Henry VII Foreign Policy Flashcards
Name the 4 main aims of Henry VII’s foreign policy
- To maintain good relations with European powers (to allow him to consolidate power at home
- To gain international recognition of the Tudor dynasty
- To maintain national security
- To defend English trading interests (income)
In what year did the Treaty of Rendon occur?
1489
What did Henry agree to do in the Treaty of Rendon?
Henry agreed to support the claim of Duke Francis’ young daughter, Princess Anne
What was the main reason Henry agreed to the Treaty of Rendon?
There was a fear that French control of Brittany would increase a potential French threat to England, so keeping Brittany’s independence was important to maintain national security
How many ‘volunteers’ did Henry send to Brittany to aid Anne?
6000
When Anne surrendered to the French, who was she arranged to marry?
Charles VIII
Was Anne’s marriage to Charles VIII more or less of a threat to Henry VII and why?
Less of a threat - Charles was more interested in invading Italy than fighting the English to assert his claim to the throne in Naples. This reduced any potential threat from Charles to Henry
What did Henry do as a result of Anne’s marriage to Charles?
Invaded France in 1492 - the marriage to Charles VIII meant that France was more interested in invading Italy, Henry was an opportunist and saw the benefit in invading whilst France was distracted. Charles VIII would be more interested in seeking a peace settlement with England/Henry as his interests were elsewhere
In what year did Henry VII invade France?
1492
What pretender made Henry VII’s situation worse?
Perkin Warbeck - sought French backing for his claim to the English throne
What treaty did Henry’s invasion of France result in and when did it occur?
The Treaty of Etaples - November 1492
What did the Treaty of Etaples mean for Henry and how did he benefit?
Meant Charles would no longer assist any pretenders to the English throne, diminishing the threat of Perkin Warbeck.
Henry also received a pension from Charles of 745,000 crowns to compensate him for the expense of having recruited an army of invasion. Was around 5% of Henry’s total income, so very successful
How had Henry’s strategies regarding the war with France proved successful?
- managed to defend national and dynastic interests
- improved his financial position - 5% of Henry’s total income came from the pension granted by Charles VIII
- Ensured a period of relative friendliness/cordiality in Anglo-French relations
Where did the bulk of England’s exports go through?
The Netherlands, e.g., Antwerp and Bruges - came under Burgundy’s jurisdiction
Name 3 important people of the Netherlands, Burgundy and the Holy Roman Empire who supported pretenders’ claims to the throne
Margaret of Burgundy, Maximilian and Duke Philip IV, such as Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck
