Northumberland 1550-53 Flashcards
Government and administration
- Lord president of privy council - able to appoint and dismiss councillors and had COMPLETE control over procedure
- Changes to privy council - Enlarged, military experience, smaller inner committee
- Parliaments over proclamations - to confirm legislation where possible
- Later years - became more like Somerset by becoming less counciliar
Finance and economy
Main issues?
Population rises
Poor harvest
Social unrest after popular uprisings of 1549
Cloth trade in Netherlands declining
Gov was virtually bankrupt
Courage was debated for final line may 1551
Population rise Northumberland’s solution:
Wars in France had ended - drastically reduced expenditure
Poor harvests Northumberland’s solution:
Acts were passed to protect arable farming
Social unrest Northumberland’s solution:
Treason act of 1550, re-imposed censorship which helped to restore law and order
Gov bankrupt Northumberland’s solution:
Sale of chantry lands and church goods was recommended by Cecil to start paying off governmental debts
Courage debated Northumberland’s solution:
The coinage was reissued in may 1662 which helped to SLOW the rise of inflation
Successes of Northumberland’s economic policies (3)
- ended debasement
- he substantially reduced the govs expenditure
- he markedly reduced the debt
Limitations of Northumberland’s economic policies (3)
- didnt take the full measures to restore full confidence in the currency
- he was forced, by political necessity, to compromise in order to reward his supporters
- weakened the govs long term financial position
Northumberland Years 1550-53 foreign policy BRIEF SUMMARY
France - treaty of boulogne 1550
HRE - Charles outraged english merchants by introducing catholic inquisition
Scotland - withdrawal english garrisons = Scottish nobles hostile w/ France, survey of border ordered to attempt to end constant minor disputes
Europe - wars Charles V and Henry II France March 1552, France uninterested in making peace so continued Jan 1553
Treaty of boulogne
March 1550
English withdraw troops from boulogne
French paid ransom 400k crowns
Eng remove garrisons in Scotland and not renew war unless provoked by Scot’s
Perpetual alliance between eng and France
Northumberland’s successes (3)
Immensely improved economic situation in only 2 and 1/2 years
War with France and Scotland ended
He showed ability to control a state
Northumberland failures (2)
Hostility amongst European nations
Was under partial control by France
How successful was Northumberland’s foreign policy overall?
Fairly successful since he ended wars with france and Scotland however was still in a hostile position in Europe
To what extent was Northumberland’s foreign policy determined by an overwhelming desire to appease?
Strong extent - wanted to make peace in Europe (specifically France and Scot’s) to improve England’s international position, reduce expenditure and to calm the social discontent
Was England’s foreign position stronger in 1553 than it had been in 1547? Why?
Yes
- henry sent 4000 troops to Scotland as a threat to english boarder
- no longer at war
No
- battle of pinkie
- was a possibility england may have to interfere
Consequences of the treaty of Boulogne 1550
- removal of danger of french invasion
- ended the crippling expense of the war
- boulogne was costly and strategically useless
- national disgrace to agree to a humiliating peace
- trade resumed
- england international position weak
- england had to submit to almost all the french demands
Relations with the Holy Roman Empire summary
(Cause and conseq)
Cause of relations
- improved relations in France led to deterioration in relations w/ HRE
- Charles annoyed by attempts of eng reformers
- Charles issued edict allowing catholic inquisition
Conseq of relations
- breakdown in trade w/ Netherlands
- collapse of Antwerp cloth market
Relations with Scotland summary
Anglo-Scottish relationships in a poor state
When english garrisons withdrawn from Scotland - Scottish nobles became increasingly hostile to french
Survey of border to try end constant minor disputes
Relations in Europe : Foreign policy 1551
Northumberland maintained policy of neutrality towards continental powers
Charles V continued to disapprove of increasing Protestantism of the COFE
Relations in Europe : Foreign policy march 1552
War between Charles V and Henry II of France
(Anglo-imperial relations improve)
Northumberland resisted french pressure to join in war against HRE, Charles V was more conciliatory over English trade with the Netherlands
French invade Netherlands + eng relations with France deteriorated
Relations in Europe : Foreign policy Jan 1553
Northumberland proposed to act as mediator between France and HRE
French not interested in making peace, negotiations collapsed and hostility resumed
Exploration
Beginning of english exploration which continued in reign of Mary and flourished in the reign of Eliz
Northumberland encouraged the expansion of trade routes :
- by 1553 English ships were trading as far as the Gold Coast in West Africa
- interest in renewing search for north-east passage
- 1552 company set up, supported by city merchants and members of the privy council
Relations with Scotland : English garrisons
English garrisons withdrawn from Scotland in 1550
Fall of Somerset led to confusion - northern lords had no clear policy to follow
Relations with Scotland : the border
Surgery of the border ordered to try and end constant disputes
- march 1552 agreed that the border would be restored to the line held before HVIII’s Scottish campaigns of 1540’s
Relations with the HRE : cause of their relations
Improved relations with France led to deterioration in relations with HRE
Charles V annoyed by attempts of english reformers to force princess mary to abandon her Catholicism
April 1550 charles issued an edict allowing catholic inquisition to arrest heretics in Netherlands - outraging english merchants
Relations with HRE : consequences of their relations
Breakdown in trade with the Netherlands
Collapse of Antwerp cloth market
