in the matter
Situation made worse by Perkin Warbeck seeking French backing for his claim to the English throne

Question 40

Why did Philip of Burgundy’s death soon after his arrival in Spain prove disastrous for Henry?

Answer 40

Juana (in her grief) was described by her father Ferdinand as having gone mad.

This gave Ferdinand the opportunity once more to become regent of Castile.

Left Henry diplomatically isolated as once again he had been diplomatically outsmarted by a major European monarch.

Ferdinand ensured that the marriage between Prince Henry and Catherine would not take place in Henry VII’s lifetime.

Question 41

What were the outcomes of James IV encouraging Warbeck to enter England with an army?

Answer 41

The attempt at invasion lead to Henry raising a larger army to launch an invasion of Scotland (had important political repercussions- prompted tax rebellion next year

Question 42

What were Anglo-Scottish relations like from 1498 onwards and what was the outcome?

Answer 42

They were significantly improved and because of this, James no longer had any diplomatic use for Warbeck who had become tiresome, Warbeck was executed in 1499

Question 43

What was Henry’s problem with the strategy of using Ponyings and what was the outcome?

Answer 43

It was too expensive and the financial problems were made worse when Warbeck returned to Ireland in 1495.

Henry was forced to recall Ponyings and once again had to depend on the cheap option of using Kildare as his deputy.

Question 44

What was the importance of marriage alliances?

Answer 44

All monarchs did it to enhance their power and influence but particularly important to Henry help bring about dynastic security e.g. alliance with Spain through Catherine marriage and Margaret + James marriage
In Henry VIII reign, Henry VIIs daughter Mary would marry Louis XII, king of France to ensure peaceful relations
Henry also attempted to re-enter marriage market after death of E with Castile, Aragon, France and the HRE alliances all considered but came to nothing (partly as princesses reluctant to marry H and party as H lost interest in remarriage)

Question 45

Was Henry’s FP successful?

Answer 45

Mainly avoided expensive wars
After the death of E and A - he was able to manipulate the international situation to enhance his security
Luck played a role in diplomatic affairs e.g. the death of Isabella of Castile in 1504 led to Henry being dangerously isolated but he responded skilfully to changing circumstances
Achieved aim of dynastic security