Elizabethan foreign affairs

Question 1

why was Elizabeth marrying a topic of discussion

Answer 1

as Elizabeth was single it meant that if she died Mary who was a catholic would come to the throne

Question 2

why did Elizabeth not want to discuss the marriage/succession

Answer 2

She felt it was the royal prerogative so should not be discussed in court

Question 3

who was the first choice suitor for Elizabeth to marry

Answer 3

Robert Dudley/ Earl of Leicester

Question 4

my did Liz not marry Dudley

Answer 4

Cecil tried to prevent it as his own influence would reduce
Would have created political risks as Dudley’s first wife died in mysterious circumstances

Question 5

what other suitors were there for Elizabeth and why weren’t they chosen

Answer 5

Archduke Ferdinand and Charles of Austria and Philip of Spain - all catholic
Prince Erik of Sweden - protestant but E showed little interest

Question 6

when was the issue of marriage first raised in parliament

Answer 6

January 1559

Question 7

Why was the issue of marriage raised again in 1563

Answer 7

the issue seemed more urgent as \Elizabeth had had small pox and almost died

Question 8

what happened when the issue of marriage was pressed in 1566

Answer 8

Elizabeth was furious and banished Leicester from the presence chamber as Leicester and Cecil had prompted parliament to push the issue

Question 9

Who would the heir presumptive have been under Henry VIIIs will and why would they not have been suitable

Answer 9

Lady Catherine Grey
disgraced through secret marriage to the Earl of Hertford

Question 10

when and why was Elizabeth suggested to marry the prince of Anjou

Answer 10

1579
Elizabeth was declared still capable of having a child

Question 11

why did some councillors not want Elizabeth to marry the prince of anjou

Answer 11

worried it would lead to an infant under french influence as the successor

Question 12

how did the execution of Mary Queen of Scots impact the succession

Answer 12

Mary’s son James VI of Scotland had the best claim to the throe even though the stuarts had been excluded from the succession in Henry VIIIs will

Question 13

why was James VI a good successor

Answer 13

he was protestant
had 2 sons by 1600

Question 14

how did councillors react to James Vi being successor

Answer 14

tried to get into his favour
Essex was in regular contact with him until his death in 1601
Robert Cecil kept contact

Question 15

How did Robert Cecil help with the succession

Answer 15

ensured the transfer of dynasty went smoothly on James succession

Question 16

did Elizabeth name James as her successor

Answer 16

no
but her authority had ebbed away and plans were put in place for James succession

Question 17

when and why did Mary Queen of Scots flee to England

Answer 17

1567
Francis II dies so returned to Scotland from France
Married Lord Darnley
Darnley murdered Mary marries the murderer Earl of Bothwell
set of brief civil war so she fled

Question 18

when was the Ridolfi plot and what happened

Answer 18

1571
conspiracy of MQS to marry the Duke of Norfolk and then overthrow Elizabeth
Mary, Philip and the pope were involved in the plot

Question 19

when was the throckmorton plot and what happened

Answer 19

1583
planned landing of French catholic forces in Sussex followed by an overthrow of Elizabeth and replacement by Mary
backed by papal money

Question 20

how was the throckmorton plot prevented

Answer 20

Walsinghams espionage network

Question 21

when was the Parry plot and what happened

Answer 21

1585
plot to assassinate Elizabeth

Question 22

What did the government do after the Parry plot

Answer 22

accelerated parliamentary proceedings on a bill to ensure Elizabeths safety

Question 23

When was the Babington plot and what happened

Answer 23

1586
Mary complicit in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth

Question 24

What prevented the Babington plot

Answer 24

Walsinghams code breakers

Question 25

what happened after the Babington plot

Answer 25

the execution of Mary was secured by Burghley

Question 26

When was MQS put on trial

Answer 26

October 1586

Question 27

When was MQS death warrant signed

Answer 27

1st February 1587 Elizabeth was reluctant to sign it so Cecil had to use parliament to petition Elizabeth to sign it

Question 28

why did relations between England and Spain deteriorate

Answer 28

trading activity of John Hawkins attempted to break the Spanish trading monopoly in the Caribbean The Spanish wanted tighter political control of the Netherlands to root out heresy and E was pressured into aiding Dutch protestants England found opportunities to harass the Spanish e.g. November 1568 Spanish vessels carrying 400,000 florins were forced into English ports by a storm and E impounded the money

Question 29

what sparked the Dutch revolt against Spanish rile

Answer 29

1572 E expelled the sea beggars from English ports so they were forced to land in the Netherlands Their occupation of the port sparked revolt

Question 30

What had happened in the Netherlands by 1576

Answer 30

all Dutch provinces had risen against the Spanish army and called for a return to provincial authority

Question 31

what emerged from the Dutch provinces quarrelling

Answer 31

2 entities Union of Utrecht in the North (protestant) Union of Arras in the South (catholic) - made peace with the Spanish

Question 32

what heightened tensions between England and Spain

Answer 32

E supported Don Antonio (Portuguese pretender) knighted Sir Francis Drake treated Spanish ambassadors disrespectfully

Question 33

When and what was the Treaty of Joinville

Answer 33

1584 Philip II allied with the catholic league as Philip was allied with the Guises he had nothing stopping him from supporting MQS

Question 34

How did E counteract the Treaty of Joinville

Answer 34

Treaty of Nonsuch

Question 35

When and what was the treaty of Nonsuch

Answer 35

1585 E allied with protestant rebels in the Netherlands sent 7,000 troops under the command of Leicester

Question 36

Problems with Leicesters intervention in the Netherlands

Answer 36

troops had poor and irregular pay so had little discipline which alienated the Dutch William Stanley and others deserted and joined the Spanish English commanders quarrelled amongst themselves Leicester quarrelled with the Dutch

Question 37

When did Leicester return to England and resign command

Answer 37

December 1587

Question 38

What was the result of divisions between England and the Netherland

Answer 38

Philip II though he may be able to exploit these divisions - Spanish Armada

Question 39

What was the motivation behind the Spanish armada

Answer 39

Philip believed he was doing Gods work as a Catholic crusade

Question 40

What delayed the Spanish Armada

Answer 40

successful English attack of Spanish ships at Cadiz in 1587

Question 41

When was the Spanish Armada launched

Answer 41

July 1588

Question 42

How many ships and men were in the Spanish armada

Answer 42

30 ships 17,000 men

Question 43

what happened when the Spanish Armada anchored in Calais

Answer 43

English fireships attacked and the armada scattered out of its crescent formation

Question 44

When was the Battle of Gravelines and what happened

Answer 44

29th July 1588 after winds forced the Spanish fleet North towards Graveline English defeat the Spanish as the English navy has a bigger fleet, faster ships and longer range guns

Question 45

what happened after the armada was defeated at Graveline

Answer 45

winds pushed them further North English turned back To return to Spain the armada had to go around Scotland and Ireland where storms wrecked many ships less than half of the forces returned

Question 46

What did Essex do in 1596

Answer 46

led 17 ships and 47 war ships which captured and occupied Cadiz and a Spanish treasure ship (cost Philip 12 million ducats) no strategic follow up

Question 47

Why was Philip mad after Essex's venture

Answer 47

humiliating prevented Spanish merchant vessels from sailing to the Caribbean

Question 48

what did Sir Francis Vere do and when

Answer 48

1589 forged positive relations with Maurice of Nassau (Dutch leader) helped to recover territories in the Netherlands lost to Spain

Question 49

what had happened in the Netherlands by 1594

Answer 49

the Spanish had been expelled from all Northern Dutch territories and became an independent state

Question 50

Situation in the Southern Netherlands

Answer 50

under Spanish sovereignty but still had some autonomy so there was no major power entrenched in the Netherlands