foreign affairs Flashcards
What difficulties did Elizabeth’s status as a single woman create?
Meant that the succession was at the forefront of her minister’s minds, should she die prematurely.
What did most of Elizabeth’s ministers believe should be done about the issue of succession?
That she should marry to prevent possibility of Catholic inheritance of the throne.
What did Elizabeth strongly believe about issues of marriage and succession?
That they lay in the royal prerogative and were not matters to be discussed in Parliament or the Council table.
Elizabeth’s councillors continued to ignore this point which caused repeated tension during the reign.
Who were the suitors in marriage for Elizabeth in her early reign?
- Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester
- Philip II of Spain
- Archdukes Ferdinand and Charles
- Prince Erik of Sweden
Why could Elizabeth not marry Robert Dudley?
It would have horrified William Cecil whose influence would have been seriously eroded.
The marriage would also create many political risks due to the mysterious circumstances in which Dudley’s wife had died.
Why were Philip II, and Archdukes Ferdinand and Charles not serious suiters for Elizabeth?
They were Catholic.
When did the House of Commons first raise the issue of marriage?
In January 1559, which Elizabeth deflected gracefully.
What happened when Elizabeth fell ill with smallpox in October 1562?
It seemed she might die creating a full-scale succession crisis.
What disasters could happen if the queen was to die prematurely? [3]
- Civil war
- Foreign invasion
- Religious conflict
Who were two potential successors to the Crown when Elizabeth fell ill with smallpox?
Disgraced Lady Catherine Grey and Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots.
Elizabeth refused to commit herself, luckily this did not lead to further disaster as she survived.
What did Elizabeth do when pressured in 1566 Parliament to marry?
She was furious and banished Dudley and the Earl of Pembroke from the Presence Chamber.
She summoned members of both Houses to reprimand them.
What happened in 1579 when Elizabeth was declared still able to bear a child?
There was a potential marriage to Francois, Duke of Anjou. He was the brother of King Henry III of France.
Who suggested the marriage to Duke of Anjou in 1579?
Burghley (Cecil) and Sussex.
What crisis was there surrounding the potential marriage of Elizabeth to the Duke of Anjou in 1579?
Councillors and members of the public were horrified that it could lead to an infant child under French influence as successor.
The crisis passed as nothing came of the suggested marriage.
What is the probable conclusion that Elizabeth came to regarding marriage?
That the disadvantages of marriage outweighed the advantages due to political reasons, despite this leaving no heir to the throne.
Who had the best hereditary claim to the throne once it was clear Elizabeth was not marrying?
The execution of Mary Queen of Scots meant that her son, James VI of Scotland had the best hereditary claim.
This was despite the Stuarts being excluded from succession in Henry VIII’s will.
James was also Protestant and had 2 sons by 1600.
Which 2 councillors were heavily involved with James VI of Scotland to ensure smooth succession to the English throne once Elizabeth were to pass away?
The Earl of Essex, and after his death in 1601, Sir Robert Cecil took over keeping in contact.
Who did Elizabeth accept as her successor?
She actually refused to name a successor and there was no evidence that she accepted James as her successor, but her authority had diminished quite a lot and arrangement were made anyway.
What were the key problems between Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots?
Differences in religion and the succession.
Who was Mary Queen of Scots’ first husband? Why was the marriage a disaster?
Earl of Darnley.
Mary was believed to have been involved in his murder.
How did Mary Queen of Scots set off civil war in Scotland? What was she forced to do?
She married her dead husband’s supposed murderer, the Earl of Bothwell.
She was forced to flee to England for protection in 1567.
What did the excommunication of Elizabeth mean for Catholics in England?
That in the eyes of the Catholic Church they were absolved from the need to obey their sovereign.
What did Elizabeth do to laws after her excommunication?
She tightened the treason law, where Protestants were deemed loyalists and Catholics traitors.
When was the Ridolfi plot? What was it?
In 1571.
It involved conspiracy for Mary Queen of Scots to marry the Duke of Norfolk and overthrow Elizabeth. Failed and William Cecil ensured execution of Norfolk.
When was the Throckmorton plot? What was it?
In 1583.
Foreign landing in Sussex followed by overthrow of Elizabeth to be replaced by Mary Queen of Scots. Sir Francis Walsingham and his espionage network halted the efficiency of this plot.
What was the significance of the Throckmorton plot? [3]
- Led to creation of the Bond of Association
- Worsened Anglo-Spanish relations
- Tightened conditions of Mary’s captivity
When was the Babington plot? What was it?
In 1586.
Mary was complicit in this plot to assassinate Elizabeth but her coded letters were exposed by Francis Walsingham’s codebreaker, Thomas Phelippes.
What was the significance of the Babington Plot?
Enabled Burghley to secure Mary’s execution.
Why was Elizabeth reluctant to press for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots?
Because she was another female monarch, and had been painted Catholic figurehead - killing her would put risk towards Catholic revolution.
Why did many Privy councillors and nobles who were to assist Judges on Mary Queen of Scots’ trial plead illness?
They feared regicide, and many were aware that they could be potentially sentencing the death of the mother of the future King of England.
What view did Lord Burghley have regarding Mary Queen of Scots?
That her execution was needed to secure the personal safety of Elizabeth and the security of a Protestant State.
He used parliamentary pressure to influence Elizabeth into signing off on Mary’s execution.
When did Elizabeth finally sign the death warrant of Mary Queen of Scots?
1st February 1587.
What was Mary Queen of Scots death seen as for many Catholics?
A death of a martyr for the Catholic faith.
What were Anglo-Spanish relations during the 1560s?
Rather warm and friendly, although this deteriorated towards the end of the decade.
What had John Hawkins attempted to do which caused deterioration in Anglo-Spanish relations towards the end of the 1560s?
He attempted to break Spanish trading monopoly in the Caribbean.
This so infuriated the Spanish that they blockaded his fleet in a Mexican port in September 1568. Only 2 ships escaped.
What situation was there in the Netherlands that caused tension between England and Spain in the late 1560s? Why did Elizabeth not want to help?
Philip II wanted a tighter form of political organisation in the Netherlands which would be under more direct Spanish control, which would help to minimise heresy.
Elizabeth was put under pressure to aid Dutch Protestants. She was reluctant having suffered from her French involvement and was not keen on aiding rebels fighting sovereign authority.
How did the English find a way to harass the Spanish in November 1568?
A storm forced Spanish vessels carrying 400,000 florins to seek shelter in English ports. The money was intended to pay the army of the Duke of Alba, Philips general in the Netherlands.
Elizabeth impounded the money which led to Alba seizing English shops and property in the Netherlands.
When did Elizabeth expel Sea Beggars from English ports?
In 1572.
What happened when Elizabeth expelled the Sea Beggars from English ports?
They were forced to land in Dutch port of Brielle and their occupation of the port, unchecked by Spanish garrison sparked full-scale revolt against the rule of Spain.
What had the provinces of the Netherlands done by 1576? What did they do?
They had all risen against what they saw as atrocities by the Spanish army.
They produced the Pacification of the Ghent, calling for expulsion of all foreign troops and restoration of provinces’ autonomy. This was favoured by Elizabeth.
What were the French prepared to do with the Netherlands and what did Elizabeth consider to keep English influence?
They were prepared to invade the Netherlands and so Elizabeth considered marriage to the Duke of Anjou in order to retain some English influence in the Netherlands.
What happened when division of the provinces in the Netherlands got worse?
They emerged into 2 separate entities:
- The Union of Utrecht (largely northern + Protestant)
- The Union of Arras (largely southern and Catholic)
Which union of the Netherlands did the Spanish make peace with? What did this mean the Spanish could do?
The union of Arras.
It created a basis in which the Duke of Parma could begin his reconquest of northern provinces, having been made the new governor-general.
How was Spanish power strengthened in 1580?
Through their annexation of Portugal.
How did Elizabeth adopt a more anti-Spanish position in 1580? [3]
- Supported Portuguese pretender, Don Antonio
- Knighted Francis Drake on circumnavigating the globe, who’d irritated the Spanish in the process of doing so
- Treating the Spanish ambassador contemptuously
How did the situation in the Netherlands deteriorate further for the English after 1580?
The Duke of Parma’s reconquest of the north had gained momentum, leaving only Holland and Zeeland in Protestant hands.
As well as this the rebel leader, William of Orange, was assassinated in 1584.
Who was the Treaty of Joinville between and when was it?
It was between Phillip II and the Catholic League in France, in the end of 1584.
Why did the Treaty of Joinville alarm Elizabeth?
Because the Guise family led the Catholic League, and with them as his allies Philip II no longer had a political reason to prevent him supporting Mary, Queen of Scots.
How did Elizabeth counteract the terms of the Treaty of Joinville?
She made an alliance with the Dutch Protestant rebels in the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585.
She sent troops to the Netherlands under the command of the Earl of Leicester.
What was the result of the troops sent under the Earl of Leicester in the Netherlands 1585? [5]
- Troops were badly and irregularly paid, and so ill disciplined they alienated the Dutch
- Dutch felt betrayed when 2 officers deserted and joined Parma
- English commanders quarrelled among themselves
- Leicester quarrelled with the Dutch as they believed Elizabeth was trying to make a deal with Parma behind their backs
- Leicester returned to England and resigned his command in January 1588
What did the fiasco of Earl of Leicester’s Dutch troops lead Philip to believe?
That he could exploit the divisions between the English and the Dutch.
Why was the sailing of the Spanish Armada delayed?
The English had a successful attack on Spanish ships in Cadiz in April 1587.
When did the Armada finally set sail?
22nd July 1588.
What was the objective of the Armada?
To reach port of Gravelines in the Spanish Netherlands, where the Spanish army of the Duke of Parma would board so that an invasion on England could be launched.
When and where was the Armada sighted?
Off the coast of Cornwall on 29th July 1588.
How long were the English in battle with the Armada?
From 30th July to 6th August in the English Channel.
Why was the Armada forced to return to Spain? Which route did they have to take?
Due to unfavourable winds, they had to take the hazardous route of sailing north towards Scotland then back south to the west of Ireland, costing them many more ships.
How long did the war with the Spanish drag on for after the Armada?
A further 16 years and did not finish until deaths of both Elizabeth and Philip.
How many attacks did England make on mainland Spain from 1595? What success was made from this?
Three, including a short-lived victory with the capture of Cadiz and sinking of 4 galleons.
What did Hawkins and Drake advocate for after the capture of Cadiz?
To follow up with an attack on Panama which failed and both died at sea.
What did the capture of Cadiz do to Philip II?
Humiliated him and prevented Spanish merchant ships sailing to the West Indies, proving a blow to the Spanish.
How did Philip II retaliate to the capture of Cadiz?
He acted uncharacteristically incautiously and ordered a fleet in 1596 to invade England.
However, it was into Autumn when they set sail and was defeated by storms.
How did the English try and prevent a possible Spanish attack on Ireland in 1597?
A fleet under Earl of Essex’s command was sent to attack Spanish in harbour of North-West Spain.
However his fleet was driven back to Plymouth following adverse winds, and eventually was used again to set sail to the Azores.
What did further fear of invasion cause the English to do in 1599?
They directed naval activity to the need to prevent Spanish landings in Ireland.
In the end, very little had been achieved at great cost.
Who was made commander of English forces in the Netherlands in 1589?
Sir Francis Vere, proving highly capable.
How did Sir Francis Vere prove capable in the Netherlands?
He forged a positive relationship with Dutch leader, Nassau.
As well as this, problems faced by the Spanish with troops who mutinied regularly and their overcommitment in France meant that Parma’s occupied land was gradually recovered.
What was the cost for England of maintaining a force in the Netherlands?
It was high but the Dutch paid a share of the running costs.
By what year had the Spanish been expelled from all of the lands of northern Netherlands?
1594.
What was the final result of Dutch revolt in the Netherlands?
The north became an independent state and though the south remained under Spanish sovereignty, they had gained some autonomy.
It meant that no major foreign power was firmly established in the Netherlands.
