Factions

Question 1

Who were the main factions between?

Answer 1

William Cecil VS Robert Dudley

Howard Alliance VS Robert Dudley

Robert Cecil VS Robert Devereux

Question 2

What were the differences between William Cecil and Robert Dudley?

Answer 2

Cecil = hardworking
Dudley = attractive

Question 3

What were the divisions between Cecil + Dudley?

Answer 3

marriage
foreign policy
finances

Question 4

How were Burghley + Dudley divided on marriage?

Answer 4

Dudley wanted to marry E + resented Cecil’s influence
Cecil wanted E to marry but not to Dudley, literally anyone else

Question 5

How were Burghley + Dudley divided on foreign policy?

Answer 5

Dudley = more aggressive FP
Burghley = maintain peace for as long as possible due to cost of war + state of English defences

Question 6

How were Burghley + Dudley divided on finances?

Answer 6

Cecil = cautious on financial constraints
Dudley favoured broader approach

Question 7

What was the impact of Burghley + Dudley’s faction?

Answer 7

quite serious, they were arguably the two people closest to E, them arguing could make it difficult for E to talk to them due to jealousy

also positive, fighting with each other instead of E

Question 8

Why were Alliance(Earl of Sussex) and Dudley (Earl of Leicester) in a faction rivalry?

Answer 8

Leicester accused Sussex of misconduct over his work in Ireland, Sussex accused Leicester of murdering his wife so he could marry the Queen
both sides wore ribbons with ‘party colours’, factions carried weapons, threatened to fight a duel

Question 9

How did E deal with Howard Alliance vs Dudley?

Answer 9

E stepped in
made it clear she wouldn’t marry Leicester
forced their reconciliation + made them ride through London together

Question 10

What was the impact of the Alliance vs Dudley rivalry?

Answer 10

serious, council physically demonstrated they were divided by wearing different colours
Civil war looked possible at one stage

However by stepping in + forcing reconciliation, E showed she was in control

Question 11

What were the differences between Robert Cecil and Robert Devereaux (Earl of Essex) ?

Answer 11

Robert Cecil = politically astute + trained to take over by his father

Essex didn’t know how to play the political game

Question 12

Why was there a factional rivalry between Robert Cecil and Earl of Essex?

Answer 12

Essex wanted an aggressive foreign policy but E sided with Cecil

In 1601, Essex was sent to stop the Irish rebellion but he failed + made a truce against E’s orders

Question 13

What tactics did E use to deal with the Robert Cecil VS Essex faction?

Answer 13

after the Irish Rebellion, she banned Essex from court - weakening his faction
took away his monopoly on sweet wines (already in £16000 debts) and put him under house arrest
Essex then executed

Question 14

What was the impact of the Robert Cecil vs Essex faction rivalry?

Answer 14

very serious
showed E was not in control, could have ended her reign + led to civil war
although control by executing Essex
Essex’s execution meant Robert Cecil’s faction dominated PC as there was no opposition

Question 15

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
Intro points

Answer 15

address Q, set up debate eg successful vs not successful
set context, factions 1560-90 (Burghley vs Dudley/ Leicester vs Dudley) contrast with later years 1590s, Cecil vs Essex
How was she successful or not?
able to maintain equilibrium between PCs
E got what she wanted?
control?

Question 16

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
Points For E was successful

Answer 16

E successfully controlled faction in period 1560-90
not in councillors’ interests to be difficult as they would lose patronage
factions were never rigid, they often changed
no one faction dominated enough to pose a serious threat to E that she couldn’t control, perhaps until Essex in later years

Question 17

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
Evidence that E was successful
methods she used so they weren’t a problem

Answer 17

E kept accurate notes to catch councillors out
took outside advice especially from foreign ambassadors
intervened to control faction eg made it clear she wouldn’t marry Dudley
promoted divisions among councillors so they’d compete
Violent methods eg Arundel on house arrest, Davison + Croft imprisoned
most successful method = DELAY
eg took 7 years to make decision when Leicester + Cecil clashed over supporting war in Netherlands

Question 18

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
Evaluation that E WAS SUCCESSFUL

Answer 18

factions were successful, not a serious problem until 1590s with Cecil vs Essex but E was still in charge as Essex’s rebellion failed.
E executed him, demonstrates she was in control + didn’t stand for ‘traitors’

Question 19

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
Judgement that E WAS SUCCESSFUL

Answer 19

successful in controlling factions since they didn’t really clash
only serious in later years but still in control through using method of execution

Question 20

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
other hand
NOT SUCCESSFUL points

Answer 20

later years very important here - this is when factional issues worsened, no longer appeal of marriage
E not in control of factions, forced her into making decisions she didn’t want to
a lot of the time factions merely got on with each other

Question 21

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
NOT SUCCESSFUL, EVIDENCE

Answer 21

E unable to control faction in 1560s/70s, warfare nearly broke out + civil war, unable to control them, divided by party colours eg Leicester = purple ribbons, Sussex=yellow
Essex Rebellion
forced into decisions:
1579-marriage to Duke of Alencon, Cecil in favour but Leicester spread rumours to turn public against marriage, concerned about patronage, didn’t want to lose position
E didn’t want to kill cousin MQS, monarch so appointed by God, refused idea yet Council worked against her + pressured her to sign death warrant

Question 22

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
NOT SUCCESSFUL, EVALUATION

Answer 22

factions were in control of E by forcing her to make decisions she didn’t want to
when factions had the same opinion and pushed the idea she could not resist it

Question 23

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
NOT SUCCESSFUL, Judgement

Answer 23

most historians argue that E was not successful in this period
her poor judgement led to the Essex rebellion in 1601
this is persuasive evidence showing she didn’t handle faction well, CV not fair summary for whole reign

Question 24

“How successfully did Elizabeth I control factions?”
CONCLUSION

Answer 24

E successful in managing faction for most of her reign using subtle techniques + her gender to balance power of influential groups eg appeared vulnerable
some factional discord in 1560s but expected with new monarch around issue of marriage + succession
by 1570s, PC shared unity on key issues (MQS + religion)
When Duke of Norfolk + later Essex stepped out of line she dealt with them swiftly
faction only became an issue as E aged + her trusted councillors died
on the whole, factions were easily controlled because those involved wanted E’s favour to unlock the door to power, influence + wealth, couldn’t gain anything by arguing with her
therefore E managed her parliament as “master of factions” for the majority of her regin

Question 25

How did factions help E to rule well?

Answer 25

it meant she could always rely on a variety of sources of information to help her make decisions

Question 26

What evidence supports that one of E’s greatest strengths was her ability to manage the factions at court?

Answer 26

she allowed no monopoly but played factions against the other
meant she was able to divide + conquer those who would push her into following a particular policy against her better judgement
she ensured her will prevailed

Question 27

What does Naunton argue about faction?

Answer 27

E was not the puppet of a faction but she actively used them to help her govern