EP: Henry and foreign policy

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

Introduction:

• On gaining the throne in 1485, the English did not have the financial means to compete with other European powers (at an income of £70,000 versus £1.5 million of Charles V HRE)
• However, the fact that the French and Scottish (previous English enemies) had backed Henry’s claim, and the end of the Burgundian alliance promised better relations with the surrounding countries
• Main aims: secure reign, gain allies and trade agreements. Mainly successful in all three areas

Question 2

3 paragraphs for the question “How far did Henry VII achieve his foreign policy aims/ What motivated it”

Answer 2

1. Secure international recognition of the legitimacy of his position as king
2. Avoidance of war/ Protecting the realm from invasion + Securing the throne + Marriage agreements + Gain allies
3. Securing trade agreements

Question 3

All of Secure international recognition of the legitimacy of his position as king

Answer 3

Yes:
-Intercursus Magnus (February 1496) Maximilian finally abandons Warbeck and supports H, agrees to not support any more pretenders
-By the time of the Siege of Waterford in 1495 not many Irish lords supported the invasion which leads to the failure of Warbeck’s invasion - indicates success of Poynings law
-Treaty of Perpetual Peace 1502- James IV recognises Henry
- Ultimately gains recognition through diplomacy
But:
-Margaret of Burgundy supported two pretenders (Warbeck and Simnel)
- At the time of Medina Del Campo in 1489, Spain was the only county to formally recognise Henry
- Warbeck is recognised as Richard, Duke of York (Edward IV’s son) by Charles VIII in March 1492 but is forced out of France with Treaty of Etaples in November 1492
- Also recognised as Richard, Duke of York by Margaret of Burgundy and Maximilian I (HRE)
-Battle of Stoke Field sees 2000 Irishmen die to see Simnel on the throne, proclaim him as “King” of England
-Kildare and all other Irish lords recognise Warbeck
-Edgecombe, with 500 men in 1488 fail to get Irish lords to recognise Henry VII as their king
-Warbeck may have been a French plot
-Scottish give 500,000 crowns to Warbeck and he marries niece of James IV, funds invasion of Northumberland 1496
So:
-defensive, reactionary FP
-founds most famous dynasty, son guaranteed King through marriage

Question 4

All of Avoidance of war/ Protecting the realm from invasion + Securing the throne + Marriage agreements + Gain allies

Answer 4

Yes:
-Gains Suffolk from Treaty of Windsor
-Kildare pacified 1496, marries a cousin of Henry VII, his son remained in London as a guarantee of his good behaviour and he no longer posed a problem
-Treaty of Etaples (3rd November 1492) → HVII gains 750,000 crowns, French pay for the return of English army (peace w france remains for rest of reign)
-English join Holy League 1496
-Treaty of Perpetual Peace- James marries Margaret (secures English and Scottish union)
-T. of Medina Del Campo (1489) promises Catherine of Aragon to Arthur and 200,000 crown dowry, if Henry VIII takes throne he will marry Catherine (Pope Julius II supports)
But:
-By giving Philip £138,000 to secure his throne and arranging the Treaty of Windsor in 1506, the untimely death of Philip led to the downfall of HVII’s FP as it left Ferdinand angry → Treaty of Cambrai (Dec 1508) - England not invited, Henry could have secured an alliance with Burgundy and HRE
-Failed marriage proposals to Joanna and Margaret of Austria (even though Margaret was promised in T. of Windsor)
-Failure of Poynings Law in succeeding to control Ireland 1494-5
-Treaty of Sable (1488) by Francis II removes prospect of Arthur marrying Anne of Brittany or an English invasion of France
-Failure of Daubeney’s 6000 person army in helping Brittany defeating French at Dixmude 1489 - French annex Brittany
-Treaty of Blois (4 treaties 1504-12), H left out and cannot arrange marriages
So:
-all recognise as King

Question 5

All of Securing trade agreements

Answer 5

Yes:
-Intercursus Magnus (February 1496) gained reciprocal trade privileges, established fixed duties
-commercial treaty with Brittany in 1486 (BUT: This ruined trade with the French)
-cloth trade 200% increase after 1496
-130% increase in trade from beginning to end of reign
-Treaty of Ayton (1497) with Scots
But:
-Treaty of Windsor (9th February 1506) would have given English merchants unfair advantage, but Philip’s death prevents it from happening - Henry never recovers
-Trade embargo 1493-5 with Low Countries (disastrous for cloth trade of which 70% of English trade was based upon), forced many English merchants to move to Calais (e.g, Merchant Adventurers)
So:
-clear it’s not his primary aim
-nearly every alliance encouraged trade

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

Conclusion:

• Henry met the aim to secure his reign, and cemented his son’s succession through the marriage with Catherine
• Although towards the end of the reign he somewhat loses allies, he created new alliances and benefitted from Etaples and closer relations with Scotland
• Largely improved trade
• “Henry constitutionally more inclined to peace than war”- Vergil

Question 7

Quote from Vergil

Answer 7

-“Henry constitutionally more inclined to peace than war”- Vergil

Question 8

Intercursus Magnus for securing position

Answer 8

-Intercursus Magnus (February 1496) Maximilian finally abandons Warbeck and supports H, agrees to not support any more pretenders

Question 9

Intercursus Magnus for trade

Answer 9

• Intercursus Magnus (February 1496) gained reciprocal trade privileges, established fixed duties
• Restored normal trade relations

Question 10

Indication of the success of Poynings Law

Answer 10

• Introduced by Poynings as Lord Deputy. Meant that any law passed in England would be enacted in full in Ireland
• Prevented Irish lords such as Kildare from using Irish parliament to subvert English rule in Ireland
• By the time of the Siege of Waterford in 1495 not many Irish lords supported the invasion which leads to the failure of his invasion - indicates success of Poynings law

Question 11

Role of Maragret of Burgundy

Answer 11

-Margaret of Burgundy supported two pretenders (Warbeck and Simnel)

Question 12

Role of the Irish in challenging Henry’s recognition as King

Answer 12

• Battle of Stoke Field sees 2000 Irishmen die to see Simnel on the throne, proclaim him as “King” of England
• Kildare and all other Irish lords recognise Warbeck
• Edgecombe, with 500 men in 1488 fail to get Irish lords to recognise Henry VII as their king

Question 13

How did the Scots support Warbeck

Answer 13

-Scottish give 500,000 crowns to Warbeck and he marries niece of James IV, funds invasion of Northumberland 1496

Question 14

When was Kildare pacified

Answer 14

-Kildare pacified 1496, marries a cousin of Henry VII, his son remained in London as a guarantee of his good behaviour and he no longer posed a problem

Question 15

Treaty of Etaples

Answer 15

-Treaty of Etaples (3rd November 1492) → HVII gains 750,000 crowns, French pay for the return of English army (peace w france remains for rest of reign)

Question 16

When does England join the Holy League

Answer 16

1496

Question 17

Treaty of Medina Del Campo

Answer 17

• T. of Medina Del Campo (1489) promises Catherine of Aragon (Aged 3) to Prince Arthur (Aged 3) and 200,000 crown dowry, if Henry VIII takes throne he will marry Catherine (Pope Julius II supports)
• Integral to Henry’s reign as for the next 10 years, Spanish would be England’s only ally
• Only country to formally recognise Henry’s right as King

Question 18

Problem for Henry of Philip vs. Ferdinand

Answer 18

-By giving Philip £138,000 to secure his throne and arranging the Treaty of Windsor in 1506, the untimely death of Philip led to the downfall of HVII’s FP as it left Ferdinand angry → Treaty of Cambrai (Dec 1508) - England not invited, Henry could have secured an alliance with Burgundy and HRE (Holy Roman Empire)

Question 19

Henry’s failed marriage proposals

Answer 19

-Failed marriage proposals to Joanna and Margaret of Austria (even though Margaret was promised in T. of Windsor)

Question 20

Treaty of Sable

Answer 20

• Treaty of Sable (1488) by Francis II removes prospect of Arthur marrying Anne of Brittany or an English invasion of France
• Francis II was forced to sign it
• It recognised Charles VIII as the feudal overlord which effectively ended Brittany’s independence when Francis died on 9th September 1488
• Disastrous for Henry as he now lacks options for invading France as Calais is easy for France to blockade and it ruins trade with France

Question 21

Treaties of Blois

Answer 21

• Treaty of Blois (4 treaties 1504-12), Henry left out and cannot arrange marriages
• Agreements between France, Spain and the Hapsburgs- Makes marriage for Henry VII difficult

Question 22

When did he sign a commercial treaty with Brittany

Answer 22

1486

Question 23

2 stats for trade

Answer 23

• Cloth trade 200% increase after 1496

- 130% increase in trade from beginning to end of reign

Question 24

Treaty of Ayton and the treaty of Perpetual peace

Answer 24

• Treaty of Ayton (1497) with Scots
• 7 year truce which became a formal peace in 1502 with the Treaty of Perpetual Peace
• One of the great diplomatic successes of Henry’s reign
• Treaty of PP in 1502, agreed the marriage of James IV to Princess Margaret
• James IV formally recognises Henry VII
• England and Scotland agreed not to support any claimants or contenders
• Peace eventual broken by James IV in 1513

Question 25

Treaty of Windsor for trade

Answer 25

• Treaty of Windsor (9th February 1506) would have given English merchants unfair advantage, but Philip’s death prevents it from happening - Henry never recovers
• Would only benefit Henry if Philip beats Ferdinand to King of Castile, but Philip’s death (1506) proved crucial in the deterioration of ties between Spain and England
• Henry subsequently not invited to be part of the League of Cambrai in 1508
• The Treaty of Windsor included a new trade treaty, the so called ‘Intercursus malus’ (‘the evil treaty’) because of the unfair advantage it gave English merchants)

Question 26

Who did he impose a trade embargo on and impacts

Answer 26

-Trade embargo 1493-5 with Low Countries (disastrous for cloth trade of which 70% of English trade was based upon), forced many English merchants to move to Calais (e.g, Merchant Adventurers)

Question 27

Warbeck’s recognition as who by who

Answer 27

• Warbeck is recognised as Richard, Duke of York (Edward IV’s son) by Charles VIII in March 1492 but is forced out of France with Treaty of Etaples in November 1492
• Also recognised as Richard, Duke of York by Margaret of Burgundy and Maximilian I (HRE) and the Irish lords upon his arrival in November 1491

Question 28

Problem of James IV

Answer 28

• Became King of Scotland following the assassination of James III in 1488
• James IV was openly hostile to the English and wanted to invade Northern England and renew the Auld alliance (Scotland and France)
• He helped Warbeck between 1495 and 1497
• Finally abandoned Warbeck with Truce at Ayton

Question 29

Many days of campaign were there outside of England during his reign and who’s quote reinforces this

Answer 29

• Only 10 days of campaign outside of England during his reign (France in 1492)
• Vergil: “Henry was constitutionally more inclined to peace than war”