Henry VII foreign policy

Question 1

What were the aims of Henry VII’s foreign policy?

Answer 1

• Secure his throne from both
  domestic and foreign threats.
• Gain recognition for the tudor
  dynasty from other European
  powers.
• Adopt a more defensive foreign
  policy that his predecessors and
  avoid war if at all possible. (poor
  financial position).
• Build up his financial resources so
  that he could fund any necessary
  defensive measures.

Question 2

Why were France and Scotland a large threat to Henry VII?

Answer 2

• Scotland seen as backdoor to
  England.
• These two countries could exploit
  Henry’s weak position in order to
  launch attacks either on northern
  frontier or south coast.
• France + Scotland Auld alliance (war
  on two fronts = sandwich)

Question 3

What were the Dynastic threats that Henry VII faced and what were their impact?

Answer 3

• Henry = usurper, weak claim to
  throne.
• Some European countries might
  exploit this and undermine him or
  as with M.O.B restore Yorkist line.
• Therefore Henry wanted to improve
  relations with major powers and
  gain allies to discourage attacks
  (protection, recognition, guarantees
  they would not support other
  claimants).
• One method = Marriage alliances.

Question 4

What was the impact of Englands weak financial position on Henry VII’s foreign policy?

Answer 4

• High aim to avoid war. (costly)
• In particular Henry wanted to avoid
  war with France as not only was it a
  close neighbour and allied to
  Scotland, it was financially far
  stronger than England.

Question 5

What were Henry VII’s economic goals with his foreign policy?

Answer 5

• Increased revenue from trade to
  strengthen monarchy, therefore
  Henry other than national security,
  wanted to improve Englands
  economic position.
• Maintain cloth trade with Burgundy.
• However trade was secondary to
  national security, cloth trade was
  suspended with Burgundy when it
  supported Warwick.

Question 6

What are the 3 phases Henry VII’s foreign policy can be split up into?

Answer 6

• 1485-92: a period where Henry
  follows a policy of diplomacy to
  secure throne..
• 1493-1502: a period where peace
  with Scotland was eventually
  secured and Henry’s position
  appeared to be stronger and his
  policy more successful.
• 1503-09: A period when Henry’s
  position weakened and he
  ultimately became more isolated.

Question 7

How was Henry VII’s foreign policy successful in early parts of his reign?

Answer 7

• Secured support abroad for his
  position.
• 1485 one year truce with France
  who had supported his seizure of
  the throne. Able to extend this to
  1489.
• Support of Brittany.
• 3 year truce with Scotland in 1486,
  relations improved further after
  James III assassination, new king =
  young.
• HRE, 1487 renewed treaty for one
  year.
• Could be fairly confident other
  countries would not support other
  claimants.

Question 8

What 4 sections can Henry VII’s foreign policy aims be split into?

Answer 8

MASA

• Making money
• Avoiding war
• Security
• Alliances

Question 9

What did many of Henry VII’s treaties contain to help trade?

Answer 9

• Trade clauses.
• E.g Medina Del Campo: allowed the
  export of goods from Spain in
  foreign ships.
• As a result, income from customs
  revenue rose from £33,000 in 1485
  to £40,00 in 1509.

Question 10

What was Henry VII’s main focus of English trade on?

Answer 10

Cloth trade with Burgundy

Question 11

When did Henry VII place an embargo on trade with burgundy, and why?

Answer 11

1493 and 1496 due to M.O.B giving support to Warbeck

Question 12

What ended the embargo Henry VII placed on cloth trade with Burgundy?
What did it mean?

Answer 12

• The Magnus intercursus.
• English Merchants could sell
  anywhere in Philips land, except
  Flanders, without toll.

Question 13

Henry VII was able to negotiate the Malus intercursus, what considerable advantages did this give English merchants?

Answer 13

• Trade with burgundy would be free.
• Philip was not to impose any duties
  on the sale of English cloth.
• Philip was not to exclude English
  cloth from his lands.
• Philips subjects still had to pay the
  duties outlined in the Magnus
  intercursus.
• Much was overturned by 1507 as it
  was too favourable to English
  merchants.

Question 14

Who did Henry VII create a treaty with, encouraging trade?

Answer 14

Portugal

Question 14

Henry had confirmed Spanish privilege of exemption from duties, but he then imposed Navigation acts of 1485-86, How did Spain retaliate?

Answer 14

• Forbade export of goods from
  Spain on foreign ships if Spanish
  ships were available.
• Treaty of Medina Del Campo fixed
  this.

Question 15

How did Henry VII get Venice to drop duties on English ships?

Answer 15

• Venetians dominated trade in
  Mediterranean, they imposed heavy
  duties on English ships transporting
  wine from levant to England.
• Henry imposed heavy duties against
  Venetians.
• Henry approached Florence for
  trade, signing a treaty in 1490,
  establishing an english staple or
  market.
• Venice (enemy of Florence) drop
  duty on English ships in response.

Question 16

Why was Henry VII less successful with trade with the Baltic?

Answer 16

• Dominated by Hanseatic league.
  (group of german ports + cities)
• Henry tried to limit privileges that
  had been given to Hanseatic league
  after they helped Edward get
  throne.
• Unsuccessful, 1504, not much had
  changed.

Question 17

Why was Scotland a threat to Henry VII and England?

Answer 17

• Edward had seized border towns of
  Berwick and Dunbar, Scots
  determined to win them back.
• Auld alliance (attack on two fronts)
• Support from France vital for
  Scotland, as they were weaker than
  England financially and in
  population.

Question 18

How did Henry VII achieve 3 year truce in 1486 with Scotland?

Answer 18

• Scotland was more favourably
  inclined towards him than Richard III
  who had supported raids into
  Scotland.
• Henry desire and need for peace.

Question 19

What made war far less likely for Henry VII against Scotland?

Answer 19

• Assassination of James III in 1488
  after battle of Sauchiburn.
• James IV only 15 years old so can’t
  lead an army/wage war.

Question 20

How did Henry VII achieve a 9 year treaty with Scotland after the death of James III?

Answer 20

• Henry maintained contacts in
  Scottish court with Scottish nobility
  led by earl of Angus who favoured
  strong relations with England.
• Henry gave shelter to those Scottish
  nobles ousted from power and in
  1492 aided successful overthrow of
  Anti-English regents.
• this brought Earl of Angus back to
  power resulting in treaty.

Question 21

Why was Henry VII’s achievement of a 9 year treaty short lived?

Answer 21

• King James IV came of age in 1495.
  He wanted to assert himself by
  going to war against traditional
  enemy.

Question 22

Who arrived in Scotland to aid James IV against England in July 1495?

Answer 22

• Perkin Warbeck.
• Given royal welcome.
• Married to cousin Lady Catherine
  Gordon.
• Given military support for an
  invasion of England in Sept 1496.

Question 23

Why was James IV invasion of England with Warbeck a fiasco/failure?

Answer 23

• Received no support in England.

Question 24

What led to the Truce of Ayton in 1497?

Answer 24

• As a result of England becoming
  free of other foreign policy
  difficulties James became scared
  that funds were being raised in
  English parliament for invasion of
  Scotland. Therefore he didn’t use
  Cornish rising as opportunity for
  invasion.
• The departure of Warbeck

Question 25

When did the Truce of Ayton become the Peace of Ayton?

Answer 25

• When Warbeck was executed in
  1499.
• Big achievement, no treaty had
  been signed since 1328.
• Henry’s eldest daughter married to
  James IV.

Question 26

How did Henry VII improve security via Spain and Burgundy?

Answer 26

• Medina Del Campo = support from
  Spain, puts France of!, negates Auld
  alliance, promise not to help rebels,
  Marriage of Arthur to Catherine.
• links to burgundy, Catherine’s sister
  married to Philip of Burgundy.
• After Arthur death, Henry’s other
  son marries Catherine.

Question 27

How did Henry VII improve finances via Spain and Burgundy?

Answer 27

Catherines Dowry £40,000

Question 28

How did Henry VII improve trade via Spain and Burgundy?

Answer 28

Special trade agreement prices

Question 29

What successes did Henry VII have with France in his foreign policy?

Answer 29

• Invade France 1492 (October) when
  French forces in Italy.
• French sign treaty of Etaples.
• £5000 French pension per year.
• All campaign expenses paid.
• French say they will not give aid to
  rebels, especially Warwick.

Question 30

Where was Henry VII unsuccessful with his policy in France?

Answer 30

• Henry attempts to negotiate
  between HRE and France (then
  6,000 troops) to help Maximilian.
• Maximilian makes peace with
  France in 1489.
• Brittany accept defeat in 1491 and
  Anne is married to France.