Henry VII - Foreign Policy

Question 1

spanish

Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489)

Answer 1

• Alliance with Spain including agreement on trade, mutual defence, and marriage between Arthur Tudor and Catherine of Aragon.
• Successful: Gave Henry international recognition, strengthened his legitimacy, and aligned England with a major European power.

Question 2

france

Treaty of Redon (1489)

Answer 2

• England agreed to send troops to Brittany to resist French annexation.
• Unsuccessful: France still took Brittany in 1491 (marriage of Charles VIII to Anne of Brittany), weakening England’s position and showing limited influence.

Question 3

france

Treaty of Étaples (1492)

Answer 3

• Peace treaty following Henry’s invasion of France.
• Successful: Gave England prestige, a steady income from France, and removed French support for Perkin Warbeck.

Question 4

france

Invasion of France (1492)

Answer 4

• Henry launched a brief invasion of France with 12,000 men to pressure Charles VIII after being marooned.
• Successful: Led to the Treaty of Étaples, where France paid £5,000/year pension and agreed not to support pretenders like Perkin Warbeck.

Question 5

Support for Perkin Warbeck (1495–1497)

Answer 5

• Scotland supported pretender Perkin Warbeck’s invasion of England and welcomed him with hospitality and land.
• Began as a failure but grew into success: Initially threatened Henry’s rule, but Warbeck’s failure pushed both sides toward negotiation and peace.

Question 6

scotland

Truce of Ayton (1497)

Answer 6

• A peace treaty following Scottish support for Perkin Warbeck.
• Successful: Ended hostilities, marked the first peace treaty with Scotland since 1328, and created lasting stability on the northern border.

Question 7

spanish

Marriage of Arthur and Catherine (1501)

Answer 7

• Sealed the alliance between England and Spain through royal marriage.
• Short-term success with long-term failure: Symbol of strong Anglo-Spanish ties, but Arthur’s death in 1502 disrupted plans and created succession and dowry complications.

Question 8

spanish

Marriage negotiations for Henry VII and Joanna of Castile

Answer 8

• Henry attempted to secure a new alliance by marrying the newly widowed Joanna (“Joanna the Mad”).
• Failure: Showed Henry’s desperation to maintain Spanish ties after Isabella’s death but led to no alliance.

Question 9

scotland

Marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV (1503)

Answer 9

• What: Dynastic marriage between Henry’s daughter and James IV as promised in the Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502).
• Successful: Strengthened long-term peace and eventually led to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.