Henry VIII foreign policy Flashcards
What were henry viii’s initial foreign policy aims
- Preserve the balance of power and keep the peace
- Ensure that England retained a position of significance by cultivating close links with the papacy
- Glory in war and to gain land in France
- Secure the succession and dynasty
why was Henry in conflict with his council at the start of his reign
His councillors sought peace while he sought military glory
what treaty was renewed at the start of Henry’s reign and when
The Treaty of etaples was renewed in 1510
what was Henry drawn into at the start of his reign and when
Henry was drawn into the Holy League in Nov 1511
composition of the Holy League and what it was about
The Holy League was an anti-french alliance joined by the HRE, Spain, Venice and the papacy
what year was the first french war
1512
what did Henry agree to do with ferdinand
Henry agreed to attack the southwest of France with Ferdinand with the intention of capturing Guinne
what did Henry do to escalate the war
Sent an army of 10,000 men under the marquis of dorset
how much was achieved out of the first french war
Little was achieved with the only result being demoralised troops and increasing expenditure
what did Ferdinand do instead - first french war
Ferdinand did not invade France but instead used English troops as a shield to hide behind, he then seized Navarre before making peace with France
what battle was fought in 1513 and against who
The battle of spurs against france
when was the battle of spurs
1513
why was the Battle of spurs fought
Henry had felt embarrassed by the previous expedition and so he turned to wolsey to organise another one so he could prove himself
how many troops did Henry lead at the Battle of Spurs
an army of 25,000
what land was captured in the battle of spurs
Therouanne and Tournai
what was wolsey made during the battle of spurs and what was he responsible for
Quater master general and he was responsible for feeding, arming and generally supplying the army
what did the battle of spurs do for Henry and Wolsey’s reputation
The war enhanced Henry’s reputation as a warrior king and Wolsey’s as a master organiser
what treaty did the battle of spurs lead to and between who
It led to the treaty of Saint Germain en Laye. It was a Valois - tudor alliance
what year was the treaty of saint germain en laye
1514
what were the terms of the treaty of saint germain en laye
Therouanne and Tournai were recognised as English
Henry was seen as having a claim to the French throne.
Henry received his pension arrears of 100,000 crowns
Henry’s sister Mary was to be married to Louis XII who was an old man at the time
why was the treaty of saint germain en laye short lived
Louis Died in 1515
what did the treaty of saint germain en laye show
The treaty showed that Wolsey was a brilliant diplomatic advisor as he created a successful peace agreement
what treaty was renewed with Scotland and when
In 1509, Henry VIII and James IV of Scotland renewed the 1502- Anglo-Scottish alliance
what pulled scotland and england into conflict in 1513 and why
The problems england has with France drew them into conflict, because of the auld alliance
when was the battle of flooden
1513
background of the battle of flooden
In 1513 as Henry was engaged in war with France, James launched a raid on England
outcome of the battle of flooden
Catherine of Aragon led the response from England, James IV and 100,000 men were killed, this left Henry’s sister Margeret as regent to her infant son
why did Henry seek an alliance with Ferdinand before his death
Louis XII died and left the French throne in the hands of Francis I, a young king whom Henry saw as a political rival
when did Ferdinand die
1516
what happened after Ferdinand’s death - Charles V
F’s grandson - Charles V sought an alliance with the French a year after
what treaty did Charles V and Francis I agree to - 1510s
The treaty of Cambrai with the french
what did the treaty of Cambrai mean for England
It left England dangerously isolated
what was one consequence of the isolation England experienced as a result of the Treaty of Cambrai
One consequence of the isolation is that it allowed Francis I to undermine the Anglo-Scottish relations.
how did Francis I undermine the Anglo - Scottish relations
Francis I was able to undermine Anglo-Scottish relations because the Duke of Albany, the heir presumptive to the Scottish Throne was a member of the French nobility.
what alarmed wolsey and henry - duke
Duke of Albany who they saw as an agent of France was appointed as regent to the Scottish throne
how did wolsey try to end England’s isolation - 1518
With the treaty of London
what year was the treaty of London
1518
how did the treaty of london end England’s isolation
Wolsey called for the major powers of Europe to settle their differences and live under Universal Peace
how many people was the treaty of London signed by
Over two dozen countries, including Francis I, Maximillian, Charles V and the pope
what did the Treaty of London put England at the centre of
It put England at the centre of diplomacy
how did Wolsey make the countries sign the Treaty of London
Separately with England, rather than all countries signing one single document
what was the treaty of London referred to and by who
‘a glittering success’ by historian Susan Doran
what was Wolsey made as a result of the treaty of london and why
Wolsey was made the pope’s papal legate, as the treaty gave the pope a single Christian united front
why was the treaty of London shortlived
Within two years of the signing of the treaty of London there were renewed tensions, Charles V was elected as HRE in 1519 which made the treaty shortlived
what did Wolsey do protect the treaty of London
Wolsey had to mediate between France and Spain to keep the peace and protect the treaty
what led to the field of Cloth of Gold
Wolsey persuading charles and Francis I to meet separately with Henry
when was the Field of C of G
1520
what was the field of cloth of gold
A two-week meeting between Francis I and Henry VIII at Ardes near Calais. Henry brought 5000 guests and Francis brought 3000, there was a lot of feats, jousting and wrestling
outcome of the Field of Cloth of Gold
It achieved nothing of significance in diplomatic terms - the English army invaded northern France in both 1522 and 1523
The event led Charles V to believe that Henry was siding with Francis and he met with wolsey to prevent it
Conflict ensued when Francis I beat Henry in a wrestling match
what did the Venetian ambassador say about the field of cloth of gold
The Venetian ambassador reported that Henry and Francis hated and wanted to out-do each other
how much did the field of cloth of gold cost
£15,000 which was a year’s revenue, parliament was reluctant to grant extraordinary revenue
evaluation of henry’s foreign policy from 1509-20 - 7
- Henry’s military victories brought him short-term wins(glory in war), it was hardly the beginning of a new era of English greatness in England.
- The campaigns had been expensive and had wiped out the surplus of money that Henry VII left
- It resulted in little real achievement beyond the satisfaction of defeating France
- Tournai and Therouanne were not impressive spoils of war
- His military adventure in 1513 led to opposition about tax from people in Yorkshire, though it did not turn into a full-scale revolt
- Tournai was sold back to France for much less than England had paid to repair its defences
- Henry failed to exploit the weakness of Scotland following the death of James IV at Flodden and his sister being regent to an infant
observances about FP 1509-1520 - 3
- England remained a relatively minor power and could not really compete on the same terms as major powers like France and Spain
- Henry overestimated England’s power
- The auld alliance remained strong due to clashes between england and france
Wolsey’s foreign policy aims historiography - pollard
According to Pollard, Wolsey was keen to use England in the pursuit of the balance of power but in particular, wanted to ‘hitch England to the Holy See’. Pollard argues that England matched the pope’s foreign policy because Wolsey wanted to be rewarded with the title of cardinal and ultimately the papacy
Wolsey’s foreign policy aims historiography - JJ Scarisbrick
challenged Pollard’s views and argued that Wolsey frequently did the opposite of what the papacy wanted and he doubted whether Wolsey really had serious ambitions to be pope. He sought peace because war was expensive and tried to achieve peace by allying with the strongest EU power that no country would dare attack
Wolsey’s foreign policy aims historiography - modern historians
Modern historians since 1970 argue that Wolsey followed whatever path would bring him personal advancement and power, which meant satisfying both the kings’ glory and the pope’s interest. Wolsey had no coherent overall strategy and his priorities changed with changing circumstances
what did Charles election as HRE in 1519 led to
His election led to reignited conflict between the Habsburg and Valois dynasties
what was key factor in the Habsburg - Valois Conflict
A key factor in the dynastic quarrel was control of Italy, Francis I wanted to control Italy but was stopped by Charles V.
what initially cooled down the Habsburg - Valois tensions
The Treaty of London
when did the treaty of London come to an end and why - Habsburg-Valois Conflict
It came to an end in 1521 when Francis declared war on Charles
why did Henry and Wolsey fear the Habsburg Valois conflict
They feared the outcome of the conflict since a victory or defeat for either side would upset the balance of power.
what did Charles do after Francis declared war
He invoked the terms of the treaty of London and called on England and its signatories to come to their aid against France who had broken the terms of the treaty.
why did Wolsey meet with Charles
Wolsey met with Charles in the Netherlands in 1521 and agreed to an Anglo-Imperial alliance in the treaty of bruges
what was pledged in the treaty of bruges
Wolsey pledged to send an English army to fight the french if Francis refused to make peace
why did Wolsey delay English intervention in the Habsburg Valois conflict as much as he could
He delayed it and hoped the conflict would resolve itself without the need for a costly English intervention
when was an English army sent to France to deal with the Habsburg Valois conflict
1523
what was the outcome of English involvement in the Habsburg Valois conflict
The war did not go well and expenses pilled up, Wolsey urged the king to withdraw English support for Charles
what battle was fought between Charles and Francis I
Battle of Pavia
when was the Battle of Pavia
1525
who won the battle of Pavia and what did that victory mean for the loser
Charles V defeated the French and Francis and most of his nobles were captured, which gave Charles control of the Italian Peninsula
what did Henry urge Wolsey to do as a result of Francis being made prisoner
Henry urged Wolsey to seal a new agreement with Charles whereby France would be divided between them with Henry taking the title of king of France, he wanted to end France’s independence
why did Charles reject Henry’s proposal
He didn’t trust Henry who had forsaken their alliance and he believed he would become too powerful if he extended his power over the continent
what did Charles do instead after rejecting Henry’s proposal
He released Francis and restored him as King of France, hoping to control him
how did Charles Plan to control Francis fail
Francis launched attacks on France within a year and he was assisted by the Pope, though France was forced to swear an oath and provide his sons as hostages
what was the outcome of the breakdown of the Tudor-Habsburg alliance-
Wolsey devised a scheme - the amicable grant to provide a subsidy for Henry to take France for himself, but it led to riots and he couldn’t.
what did Wolsey negotiate after the failed Amicable Grant
Wolsey tried to negotiate between France, the pope, Venice and Florence for an anti-Habsburg alliance as he was angry at Charles for refusing to attack France while it was vulnerable
what was formed in 1526
the league of cognac
when was the league of cognac formed
1526
who put the league of cognac together
the pope
who was in the league of cognac
France, England, Venice and the papacy
who was the league of cognac formed agaunst
Charles V
what was the aim of the league of cognac
The aim was to stop Charles from taking all of the Northern Peninsula
what was England’s role in the league of cognac and what did it mean for them
England was a protector and not a member, they did not have to finance wars. It meant that England was once again allied with France and recognised as a major power
example of the league of cognac fulfilling their aim
Henry and Francis declared war on Charles V in 1528 but England did not fight
In what battle did Charles defeat Francis, resulting in a treaty between them
Battle of Landriano
what peace treaty was signed in 1529
Peace of Cambrai 1529
Terms of the Peace of Cambrai
France agreed to give up ambitions in Italy
how did the Peace of Cambrai affect the balance of power
It made Charles dominant and made the pope dependent on him
What did the peace of Cambrai prevent Henry from doing
It prevented him from resolving the Great matter which led to the fall of wolsey
evaluation of Henry’s early Foreign Policy 1509-1529 - success - 4 v failures - 5
Success -
1. The Treaty of London kept the peace for a while.
2. Field of C of C enhanced England’s prestige abroad
3. Wolsey and the King conducted a flexible and reactive foreign policy considering that they had very little income compared to other foreign powers.
4. They recognised the need to ally effectively with powerful countries in order to preserve England’s security and interests
Failure -
1. His aims and ambitions were unrealistic, how did he think he could regain the crown in France
2. Wolsey lost his prestige
3. Foreign Policy was costly
4. Campaigns yielded a few gains
5. Henry was used by Ferdinand.
what was Henry’s foreign policy aim between 1530-1547
He returned to aggressive foreign policy
what did solving the great matter mean for England
England was isolated and on the look out for new protestant allies because Henry had angered Charles due to his divorce from Catherine, his aunt.
how did Cromwell try to find allies
Cromwell tried to find allies by arranging a marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves from Germany
what happened to the marriage between Henry and Anne of cleves
It failed
what reduced the need for allies
Fighting started between Charles and Francis which reduced the need for allies as England was no longer in an isolated position
when did Henry’s position become weak and why - later foreign policy
in 1538, Henry’s position became weak due to the Truce of Nice signed between Charles and Francis who agreed to sever connections with England.
Pope excommunicated Henry in 1538
what did the pope’s ex-communication mean for Henry and England
It meant that English Catholics were absolved of the need to obey their ruler.
what did the pope do that led to Henry’s fear of invasion
The pope sent envoys to France and Scotland to gain support for a catholic crusade against Henry, this lead to fear of invasion by Henry from Charles and Francis who were supported by the pope.
what did Henry do to secure his position as a result of the pope’s actions
He passed the Catholic Six Articles in 1539 which was intended to reassure catholic opinion in England and his marriage with Anne of cleves was done to gain allies
how did Henry manage to gain a more secure position by 1540
In 1540, the treaty between Charles and Francis broke down which left Henry in a more secure position
why did Henry have little concern about Ireland
Though Ireland had always been troublesome and rebellious like the North of England, only worse but English authorities were still in control of the pale
what happened with Ireland in 1536 and why did it happen
Thomas Fitzgerald led a rebellion against the English Crown in 1536 because Henry became the head of the church and had therefore displaced the pope
what happened to the Irish rebellion
It was brutally put down
what did Henry do to deter future rebellions in Ireland
A solid basis of government was established to deter future rebellions and prevent Ireland from being used as a base for future enemies of England
what happened to the Fitzgeralds as a result of the Irish rebellion
The Fitzgeralds lost their power as Lord deputies
how did Henry establish royal authority in Ireland?
In 1540 a new kingdom of Ireland was declared with Anthony St Leger as its first English Governor
All lands in Ireland were to be surrendered to the Crown and only returned if the owners pledged loyalty to Henry, in return some Irish lords were to be included in the Westminster Parliament
All of Ireland was bound by English common law and the policy of plantations started
who was the First English Governor of Ireland
Anthony St Leger
how was the governor of Ireland limited
He only controlled a small part of the Island around Dublin and the Irish still clung to their catholic faith
how did James V create fears of security from Henry VIII
James V intensified the potential threat his country posed by pursuing an actively pro-french policy, for example by marrying Mary of Guise in 1538
what did Henry VIII attempt to do when James V created fears of security
Henry attempted to negotiate an agreement with James V to guarantee England’s security but James refused to meet with him
What did Henry do in response to James V’s rejection of peace?
He sent the duke of norfolk to attack them which led to the Battle of Solway Moss
when was the Battle of Solway Moss
1542
was the Battle of Solway Moss a success
yes for Henry VIII
outcome of the battle of Solway Moss
Over 1000 prisoners were taken
James V died within a week leaving his one week old MQS as heir
what happened to the Scottish position as a result of the Battle of Solway Moss
It became weak and hopeless
what would Henry have done as a result of Scotland’s weak position and what would that have shown
Henry would have launched a full scale invasion which would have been impossible for the Scots to repel , but he didnt which makes it clear that Henry’s main interest was an invasion of France. He looked primarily to diplomatic pressure to secure his Scottish objectives while he sought military glory in France
what was the Scottish policy known as
Rough wooing
what was Rough Wooing
Putting pressure on the Scots through attacks to accept the marriage
what did Henry attempt to do to secure the succession
He wanted to marry Prince Edward to MQS
what did Henry attempt to use to secure the marriage allaince
1543 Treaty of Greenwich
what happened with the treaty of Greenwich
The Earl of Arran deserted it and the scots parliament refused to ratify it
What did Henry do after the Earl rejected the treaty as a result?
He sent the Earl of Hertford (Somerset) to raid Edinburgh, Leith and St Andrews, these attacks were referred to as the rough wooing
response of the Scots to the rough wooing
It antagonised them, alienated them and forced them to draw closer links with France
failures of the Rough wooing
Henry failed to take advantage of a one week old heir and a weak Scotland in 1542, which shows that his aims were sometimes not strategic or clashed with one another
who did Henry ally with later in this reign and why
Henry allied with the Habsburgs against France and they agreed to invade France within two years
what did Henry do in 1544 against France
In 1544 despite his health problems, he sailed with an army of 18,000 to Calais
what happened when Henry got to France in 1544
He gave little thought to strategic aims and once they got to France (Charles and Henry VIII) they both followed their own priorities, each blaming the other for not sticking to the attack on Paris
what did Henry do instead of attacking Paris - 1544
Henry wanted to win glory for himself on his terms, so he headed for Boulougne which he captured
what did Charles do - war with France
Charles became fed up with the war and so he made peace with France with a Treaty at Crepy
how did Matters get worse for Henry in 1545
Matters got worse in 1545 when Francis I sent troops to Scotland to invade England from the Scottish border
what did Henry do as a result of the attack from France in 1545
Henry had to defend and fortify the south
What happened after France tried to invade?
The attempt by Francis I failed. Boulogne’s defences held out against the French attack, this led to a military stalemate
what treaty was created after Francis I’s failed attempt
Peace was agreed in the 1546 Treaty of Ardes
Terms of the Treaty of Ardes
Henry kept Boulogne and regained the French pension
what was the battle with France in 1544 called
Battle of Solent 1544
evaluation of his later foreign policy with France
He had gained glory but the war had cost £2M, a huge sum which was paid for by large-scale borrowing, the sale of monastic land and debasement which increased inflation and left a legacy of increased inflation and debt for his children’s reigns
eric ives interpretation of Henry’s foreign policy
Henry was ‘following the devices and desires of his own heart’
historiography of Henry’s Foreign Policy in the 1540s - pollard
Pollard argued that Henry’s main purpose was the conquest of Scotland, as part of a project to create a united British Isle
historiography of Henry’s Foreign Policy in the 1540s - Wernham
Like Pollard, he saw Henry’s policy as being primarily about Scotland, However, he believed that his approach was fundamentally defensive given the threat to English security which Scotland represented in the event of full-scale war against France and the fear that King James V might threaten the English Throne were Henry to die whilst Edward was still young
historiography of Henry’s Foreign Policy in the 1540s - JJ Scarisbrick
He argued that Henry was primarily motivated by the lure of glory and territorial gains in France, the invasion of Scotland was essential to ensure that the Anglo-Scottish border remained scure since an invasion of France was launched
historiography of Henry’s Foreign Policy in the 1540s - Micheal Bush
He attempted to disentangle Scotland from France by arguing that Henry was motivated mainly by his desire to punish his Nephew James V for several offences - harbouring English rebels, marrying a French princess, not breaking with Rome and not meeting Henry at York
