Henry VIII Foreign Policy Flashcards
What was the Holy League?
An anti-French alliance consisting of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Venice and the Papacy created after Henry sent the Archbishop of York to persuade the Pope of its creation
What were the successes of Henry’s invasion led by himself of northeastern France in 1513?
He won the Battle of the Spurs which was more of a skirmish and captured the towns of Therouanne and Tournai
What is the significance of the Battle of Flodden in 1513?
King James IV was killed in battle along with much of the Scottish nobility leaving Scotland very weak as the heir was the infant James V
Why was England dangerously isolated in 1516?
Louis XII died, his heir Francis I was a personal and political rival of Henry. Therefore Henry sought an alliance with Ferdinand of Aragon but he died before this and his heir Charles V preferred an alliance with France
What did Francis I do with Scotland?
He undermined their relations with England as the heir presumptive to the Scottish throne the Duke of Albany was a member of French nobility
How did Wolsey end Englands isolation?
Wolsey made the Treaty of London in 1518 which formed a Christian defensive front against the Ottoman Turks, a non aggression pact between many Christian countries. However it still didn’t stop future conflicts
What really encouraged France to be friendly with England rather than Wolseys diplomacy?
Concern over the increased power of Spain in the election of the next Holy Roman Emperor
Why was the 1520 Field of the Cloth of Gold inconsequential?
Because England invaded France anyway in 1522 and 1523
What was the League of Cognac?
An alliance made by the Pope to counterbalance excessive power of the Holy Roman Emperor in northern Italy following his victory in the Battle of Pavia
Which two things meant that Henry’s marital issues could not be solved by diplomacy?
Charles V’s strength, seen in his victory over the French at the 1529 Battle of Landriano. And Charles Vs dominance over the pope
What was the result of the invasion of France in 1512 under the command of the Marquis of Dorset?
Achieved nothing, Ferdinand of Aragon used it as a distraction to capture Navarre
What were the consequences of the failed 1513 military campaigns?
- Henry had to liquidate assets from his father to pay for it
- Unrest in Yorkshire over tax
- French pension was lost
- Tournai was sold back to the French for less than what had to be paid to repair it’s defences
Why were there no repercussions to Henry’s break with Rome in the short term?
Charles, the Holy Roman Emperor, was too busy with the Ottoman Turks
Why did Henry ally with the League of Schmalkalden?
It was an organisation of German princes and free cities that supported Martin Luther and the rejection of the Catholic Church so they had similar policies
Why was Henry’s position somewhat strengthened in 1536?
- Catherine of Aragon was dead and Anne Boleyn executed so he could seek an alliance with the Emperor
- Fighting began again between Charles and Francis so less focus was on England
