Foreign Policy

Question 1

Overall argument for success/ failure in foreign policy as a whole

Answer 1

• The most important aim with his already vast possessions is conservacion. Suffering no great loss of land and this must be seen as a huge success
• On top of this the acquisition of Portugal must be seen as a huge success which marks his reign out as the Golden Age of Spain
• The failures to deal with the protestant threat is a minor consideration due to his empires lack of exposure to them in terms of foreign policy

Question 2

Success in defense against the Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs

Answer 2

Did not lose any serious land to them

• The Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs were challenging Catholic Europe taking Tripoli in 1551 and leading raids on Venice, Majorca and other coastal possessions
• By the end of his reign Philip had repelled the invasions, for example Malta 1565 were 1,000 Knights of st John and 8,000 peasants managed to repel an army of 30,000 for 4 months

Question 3

Failure in defence against the Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs

Answer 3

• Cannot be seen as any failures

- In Philip’s reign there were many raids by Corsairs pirates but never did he lose a significant port or mass of land

Question 4

Success in expansionism against the Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs

Answer 4

From the 1560s onwards there was marked success

- In 1564 the base of Cosaire base of Penon de Velez was captured

Question 5

Failure in expansionism against the Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs

Answer 5

Early attempts to win back land lost under his father Charles failed catastrophically
- Djeba in 1560 where a fleet of 47 galleons was completely destroyed by Corsairs who sunk 28 boats and captured 10,000 men

Question 6

Success at being the champion of Catholicism against the Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs

Answer 6

Philip’s part in effectively ending the Ottoman and Cosair threat by the 1570s, which had been so great at the beginning of his reign makes him very successful at this

• Lepanto in 1571 is the best example of this where the Ottoman fleet of 230 was diminished by 200 ship
• After Lepanto the Ottomans never threatened the western Mediterranean, never forging the same alliances with the Barbary Cosairs
• The ceasefire of 1578 and the peace treaty of 1581 marks the end of the threat

Question 7

Failure at being the champion of Catholicism against the Ottomans and Barbary Corsairs

Answer 7

• It could be argued that Philip’s refusal to go on a religious crusade against the Ottomans damages his claim to being the champion of Catholicism

Question 8

Overall argument for foreign policy against the Ottomans and the Barbary Corsairs

Answer 8

• The most important element of his foreign policy must be seen as defencive, he succeeded greatly in this by halting the increase in Ottoman possessions
• He could be heralded as championing Catholicism by helping to save Catholic Europe from this threat
• The fact that he did not successfully expand his empire against them is a minor consideration with regards to the scale of the Ottoman threat

Question 9

Success of defence against England

Answer 9

No real success, they took no land but were not in a position to do so
- Some evidence of reprimand for pirating, John Hawkins fleet being attacked in 1567

Question 10

Failure of defence against England

Answer 10

Failure to defend property

• Despite adamantly blocking attempts to excommunicate Elizabeth, her privateers attacked Spanish bullion ships
• In 1568 Elizabeth plunders bullion ship heading for the Netherlands sheltering in Plymouth from storms
• Throughout the 60s English privateers plundered the Spanish main and treasure ships
• All of this Philip allowed to continue without acting or going to war

Failure to protect possessions

• The Treaty of Nonsuch 1585, where Elizabeth sent 7,000 men to help effective terrorism in the Netherlands went unpunished
• The Armadas of 1588, 1596 and 1597 all failed dramatically to deliver this end

Question 11

Failure of expansionism against England

Answer 11

• The Spanish Armada with its priests to spread Catholicism and bureaucrats along with an army of 30,000 was more than just an attacking fleet, there was certainly plans for occupation
• This failed dramatically, 20,000 men were killed as opposed to England only losing 7,000
• 10 million ducats was also lost

Question 12

Success in being the Champion of Catholicism against England

Answer 12

• He certainly waged war, even if grossly unsuccessful against Elizabeth in the 1580s and 1590s with three Armadas and an attack of Penzance in 1595 with 400 men

Question 13

Failure in being the Champion of Catholicism against England

Answer 13

Through the 1550s and 60s the Pope expressed wishes to excommunicate Elizabeth for her protestant Anglican church

• However Philip constantly persuade them against and even when she was excommunicated in 1570 he only invaded in 1588 due to the Treaty of Nonsuch
• This demonstrates that Philip chose pragmatism, forsaking his role as the champion of Catholicism

Question 14

Overall argument of success/failure against Elizabeth

Answer 14

• Highly unsuccessful, he failed to protect Spanish shipping, the main and the Netherlands from English interference
• He failed in his imperialistic ventures against England
• He failed at countering Elizabeth’s Protestantism, prefering pragmatism for the early part of the reign and waging unsuccessful war in the later

Question 15

Success in defence in foreign policy with France

Answer 15

• Success in repelling the French invasion of Philip’s Italian possession in 1557
• This was answered with the Battle of St Quentin which ended the Habsburg-Valois Wars which had been raging since 1551
• This was secured in the peace of Cateau Chambresis 1559

Question 16

Failure in defence in foreign policy with France

Answer 16

• Unsuccessful in preventing French influence in the Netherlands
• After his wife’s death in 1568 relations soured
• A french army supported Dutch rebels in 1572 whilst the Duke of Anjou, a French prince, took a short regency of the Netherlands in 1581

Question 17

Failure in expansionism against France

Answer 17

• Failure to make a more beneficial peace with France in 1559, Spain had one the battle but the peace that was negotiated was poor, France kept all her land and even maintained possession of the English port of Calais which had been taken from Spain’s ally
• Lack of clarity of aims with France characterised Spain’s foreign policy later, with a refusal to leave France after Navarre’s turn to Catholicism it could certainly be argued that Philip wanted to expand
• He even suggested that France should forsake Salic law and take Philip’s daughter as Queen
• Fighting between 1595 and 1598 was a costly war with no benefit Philip certainly was not successful
• The peace of Vervins 1598 provided no gain to Spain

Question 18

Success in being the Champion of Catholicism with regards to France in foreign policy

Answer 18

The original war with Henry of Navarre from 1589 to 1593 was certainly complying with the ideals of being the champion of Catholicism

• Funding the Catholic League and sending Parma to lift the sieges of Paris and Rouen in 1590 and 1592 Philip was certainly Championing Catholicism against the protestantism of Navarre
• The French nation, one of the most powerful in Catholic Europe falling to the reformation would certainly be devastating
• Whatever Philip’s misdoings against Navarre this original opposition forced Navarre to convert in 1593

Question 19

Failure at being the Champion of Catholicism with France

Answer 19

• He waged war with France from 1595-1598 with the newly Catholic Navarre on the throne
• This cannot be seen as constructive for the protection and development of Catholic Europe