Relations with Other Countries Flashcards
What dictated H7’s foreign policy?
Initially:
- Circumstances surrounding his succession (wanted acceptance of his right to rule from other monarchs)
- His lack of money
Later:
- Trade
- Dynastic expansion
- His own succession
How did H7 manage foreign policy between 1485-1492?
- Made truces with potentially dangerous neighbours:
- 1485 = w/ France
- 1486 = w/ Scotland
- 1487 = w. Habsburg Empire
What was the outcome of the Treaty of Medina de Campo?
- 1489
- England and Spain to work together to defend their lands
- Promised not to make agreements with France without consulting each other first
- Treaty established equal trading rights from merchants from both countries
- Arrangement made for Prince Arthur (England) to marry daughter of Spanish monarchs
Why did H7’s relationship with France become difficult?
- Initially friendly as French court had encouraged H7’s fight for throne
- BUT had also relied on Brittany during his 14 year exile
- 1488-1492 = France moved to absorb Brittany
What did H7 need to consider during Breton Crisis?
If France gained control of Brittany:
- South coast of England would be in militarily weaker position
- Calais (last surviving outpost of England’s medieval empire in France) more vulnerable
- Trade could be disrupted
How did H7 initially deal with the Breton Crisis?
- Didn’t rush towards war
= dangerous to annoy France when pretenders to throne active, and he lacked funds - H7 opened negotiations w/ France whilst secretly allowing English troops into Brittany to help Bretons repel French army
- This failed = tried to win support at home and abroad for short campaign
How did H7 try and win support during the Breton Crisis?
- Got support from Spain through Treaty of Medina del Campo
- H7 approached rulers of Netherlands, some north German states and even Pope for assistance, or at least neutrality
- Parliament summoned to make grant of £100,000 to finance small army
How did H7 aggravate France during the Breton Crisis?
- April 1489 = English army crossed channel to help defend Brittany
- H7 declared he was only acting in defence of Brittany and had no intention of reopening longstanding English claims to French lands
- French frustrated = received Perkin Warbeck at court
- Also poured more of their own troops into Brittany
What risk did H7 take during Breton Crisis?
- Led larger force of 12,000 troops into Brittany
- This gambled that France didn’t want long conflict
- H7 right = France becoming interested in divisions within Italian peninsula and wanted to be free of other commitments
How was the Breton Crisis resolved?
- H7’s army left France for payment of 745,000 crowns to cover the costs of expedition
- Agreement made by French King not to support H7’s enemies
How successful was the Breton Crisis for H7?
SUCCESSFUL:
- Pursued difficult diplomacy with skill whilst early in reign
- England’s basic friendship with France still intact
- Military intervention brief and not damaged England’s reputation
- France persuaded to stop supporting pretenders to throne
- France had made payments to cover cost of conflict
UNSUCCESSFUL:
- England’s armies didn’t win any of main engagements in Brittany
- End of Crisis, Brittany remained little more than satellite of France
- All of Southern shore of English Channel except for Calais was in French hands
- H7 failed to restore English glories in Europe
How did H7 resolve tension with Scotland?
- 1486 truce
(scared of problems from Yorkists in North if James III refused to accede him)
(truce ruined by James III’s death 2 years later) - 1497 Truce of Ayton
(became formal peace treaty in 1502) - 1503 Marriage of Margaret (H7’s eldest daughter) to James IV
How did H7 try to break up the stranglehold of the Hanseatic League?
- Navigation Acts based 1485-86
= encouraged use of English ships to carry goods instead of foreign ships
(wines from France could only be imported in English ships) - 1489 Act limiting exports of English wool
= became illegal for foreigners to buy wool for making cloth on the continent
How did H7 encourage the English cloth trade?
- 1489 Act limiting exports of English wool
= became illegal for foreigners to buy wool for making cloth on the continent - Trading agreements with rulers of Burgundy who controlled port of Antwerp (Intercursus Magnus 1496)
What was Intecursus Magnus?
- 1496
- Allowed English merchants to trade freely with all parts of Burgundy except Flanders
- By 1509, English merchants shipping over 1/2 the cloth exported to Europe
How did H7 offend Venice regarding trade?
- Venetians dominated trade in Mediterranean
- H7 encouraged merchants to trade in mediterranean
- Venice retaliated by imposing heavy tariffs on all English goods imported into Venice
How did H7 resolve his dispute with Venice over trade?
- 1490 treaty signed
- Allowed English wool to be imported into Pisa (main port of Florence)
- H7 restricted sale of wool to Venetians
= Venice worried Florence would gain advantage - = Venice gov lifted import duties on English goods
- English merchants could trade with wealthiest state in West mediterranean
How did H7 develop the English navy?
- Started to build up the English navy that H8 could expand
- Was small = left son 9 ships
- BUT ships of good quality, bigger and better equipped than previously
- Portsmouth established as country’s first fortified naval base
How did H7 support exploration?
- Supported voyage of John Cabot to Newfoundland in 1497 = claimed it for England
- Supported John Cabot’s son, Sebastian in 1509 voyage to find route to China round north of America = reached Hudson Bay
How was H7 trying to improve relations with Burgundy at end of reign?
- 1505 wanted better relations w/ Philip of Burgundy in case of possible aggression from France
- Opened discussions of Burgundian bride for his son, Henry
How did Spanish react to H7’s proposed marriage alliance w/ Burgundy?
- Ferdinand angered and turned to France
- Louis XII felt surrounded by Spain, Burgundy and Netherlands so ready for friendship
- 1505 = Ferdinand married Germaine De Fox (Louis XII’s niece)
How did Ferdinand gain a lot of power at the end of H7’s reign?
- Oct 1506 = Philip of Burgundy died
- Joanna claimed mad w/ grief and fit to unruly = Ferdinand declared himself King of Castile
- Heir in Netherlands = 6 year old Archduke Charles
- Netherlands vital for English trade = H7 afraid France might use opportunity to take some of Netherlands
- Ferdinand now well-placed in international diplomacy
What was the League of Cambrai?
- 1508
- Louis XII and Ferdinand came together with Archduke Charles and the Pope
- Alliance against Venice (powerful city state controlling an important part of the Italian coastline)
How did the League of Cambrai affect England?
- Ended England’s plans to arrange marriage alliances with Netherlands and France
- Looked as if England had been left isolated
- In reality, moved attention from England towards Italy so England no longer seen as the enemy
