Henry VIII: Timeline

Question 1

Tudor Dynasty

Answer 1

• Had a tenuous claim to the throne (Henry V married Henry VII’s Grandfather)
• Only came to power because wars of the roses whittled down the Plantagenet line

Question 2

The New Reign

Answer 2

• 1509 - Henry VIII comes to the throne 18 years old
• Good inheritance - Henry VII established a good government, respect for the law, the kings authority, acts of attainder (1485) limited power of the nobles, forgave enemies (The Howards), Crushed rebellions (Lambert Simnel (1486-87) , Perkin Warbeck (1491-99))
• 1510 - Henry VIII executed Empson and Dudley (Henry VII’s Unpopular ministers)
• Henry VIII continued some of Henry VII’s plans: Promised to go on Crusade vs Turks, joined 2 holy leagues (vs Venice, then France) and Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon

Question 3

The Wolsey Years 1512 - 1520

Answer 3

• Wolseys career was started by Henry VII’s clerics , The Peace Party who were rivals of The War Party
• War In France: 1513 Battle of the Spurs, cost a lot gained little (Therouan and Tournais), gave Henry VIII the feeling of glory.
• His foreign policy was based on creating a balance of power and giving England more influence than it deserved: 1514 French Alliance, Louis XII marries Mary, but he dies in 1515 and is replaced by the younger warlike Francis I.
• Henry VIII and Francis I did not get on. Alliance breaks down as Francis I makes an alliance with the HRE at Noyens (1516). Therefore England left isolated. 1518, the Treaty of London with Leo X’s blessing, giving power to England without war (Wolsey becomes Legate a latere). 1513 - 1522: Period of Peace
• His domestic policy was his strongest aspect - curbed noble power (continuation of Henry VII’s Policy, e.g. Star Chamber & execution of the Duke of Buckingham, 1523), Helped the poor against the rich (court of requests)
• Tried to control those around the king, pretty unsuccessful, 1519 - Wolsey clears minions from the court as they were too pro-French as Wolsey wanted to ally Charles V

Question 4

Wolsey 1520 - 1529

Answer 4

• 1520 - Field of cloth of gold at the same time as negotiating with Charles V
• 1522, Henry and Charles invade France, France stirring up trouble in Scotland, Duke of Bourbon in revolt, sensible plan but is very expensive and Wolsey fails to acquire the money and therefore looks weak, 1523 Amicable grant fails, 1525 subsidy introduced with was resented but earned more money.
• 1525, Treaty of the more, Alliance with France (bad idea), just before the battle of Pavia, Makes HRE undisputed mater of Europe.
• 1526 sack of Rome, Pope imprisoned (thus HRE increase dominance)
• 1527: Falls in love with Anne Boleyn, Asks Wolsey to prepare the case for the divorce but W reckons it’s unlikely. The only hope was gathering a church council to grant permission without the pope since he’s in captivity. Charles allows the pope to go free as a response. Best he can get is a legatine trial but it was never going to work
• Anne puts Lutheran thoughts in Henrys head
• Failure of Wolsey leads to his fall
• Cranmer meets some councillors in 1529 and suggests touring unis and working on collecteanea satis copiosa
• While blackfriars trial is happening Charles V wins at Landriano (Just as big as Pavia.)

Question 5

Cromwell: 1530 - 1540

Answer 5

• Unleashes parliaments anticlericalism which had been brewing
• In reformation parliament anti clerical legislature is passed to rob the church of its power
• 1536 small monasteries dissolved . Larger ones in 1539. (Divided between people who had made Henry’s reforms possible
• Henry still unsure about committing to protestantism
• 10 articles, 1536 - closest he gets to pushing protestant agenda on England
• Catherine dies in 1537 (Gives opportunity to reconcile with Charles)
• Anne beheadd in 1537
• Marries Jane Seymour in 1536 (Gives birth to Edward in 1537)
• Catholic reaction begins and works against Cromwell
• Cromwell had packed chamber with like-minded officials
• Norfolk and the like still had power on the council though and made ground
• Cromwell continued balance of power idea (ie Alliance with Cleves)
• 1538 - Henry excommunicated
• Divorce with Anne of Cleves leads to Cromwells execution in 1540

Question 6

Catholic reaction 1540 - 1545

Answer 6

• Kings book 1543
• Rise of the Howards and Steven Gardiner become leaders in privy council
• Threatens Cranmer
• Marriage between Henry and Catherine Howard gave them even more power
• Anti-protestant legislature (Heresy trials, reading English bibles banned)
• Anti-French sentiment and alliance with HRE in 1543 (sensible move as there were problems with Scotland)
• Scots beaten at Solway Moss in 1542
• James V dies, replaced by pro-French regency
• Henry tries to force them to submit (Rough wooing of Scotland) Wants Prince Edward to marry Mary queen of Scots
• War with France (Raised finances in 1543, Invasion in 1544), Spends 2mil pounds, takes Bologne but is betrayed by HRE - Treaty of Crepy, Significant though: Earl of Hertford replaces Duke of Norfolk (Beginning of Evangelical swing)

Question 7

Final Years

Answer 7

• Big return to protestant thinking (Henry not keen on Charles)(Fan of Hertford)
• Catholic attempt to resist fails
• Catherine Parr - evangelical - nurses protestant belief in King’s mind
• French alliance in 1546
• Executes Duke of Norfolk son (Earl of Surrey) (Shows fall of the conservatives)
• Duke of Somerset becomes lord protector - pushes protestant agenda

Question 8

1553 - 1559

Answer 8

• Catholic revival under Mary but due to dissolution of monasteries and rebellions she couldn’t quite hack it.