Henry VIII foreign policy

Question 1

What happened in 1514?

Answer 1

Treaty of Saint-Germain en-Laye Tudor alliance : Wolsey proposed marriage of H8’s sister Mary to marry Louis, which provided Henry with £100,000 annual income and confirmed England’s possession of Tournai.

Question 2

How successful was the alliance?

Answer 2

Louis XII of France dies a year later so failure was long term.

Question 3

What happened in 1518?

Answer 3

1518 Treaty of London ( Wolsey’s plan for universal peace)

Question 4

What happened in 1520?

Answer 4

Field of the Cloth of Gold

Question 5

What was the significance of the Field of the Cloth of Gold?

Answer 5

Henry & Francis. Most spectacular diplomatic event in modern European history. A palace made of timber and canvas was made with pavilions, tilting grounds and galleries.

Question 6

How successful was the Field of the Cloth of Gold?

Answer 6

No lasting significance

Question 7

Why did Henry organise the Field of the Cloth of Gold?

Answer 7

The summit was arranged to increase the bond of friendship between the two kings following the Treaty of Saint-Germain en-Laye of 1514.

Question 8

What occurred in 1521?

Answer 8

Hapsburg-Valois conflict.

Question 9

What were the events of the Hapsburg-Valois conflict?

Answer 9

• Wolsey agreed to support Charles against Francis as part of the Treaty of Bruges.
• 1523 English army sent to France, but war did not go well, expenses were high, no decisive victory.
• Henry ended up telling Wolsey to withdraw ( betrayal of Charles). Henry got nothing out of the war, and lost a lot of money. Francis was supported by Pope Clement VII.
  Henry wanted to attack France, and he tried to raise money using Amicable Grant in 1525, but failed.

Question 10

What happened as a result of the failure of Amicable Grant?

Answer 10

• Since they could not raise the money, Wolsey created an anti-imperial alliance : League of Cognac, which led to a declaration of war in 1528
• No actual warfare given Wolsey’s lack of experience. Diplomatic war instead - However still successful given the Treaty of Cambrai 1529 - where England was recognised as a major power.

Question 11

How successful was Henry’s foreign policy during this era (1509-29)

Answer 11

If the primary aim (see above) was to secure the French Crown then Foreign Policy was an expensive and arduous failure.
Else a success.

Question 12

How had Henry’s foreign policy changed by the 1530s?

Answer 12

By this time, Henry had abandoned his interventional approach and began an isolationist foreign policy.

Question 13

What was the Break with Rome?

Answer 13

During the Reformation, the King replaced the Pope as the Head of the Church in England, causing a bitter divide between Catholics and Protestants.

Question 14

What was the first repercussion of the Break with Rome?

Answer 14

1538 - Treaty of Nice between Francis and Charles - an agreement between charles v and francis to break off relations w england

Question 15

What was the second repercussion of the Break with Rome?

Answer 15

• 1538 Papal Bull against Henry ( excommunication from the Catholic Church)
• Made Henry VIII a target as it meant it was no longer sin to commit regicide (made him vulnerable despite his desire to be preceived as a ‘warrior king’)

Question 16

How was threat from European powers managed?

Answer 16

To prevent Catholic Crusade from European powers - passed six articles act 1539 - reassured catholic opinion in England

Question 17

What was the Six Articles Act 1539?

Answer 17

The Six Articles upheld (a) the catholic doctrine of transubstantiation; (b) the view that one need not receive both bread and wine in the communion; (c) the obligation of priests to remain celibate; (d) the binding character of vows of chastity; (e) private masses; and (f) auricular confession.

Question 18

What happened in Ireland in 1534?

Answer 18

1534 - Rebellion in Ireland which was suppressed with great difficulty and at a cost of £23,000

Question 19

What happened in Ireland in 1539?

Answer 19

Opposition from the Irish -1539 Gaelic Lords under the new Lord Grey invaded the Pale and established Ireland as its own kingdom with parliament but restricted by English Law

Question 20

What events occurred in 1542?

Answer 20

• Battle of Solway Moss against Scotland. English Victory.
• James V dies of a fever, leaving baby Mary as queen.
• The Treaty of Greenwich proposed the marriage of Edward and Mary-Scots refused.

Question 21

What was the nature of foreign policy from 1540-47?

Answer 21

• Renewed obsession with aggressive foreign policy war with France
  & Scotland
• Focus on securing the Scottish Border
• Policy known as the ‘Rough Wooing’

Question 22

What could be argued about the Battle of Solway Moss?

Answer 22

• Henry’s failure to take Scotland showed a weakness in foreign policy as Scotland was vulnerable
• Henry saw France as more important
• This led to Treaty of Greenwich which was refused.

Question 23

What happened in 1544?

Answer 23

1544 - Army of 48,000 sailed to Calais, plans to join with the Hapsburgs army failed. English captured Boulogne.

Question 24

What happened in 1546?

Answer 24

1546 - Treaty of Ardres = Peace with France
Henry VIII achieved glory and increased reputation for the Tudor Dynasty.

Question 25

What were the aims of Henry’s foreign policy?

Answer 25

• Aggressive policy against the French – The threat of the ‘Auld Alliance’ between France and Scotland drove a desire for an aggressive policy against them.
• Henry VIII was eager to have a more aggressive foreign policy with Scotland than his father.
• Establish England as a major foreign power, and play a more important role in international politics

Question 26

How did Henry VIII’s foreign policy compare to that of his father?

Answer 26

The more reserved, cost-effective, foreign policy of his father was replaced by Henry’s costly and conflict ridden foreign policy.

Question 27

Evaluate Henry VIII’s foreign policy. (1)

Answer 27

• Henry’s foreign policy was undeniably marred by his failures in his conflict with France, such as the withdrawal of English troops from France in 1523 causing heavy financial losses and the failure of Amicable Grant in 1525 ruling out the foreign policy of aggression against France until the early 1540s.
• Failure in Scotland

Question 28

Evaluate Henry’s foreign policy (2)

Answer 28

Whilst there were certainly large failures in foreign policy in relation to France, Henry still managed to achieve his aim of England being recognised as a major power through the Treaty of Cambrai in 1529, and the scale of the Field of the Cloth of Gold demonstrating that England was capable of being involved with international relations.

Question 29

Evaluate Henry VIII’s foreign policy. (3)

Answer 29

Nevertheless, the minor successes he gained sporadically throughout his reign do not outweigh major failures of foreign policy as his reign progressed, and overall his foreign policy aims were overly unsuccessful across his reign.