Henry VII's Foreign Policies

Question 1

What were Henry VII’s main foreign policy aims?

Answer 1

Maintain positive relations with foreign powers to ensure:

• national security
• recognition of the Tudor dynasty
• defence of English trading interests

Question 2

How did Henry react when France invaded Brittany in 1487?

Answer 2

• In 1489, he summoned Parliament to grant him extraordinary revenue to raise an army against the French
• Main reasons: he had a sense of obligation to the Britons, and a fear that direct French control of Brittany could increase a potential French threat to England

Question 3

What was the Treaty of Redon?

Answer 3

• Agreed between England and Brittany in Feb 1489
• The Duchess Anne would pay for a small English army to defend Brittany from the French threat
• At the same time, Henry would strengthen his position through an alliance with Maximilian, the Holy Roman Empire-elect - he had a marriage-by-proxy with Anne

Question 4

Why did Duchess Anne surrender and what happened as a result?

Answer 4

• Anne feared the futility of prolonged resistance to the French so reluctantly married Charles VIII
• Left the English army marooned in Brittany and Maximilian also lost interest
• However Henry recovered skilfully by launching a French invasion in 1492 - his agents told him that Charles wanted to invade Italy so would quickly seek a peace settlement

Question 5

What was agreed in the Treaty of Etaples?

Answer 5

• Charles VIII agreed to withdraw support for Perkin Warbeck
• Also agreed to pay a pension to Henry to compensate for the expense of him recruiting an army for invasion

Question 6

Why was it important for England to maintain good relations with Burgundy and what complicated this?

Answer 6

• The bulk of England’s exports went through the ports of the Netherlands, which came under Burgundy’s jurisdiction
• Complicated by the presence of Margaret (widowed Duchess of Burgundy), who was the sister of Richard III and the leader of the Yorkist cause
• Margaret also had the help of her stepson-in-law Maximilian (Holy Roman Emperor) and passed over jurisdiction in the Netherlands to his 16 year old son Philip

Question 7

Why did England’s relations with Burgundy deteriorate and what happened as a result?

Answer 7

• As a result of the hospitality Maximilian and Philip were offering to Perkin Warbeck
• Henry gambled that putting in place a trade embargo would ease the matter: however put his two foreign policy aims of securing the dynasty and encouraging trade into conflict
• By prioritising trade, he showed himself prepared to sacrifice the commercial interests of London and east coast merchants - reduced his popularity

Question 8

What was the Intercursus Magnus?

Answer 8

• Agreed in 1496 after Warbeck left Burgundy
• Brought the trade embargo to an end

Question 9

What was the Treaty of Medina del Campo?

Answer 9

• In 1489: agreed between Ferdinand and his wife Isabella of Spain and Henry
• They offered mutual protection in the event of an attack
• They agreed to not harbour rebels or pretenders
• They agreed a marriage alliance between Arthur and Catherine, Princess of Aragon

Question 10

What problems occurred with the implementation of the Treaty of Medina del Campo?

Answer 10

• Arrangements for the royal marriage didn’t go smoothly
• Ferdinand was reluctant to allow the marriage to go ahead as long as Henry’s dynastic stability was threatened by Warbeck
• Arguments over the size of Catherine’s dowry

Question 11

What complications occurred after the death of Arthur in 1502?

Answer 11

• Henry proposed that Catherine should remarry his second son Prince Henry, but Ferdinand refused as he had little need for an English alliance and the marriage would require a papal dispensation, which could only be arranged at a cost
• In 1504 Henry lost interest when Isabella died and Ferdinand became less politically significant - in the resultant succession struggle he supported Catherine’s sister, Juana

Question 12

What happened when Juana and her husband Philip were stranded in England in 1506?

Answer 12

The Treaty of Windsor was agreed:

• Intercursus Malus (Burgundy trade relations but never put in place)
• A proposed marriage alliance with himself and Philip’s sister Margaret (never actually happened)
• Henry’s recognition of Juana and Philip as rulers of Castile

Question 13

What happened after Philip of Burgundy’s death?

Answer 13

• Because of her grief, Juana was described by Ferdinand as having gone mad
• This gave Ferdinand the opportunity again to become regent of Castile
• Left Henry diplomatically isolated - Ferdinand ensured that a marriage between Prince Henry and Catherine would not take place in his lifetime

Question 14

What happened when James IV offered hospitality to Perkin Warbeck?

Answer 14

• He was offered a pension from the King and an aristocratic marriage to the King’s cousin Lady Catherine Gordon
• The King encouraged Warbeck to cross the border with a small army but they received no support so retreated
• The attempted invasion led to Henry raising a larger army to invade Scotland - prompted a large scale rebellion in Cornwall the following year
• War didn’t benefit anyone so they agreed a truce

Question 15

What was the Treaty of Perpetual Peace?

Answer 15

• In 1502 agreed that King James should marry Henry’s daughter Margaret
• Anglo Scottish relations were peaceful until the end of Henry’s reign - he was successful