Wolsey, government and foreign policy

Question 1

What did Wolsey do in 1512-13?

Answer 1

Volunteered to organise the expeditionary force to France under Henry’s leadership.

Question 2

Why did Henry listen to Wolsey’s advice?

Answer 2

Whilst the experienced councillors feared the consequences of failure, Wolsey took advantage of this by giving Henry the advice he wanted to hear, and thus gained his approval.

Question 3

What did Henry appoint Wolsey to?

Answer 3

Bishop of Tournai, Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York.

Question 4

Why was the appointment of Archbishop especially significant?

Answer 4

It made Wolsey the second most senior person within the Church of England and by 1514 Henry was referring almost all matters of business to Wolsey.

Question 5

What happened to Wolsey in 1515?

Answer 5

He was made Cardinal Wolsey and Lord Chancellor- the highest office in state, in place of Warham, which made him head of the judiciary.

Question 6

What happened to Wolsey in 1518?

Answer 6

He was appointed as Papal Legate - had full papal powers.

Question 7

What did the Lord Chancellor position make Wolsey responsible of?

Answer 7

The legal work of the King’s Council and for the chief law courts- the Court of Star Chamber, Court of Chancery and the Court of Requests.

Question 8

Why did Wolsey want to make the courts more accessible to the poor?

Answer 8

The common people stood little chance of challenging the rich and powerful in the local law courts due to the high legal fees.

Question 9

What did Wolsey want in regard to the rich and powerful in the courts?

Answer 9

He did not want them to gain any legal advantage in the courts.

Question 10

What efficient system did Wolsey create?

Answer 10

The Tudor Subsidy - Required Parliament to calculate its tax on property and income, which was a more accurate and realistic assessment of the wealth and individual taxpayers.

Question 11

What did the Subsidy Act of 1512 do?

Answer 11

Justified the Subsidy by highlighting the necessity of devising a more efficient tax than the common tax of fifteenths and tenths.

Question 12

What were the Eltham Ordinances of 1526?

Answer 12

Instructions to reduce the cost of running the royal household by making the household’s financial administration more efficient and flexible, so that Wolsey would need to rely less on Parliament to raise funds.

Question 13

What was the ‘general proscription’ of 1522?

Answer 13

A national survey to assess the population’s taxable wealth.

Question 14

How much was Wolsey able to levy with the information provided by the ‘general proscription’ between 1522-23?

Answer 14

£200,000 with two forced loans.

Question 15

How many times was Parliament called during Wolsey’s 15 years in office?

Answer 15

Two times, in 1515 and 1523.

Question 16

Why did Wolsey dislike Parliament?

Answer 16

He saw it as designed to stir up trouble, and its members appeared never to understand that their prime function was to carry out their king’s wishes.

Question 17

Why did Wolsey call Parliament in 1523?

Answer 17

There was no other way of raising the money Henry needed to implement his interventionist policy in Europe.

Question 18

How much did Wolsey aim to raise in 1523?

Answer 18

£800,000 through a subsidy levied at the rate of 4s.

Question 19

How much did the Amicable grant actually raise?

Answer 19

£300,000

Question 20

How did Wolsey attempt to make up the shortfall after the Amicable Grant’s failure?

Answer 20

Tax the Church - brought in nearly £250,000.

Question 21

What was Wolsey’s new law of Star Chamber in 1516?

Answer 21

Those responsible for administering justice and governing were not above the law .

Question 22

What also happened the same day of Wolsey’s new law of Star Chamber was introduced?

Answer 22

The Earl of Northumberland was committed to prison - emphasised this new law.

Question 23

What happened when Thomas Lucas, formerly Henry VII’s solicitor-general, slandered Wolsey ?

Answer 23

Wolsey had him sent to the tower without trial.

Question 24

What were Wolsey’s foreign policy aims?

Answer 24

-Preserve the balance of power in Europe.
-Maintain diplomatic balance.
-Keep close links with the papacy.

Question 25

What role did Wolsey take on in the 1513 French War?

Answer 25

Quartermaster-general, meaning he had to take on the war preparations.

Question 26

What happened in the 1513 French War?

Answer 26

-A French force was defeated near Therouanne, leading to its capture - Battle of Spurs.
-Tournai was also captured.
-Henry gave Therouanne to Maximilian, who burned it to the ground.
Henry’s reputation as a warrior and Wolsey’s as a master organiser was elevated.

Question 27

What did Wolsey achieve in 1514?

Answer 27

• A Valois-Tudor alliance to be sealed with the marriage of Louis XII of France and Henry’s sister Mary.
• This treaty gave Henry an annual income of 100,000 crowns - French pension- and confirmed the English possession of Tournai.
• These negotiations allowed Wolsey to cement his position as Henry’s chief diplomat.

Question 28

What was the Treaty of London 1518?

Answer 28

• Treaty signed by England, Spain the HRE, the Netherlands and the papacy.
• Treaty had 20 signatories with European countries, who all signed separately with England.
• The signatories agreed to a policy of peaceful cooperation and to declare war on any ruler that broke the terms of the treaty.
• Wolsey was praised for his negotiating skills.
• England seen to be at the centre of diplomatic activity and leading Europe towards peace.

Question 29

Why did the Treaty of London fail?

Answer 29

In 1519, Charles V of Spain and Francis I of France competed for the crown of HRE and Charles won.

Question 30

What did the competition for HRE force Wolsey to do?

Answer 30

Mediate between the two to preserve the peace. Wolsey successfully persuaded the kings to meet separately with Henry.

Question 31

Where did Henry and Charles meet in 1520?

Answer 31

In England. The meeting did not amount to anything of significance.

Question 32

What was the Field of the Cloth of Gold?

Answer 32

-A meeting with Henry and Francis at Ardres, near Calais in June 1520.
- A huge temporary palace of timber and gold was created with luxurious furnishings.
-This meeting failed as the Venetian ambassador reported that Henry and Francis hated each other and took part to out-do each other.
- The meeting also made Charles suspect that Henry was siding with France.

Question 33

What caused the 25 year Habsburg-Valois conflict?

Answer 33

Both dynasties wanted control over Italy.

Question 34

What was the Treaty of Brudges?

Answer 34

An agreement where England would send an army to fight the French if Francis refused to make peace.

Question 35

Why was the Treaty of Brudges signed?

Answer 35

Francis invaded Spain, breaking the Treaty.
Charles called on England and the other signatories to come to his aid - invoking the Treaty of London.

Question 36

What happened in 1523?

Answer 36

An English army was sent out to France, but the expenses of war piled up and so Henry was forced to withdraw English support for Charles.

Question 37

What happened at the Battle of Pavia, 1525?

Answer 37

Charles was victorious over France and Francis and many of the French nobles had been captured.

Question 38

What did Henry urge Wolsey to do after the Battle of Pavia?

Answer 38

Seal a new agreement with Charles whereby France would be divided between them but Henry would be the king of France.

Question 39

Why did Charles decline Henry’s offer to divide France?

Answer 39

Charles thought that Henry would become too powerful and less pliable if he extended his power to Europe. Charles also didn’t trust Henry after withdrawing his troops against France.

Question 40

What did Charles do with Francis?

Answer 40

He released him and restored him to his kingship thinking he would be able to control him.

Question 41

What did Francis do when he was released?

Answer 41

-He was forced to swear an oath concerning his future conduct and had to swear his own sons as hostages.
-But a year later he launched fresh attacks on Charles.
-Francis was also assisted by the Pope, who freed him from his oath on the grounds that it had been extorted under pressure.

Question 42

What was the League of Cognac, 1526?

Answer 42

An anti-imperial alliance, in which England’s allies would help to shoulder the financial burden of war.

Question 43

Who did England declare war on in 1528?

Answer 43

Charles.

Question 44

What was the Treaty of Cambrai?

Answer 44

The peace treaty between Charles and Francis, which Wolsey managed to negotiate his way into. England’s place as a major power was recognised.

Question 45

What did Bishop Warham and Bishop Fox do to Henry in 1510?

Answer 45

Tricked him into renewing the truce with France so he didn’t go to war.