Henry VIII - Foreign Policy up to 1529

Question 1

What were Henry VIII’s 5 aims with Foreign Policy?

Answer 1

1. Be seen as a warrior king and renaissance prince
2. Gain international recognition
3. Gain the title of ‘King of France’.
4. Conquer land.
5. To make England a first-rate power.

Question 2

What were Wolsey’s 3 aims with foreign policy?

Answer 2

1. Improve relationships with France and the Hapsburg empire
2. To Increase England’s military glory and win land / wars while keeping costs down.
3. To increase Henry’s prestige and power as a major peacemaker.

Question 3

What was England’s position in Europe by 1509?

Answer 3

The League of Cambrai left England diplomatically isolated. England was a second rate power.

Question 4

How did Henry VIII immediately secure himself after his ascension?

Answer 4

He renewed the Treaty of Étaples in 1510.

Question 5

When was the Holy League created ?

Answer 5

1510

Question 6

What was the Holy League?

Answer 6

The Holy League was a catholic alliance, funded by Pope Julius II, to help protect Italy from France. By 1512 the French had been driven out of Milan.

The Holy league was very successful as it showed that Henry could keep up with the big guns of Europe, and the Pope hailed him as a hero.

Question 7

When was the Cadiz Affair?

Answer 7

1511

Question 8

What was the Cadiz Affair?

Answer 8

The Cadiz Affair:
English troops were sent to Ferdinand under Lord Darcy under an Anglo-Spanish agreement to attack Spain. The troops are left sitting around, Henry was used by his father in law.

Question 9

When was the Navarre affair?

Answer 9

1512

Question 10

What was the Navarre Affair, how did Henry gain from it?

Answer 10

The navarre affair was a Spanish conquest of the Iberian parts of Navarre which lasted from 1512 to 1529.
Gains : England was allied with Ferdinand at the time and had no negative impacts from the annexation, even sending troops to assist Ferdinand. This weakened France and strengthened Spain. However, England never really gained anything from it.

Question 11

When was the First Invasion of France?

Answer 11

1513

Question 12

Describe the events of the first invasion of France.

Answer 12

Wolsey organises an invasion of France as part of the Holy League.
They send 10,000 men but achieve little, and it becomes apparent that this was a diversion by Maximillian who successfully conquered Navarre.
This led to the Battle of the Spurs.

Question 13

What was the Battle of the Spurs?

Answer 13

Battle of the Spurs, 1513.
Seen as a great English victory, England captures the French towns of Tournai and Throuanne. Henry is given a French pension to give up his claim to the English throne.

Question 14

When was the Battle of Flodden?

Answer 14

1513

Question 15

Describe the events of the Battle of Flodden.

Answer 15

Catherine of Aragon becomes reagent queen while Henry is in France.
Scotland reinstates the Auld Alliance and believes England to be weak and attempts an invasion.
Catherine of Aragon leads an army against the Scots.
James IV is killed in the battle.

Question 16

When was the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, what did it negotiate?

Answer 16

1514. The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye renegotaited the terms of the French pension to £10,000pa, the marriage of Louis XII to Henry’s sister Mary.

Question 17

Who becomes king of France in 1515?

Answer 17

Francis I

Question 18

Who becomes King of Spain in 1516?

Answer 18

Charles I (V)

Question 19

What treaty was signed in 1517? How did this affect England?

Answer 19

The Treaty of Cambrai.
England’s plans for an Anti-french Alliance in 1517 were ignored by the major European powers. Instead a treaty was signed between France, Spain, the HRE and the Papacy. Excluding England.
This shows the extent of which England was not considered influential enough to be included in foreign affairs.

Question 20

What Treaty did Wolsey negotiate in 1518?

Answer 20

The Treaty of London.
Hijacked the Pope’s crusade to call for the European powers to live under universal peace. England signed with each country individually, bringing fame to Henry.
- Wolsey became Papal Legate.

Question 21

Who becomes Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1519?

Answer 21

Charles V after the death of Maximillian.

Question 22

How long did the Treaty of London last?

Answer 22

It lasted a year, Denmark invaded Sweden in 1519 - Pope allows it.

Question 23

• When was the Field of The Cloth of Gold?
• What were the failures and successes of it?

Answer 23

• 1520
• Improves relations with France and unifies the European states.
• It cost roughly £15,000, nothing is really achieved and Henry loses a wrestling match, bruising his ego.

Question 24

When was the Treaty of Bruges?

Answer 24

1521

Question 25

What did the Treaty of Bruges negotiate?

Answer 25

It was a secret treaty between Spain and England to reduce French power in northern-Italy. It drew up secret invasion plans for 1522/23.
It also negotiated a marriage between Princess Mary and Charles V.

Question 26

What did Henry do in 1522 despite Wolsey’s reservations?

Answer 26

Declare war on France (again).

Question 27

Describe the events of the second French War (1523).

Answer 27

1. England invades France.
2. Military action achieves nothing and cost a fortune (£430,000).
3. Charles abandones Henry and is instead focused on Italy.

Question 28

What did Wolsey do in 1524 behind Henry’s back?

Answer 28

He negotiated peace with France after the failed invasion of 1523.

Question 29

What battle takes place in 1525?

Answer 29

The Battle of Pavia.

Question 30

What happens at the Battle of Pavia?

Answer 30

The French are crushed by Charles V. Francis I is captured and Charles repudiated his marriage to Princess Mary.

Question 31

How did the Amicable Grant affect foreign policy?

Answer 31

Henry is forced to abandon the French war.

Question 32

What is signed in 1526 and why?

Answer 32

The League of Cognac. It was an Anti-Hapsburg treaty concerned with Charles V’s power in Italy. It was put together by the Pope.

Question 33

What were the consequences of the League of Cognac.

Answer 33

Charles retaliated by Sacking Rome in 1527. This made it virtually impossible for Henry to achieve his annulment by diplomatic means.

Question 34

What happened in 1527 concerning Rome?

Answer 34

The Sack of Rome.
Charles V and his mercenary troops sacked the Italian city of Rome, shocking Europe with the brutality. The pope was taken into custody of Charles, jeapordising the annulment.

Question 35

How did Wolsey attempt to pressurise Charles V via treaties?

Answer 35

He signed the Anti-imperial treaty of Amiens with France in 1527. This treaty failed.

Question 36

How did Wolsey attempt to pressurise Charles V via trade?

Answer 36

He imposed a trade embargo on the Burgundian lands, Charles retaliates by keeping English cloth merchants hostage which results in widespread unemployment.

Question 37

What peace treaty is signed in 1529? How does this effect England?

Answer 37

The Peace of Cambrai, 1529.
The peace treaty between Charles V and Francis I. France gives up its ambitions in Italy, France abandons the Treaty of Amiens as it makes peace with Charles.

Question 38

What and when was the Treaty of Westminster?

Answer 38

1527, The Treaty of Westminster.
Wolsey attempts to unite France and England against Charles V, Henry threatens to invade Charles if he does not make peace. Charles ignores this and instead goes through with his plans to invade Italy.

Question 39

What was Henry’s foreign policy like up to 1529?

Answer 39

It was flexible and volatile by nature, however it was ultimately a failure as England was never seen as that influential or a genuine threat by the other European nations. Leaving it to be isolated.