Foreign policy under Somerset

Question 1

aims of his foreign policy

Answer 1

-To enforce the marriage between Edward VI + Mary, Queen of Scots–> uniting the scottish and english thrones

Question 2

what was Somerset’s main priority?

Answer 2

-The Scots, unlike HVIII who put them to the side, focusing on the conflict with France.

Question 3

What was his strategy?

Answer 3

-To defeat the Scots in battle
-Build a garrison number of forts in the borders + south of Scotland: forcing the Scots into submission

Question 4

Battle of Pinkie

Answer 4

Sept 1547:
-Somerset defeated the scots

Question 5

What was the issue with his strategy?

Answer 5

-It was expensive + difficult to manage.
-Somerset underestimated the amount of cooperation between the Scots and French
-The english were unable to capture the castles at Dunbar + Edinburgh
-They failed to block the Firth of Fourth which allowed the French to relieve Edinburgh

Question 6

What happened as a result of his failures?

Answer 6

August 1548:
-France took Mary to marry Dauphin the heir to the french throne

Question 7

How much did he spend?

Answer 7

-£580000 on this one military campaign
-£351000 on troops alone, debased the coinage
-Obtained a grant from parliament to allow him to go to war: £189000

Question 8

Was he a success or failure ?

Answer 8

-A failure as he was unable to secure the marriage alliance between Edward + Mary
-Had an expensive FP which he couldn’t maintain
-August 1549- Faced threats from Henry II who declared war on England and attacked Boulogne
-£1.3m was spent on the military: by 1549 £250,000 was borrowed