Foreign Policy Flashcards
(19 cards)
When did Philip initially attempt to strengthen his control over the Netherlands?
Philip sent the Duke of Alba into the Netherlands with a force of 10,000 men in 1567 to address rising religious tensions.
Why was the Netherlands significant to England?
It was of great economic and strategic importance: the majority of the English cloth trade passed through Antwerp and the persecution of Protestants placed Elizabeth under pressure from her ministers to intervene.
Why did Anglo-Spanish relations deteriorate?
John Hawkins sought to break the Spanish trading monopoly in the Caribbean in the 1560s, having his fleet blocked in a Mexican port in September 1568. In 1572, Elizabeth expelled the Sea Beggars from English ports. They were forced to land in the Dutch port of Brielle which incited revolt against the rule of Spain.
By when had all of the provinces of the Netherlands risen against the Spanish army?
1576
What was the Pacification of the Ghent?
This called for the expulsion of all foreign troops and the restoration of the provinces’ autonomy.
What did Elizabeth do in response to the French threat of invasion of the Netherlands?
She considered marriage to the French Duke of Anjou to retain English influence there, and promised £100,000 and military support to the Dutch rebels should France invade. She warned Philip that she would help the rebels if the Spanish did not abide by the Pacification of the Ghent.
What were the two separate entities in the Netherlands called, and which made peace with Spain?
The Union of Utrecht was northern and Protestant, and the Union of the Arras was southern and Catholic. The Spanish made peace with the Union of Arras, creating a base for the Duke of Parma to reconquest the northern provinces.
What was Spanish power further strengthened by, and how did Elizabeth respond?
Spanish power was further strengthened in 1580 by the annexation of Portugal. Elizabeth supported the Portuguese pretender, Don Antonio and knighted Francis Drake on circumnavigating the globe.
How did Parma’s reconquest of the North gain momentum?
Only Holland and Zeeland were left in Protestant hands and the rebel leader, William of Orange, was assassinated in 1584.
What was the Treaty of Joinville?
Formed at the end of 1584, this was an agreement between Philip II and the Catholic League in France. With the Guise family as his allies, Philip II no longer had a political motive to prevent him from supporting Mary, Queen of Scots.
How did Elizabeth counteract the Treaty of Joinville?
She made an alliance with the Dutch Protestant rebels in the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585 and sent 5,000 troops and 1,000 cavalry to the Netherlands under the command of the Earl of Leicester, accepting the title ‘Protector of the Netherlands’.
Why did the Treaty of Nonsuch fail?
Troops were poorly and irregularly paid, and were so ill-disciplined that they alienated the Dutch. Two officers, William Stanley and Rowland Yorke, deserted the Dutch and joined Parma. Elizabeth was accused of attempting to ally with Parma, as two towns captured by the English were given to him. Leicester returned to England and resigned his command in January 1588. This led to Philip believing he could exploit divisions between the English and the Dutch.
Why was the Spanish Armada delayed, and when did it set sail?
It was delayed due to a successful English attack on the Spanish ships in the harbour at Cadiz in April 1587. It set sail from La Coruña on 22 July 1588. It was sighted off the coat of Cornwall on 29 July and was engaged in battle in the English Channel from 29 July to 6 August.
Why was the Armada forced to return to Spain?
Due to unfavourable winds, going via the hazardous route of sailing north towards Scotland and south to the west of Ireland.
What was wrong with the capture of Cadiz in 1595?
There was no strategic follow-up: Hawkins and Drake favoured an attack on Panama, the weakest point in the Spanish Empire, but this failed and they died at sea.
Who was made commander of the English forces in the Netherlands in 1589?
Sir Francis Vere- he forged a positive relationship with the Dutch leader, Maurice of Nassau. This allowed territories lost to Parma to be recovered.
By when were the Spanish expelled from all lands in the northern Netherlands?
- The northern Netherlands became an independent state and the southern Netherlands, remaining under Spanish sovereignty, achieved a degree of autonomy. No major foreign power was entrenched in the Netherlands.
How much was the Armada campaign?
£161,000
How much did war in the Netherlands between 1585-98 cost?
£2,000,000
