Henry VIII's Foreign Policy Flashcards
1
Q
What was the Holy League?
A
An anti-French alliance between England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Venice and the Papacy
2
Q
What happened in 1512 as a result of joining the Holy League?
A
- Henry sent 10,000 men to Southwest France under the command of the Marquis of Dorset
- This achieved nothing and was used by Ferdinand of Aragon as a diversionary tactic whilst he successfully conquered Navarre
- He was simply being used by his father in law Ferdinand and Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
3
Q
What was the Battle of the Spurs?
A
- Occurred when Henry himself led a force to Northwest France
- Won the battle, but in reality it was little more than a skirmish
- Claimed to be an amazing victory in propaganda
- Captured the towns of Therouanne and Tournai
- Elton argues it was a ‘futile sideshow’
4
Q
What was the Battle of Flodden?
A
- Occurred in September 1513 when James IV crossed the border with a substantial force, but was defeated by a small English army
- James himself was killed leaving the throne in the hands of the infant James V
- However Henry did little to build on the advantage it gave him so nothing was gained
5
Q
What were the results of Henry’s 1513 battles?
A
- The wars were very costly and Henry was forced to liquidate the assets that his father left him
- There were rumblings about taxation in Yorkshire
- The renegotiated French pension was lost
- Tournai was eventually sold back to the French for less than the English had paid to repair its defences
6
Q
What features were the basis of English foreign policy from 1514 - 1526?
A
- England remained a relatively minor power and couldn’t compete with the likes of France and Spain
- Henry overestimated England’s power so Wolsey had to frame foreign policy based on this assumption
- The ‘Auld Alliance’ remained strong
7
Q
What did it mean for Henry when he ran out of money in 1514?
A
- he was unable to exploit Scotland following the death of James IV at Flodden
- he sought peace with France, reinforced by the marriage of his sister Mary with the French King Louis XII - this didn’t last long as there was a large age gap and Louis died in 1515
- Mary remarried within two weeks meaning Henry couldn’t use her for diplomatic purposes again
8
Q
Who succeeded Louis XII and what did it mean for Henry?
A
- Francis I - Henry saw his as a personal and political rival
- his immediate response was to seek an alliance with Ferdinand of Aragon, however he died in 1516
- Ferdinand’s successor Charles I sought an alliance with the French and the Holy Roman Empire in the Treaty of Cambrai
- England was left dangerously isolated
9
Q
How was Francis I able to undermine Anglo-Scottish relations?
A
- the Duke of Albany, heir presumptive to the Scottish throne, was a member of the French nobility
- Albany consolidated this position by being appointed as regent to the Scottish throne
- this alarmed Henry and Wolsey who saw him as a French agent
- Albany’s threat was minimised due to divisions within the Scottish nobility, however Henry was unable to exploit those divisions
10
Q
What was the Treaty of London?
A
- 1518: prompted by Pope Leo X who wanted a united Christian front against the threat of the Ottoman Turks
- started as a peace treaty between England and France but became a ‘treaty of perpetual peace’ between England, France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire
- diplomatic coup for Wolsey, however future conflicts would suggest it was essentially meaningless
11
Q
What impact did the Treaty of London have on Anglo-French relations?
A
- England returned Tournai to France and the French agreed to pay a pension to compensate for the loss
- French promised not to get involved in Scottish succession problems, in turn also improving Anglo-Scottish relations
12
Q
Why were the French concerned about the Spanish?
A
- Charles I had been elected Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in 1519
- His empire encircled France
13
Q
When tension arose between France and Spain, who did Henry and Wolsey side with?
A
- they tried to arrange meetings with both sides but couldn’t lose prestige by standing on the sidelines
- met Francis at the Field of Cloth and Gold in 1520 in Calais - very expensive and Henry lost a wrestling match which was embarrassing - nothing achieved
- when conflict arose in 1521, Wolsey negotiated the Treaty of Bruges with Charles: through this he could improve relations with the Pope, gain territory in France and secure a marriage alliance with the Emperor and his daughter Mary
14
Q
What was the result of England siding with Spain over France?
A
- England invaded France in 1522 and 1523 but nothing was achieved
- the French were defeated at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 and Francis I was captured by Charles V
- Henry suggested to Charles that they launch an invasion of Northern France to gain territory but he didn’t agree as England had played no real role in the victory at Pavia
- it seemed England had been used by Charles to distract France and had gained nothing in return
15
Q
What were the consequences of the amicable grant?
A
- Henry had to back down with a bruised ego
- his resentment towards Charles increased when Charles backed out of the marriage contract with Mary
- Wolsey’s domestic prestige never really recovered
- England forced into a more pro-French policy - supported by the League of Cognac (put together by Pope to counteract Charles’ ‘excessive’ power)
