James' Foreign Policy

Question 1

What is James’ ‘Royal Prerogative’?

Answer 1

The King has power to act without reference to others. Yet he should be transparent if he’s to get subsidies from Parliament.

Question 2

Who are the main rivals to England?

Answer 2

Spain and Portugal (Catholic).
Conflict has religion interlinked.

Question 3

What is ‘Rex Pacificus’?

Answer 3

James wanted to be the King of Peace.

Question 4

How long had war with Spain been going on by the beginning of James’ reign?

Answer 4

15 years.

Question 5

How was peace negotiated with Spain?

Answer 5

Treaty of London, 1604.
Gave the English merchants the right to trade in Spain and Spanish Netherlands.

Question 6

What shows that James didn’t want to get involved in Foreign affairs?

Answer 6

1603, turned down offer of a leadership of a Protestant alliance.

Question 7

What was England’s only role on the Spanish Continent?

Answer 7

Involvement in United Provinces (seven northern provinces of Netherlands that wanted independence from Spain).

Question 8

Who did James’ daughter, Elizabeth marry and when?

Answer 8

1613, Frederick Elector Palatinate, families connected to leading Protestant figures.

Question 9

Who did James want to marry his son to?

Answer 9

Spanish Infanta Maria.

Question 10

What was the backing in 1613 that James needed for the Spanish match?

Answer 10

• Phillip III of Spain was scared that England might take up leadership of a Protestant coalition. The ambassador, Count Gondomar was sent to London to win James away from Dutch and German Protestants, offered concessions over marriage terms with Infanta Maria.
• Howard family, prolific and wealthy Catholic family encouraged this match.
• Spain was the strongest European power, had the authority to help English Catholics.

Question 11

Why was the Privy Council unhappy in 1620?

Answer 11

Questioned James’ right to be solely responsible for foreign policy

Question 12

What did the failure of the Addled Parliament in 1614 mean?

Answer 12

No money was being made towards the King, so he wanted the Spanish dowry (£600,000).

Question 13

Who was sent to Madrid to pursue the negotiations following the failure of the Addled Parliament?

Answer 13

Sir John Digby, but there wasn’t a rush as Charles was 14 and Infanta was 10.

Question 14

Did Phillip III actually support the Spanish match?

Answer 14

He didn’t, extended the talks for as long as possible, all in his best interest.

Question 15

Why did the Thirty Years War start?

Answer 15

Hasburg Archduke Ferdinand was elected the King of Bohemia, 1618. But had an anti-Protestant attitude and many nobles revoked allegiance to him.
1619, the Crown was offered to Frederick of Palatinate, meaning that Protestants would be majority in electoral college (upsetting the Habsburgs, would lose influence).
Frederick accepted the throne even though James against it, both him and Elizabeth took up residence in Prague.
Ferdinand moved against them and defeated them at the ‘Battle of the White Mountain’, Nov 1620.
Palatinate now occupied by Spanish and Bavarian troops.

Question 16

What was the impact of the Thirty Years War on England?

Answer 16

Frederick was James’ son-in-law so pressure was on James to act. He wouldn’t help him regain the Bohemian throne but wanted to restore him to the Palatinate.
Sought help from Spanish, wanted Spanish match for their influence, but Spain didn’t want to get involved and didn’t want to be involved in ally with Dutch.

Question 17

When was Parliament summoned?

Answer 17

1621

Question 18

What does James want from the 1621 Parliament?

Answer 18

Wants a clear outcome, an anti-habsburg league, not an anti-Catholic league. Wanted to push Spain into concessions, was willing to try win back Palatinate in alliance with Dutch and German Princes.

Question 19

What was Parliaments stance in the 1621 Parliament?

Answer 19

Aggrieved, asked for a vote on taxation, but wasn’t clear what this would be used for.
They wanted an alliance with the Dutch and a naval war against Spain.
James dissolves Parliament.

Question 20

What did the 1621 Parliament mark?

Answer 20

Parliament’s active dislike for James’ foreign policy.

Question 21

What worsened the situation between Parliament and the King?

Answer 21

Trip to Madrid:
Feb 1623, Marquess of Buckingham and Prince Charles toom up names Jack and Tom Smith and travelled to Spain. Arrested for suspicious behaviour in Canterbury, climbed a garden to see Infanta Maria and held as prisoner.

Question 22

Why were people fearful of Charles’ arrest?

Answer 22

Thought he was ‘seduced by popery’. Also upset Parliament.

Question 23

What do the Dutch think of Charles’ arrest?

Answer 23

Unhappy, Protestant country.

Question 24

When did Charles return home from Spain?

Answer 24

October 1623, still Protestant. Charles and Buckingham wanted revenge, so wanted moves towards war.

Question 25

To avoid war was to…

Answer 25

help the Catholics.

Question 26

Why did Cranfield oppose war?

Answer 26

It would damage the Crown’s finances too heavily. Impeached.

Question 27

How much money did Parliament vote on for the war?

Answer 27

£300,000

Question 28

What did Buckingham’s wish for an anti-Habsburg alliance require?

Answer 28

Cooperation from France, therefore a French wife.

Question 29

What did Buckingham want on top of the marriage treaty?

Answer 29

An Anglo-French expedition to restore the Palatinate.

Question 30

What mistake did Buckingham make with the French marriage alliance, 1624?

Answer 30

Was willing to make religious concessions to French, expecting military assistance.
Louis XIII’s new chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu had no intention of making war with Habsburgs, so Buckingham made concessions but gained nothing, making the Crown appear committed to Catholicism.

Question 31

What concessions were made for Henrietta Maria and when?

Answer 31

November, 1624.
- Could have chapel in London, where she could practice her religion freely.
- Catholics granted toleration.
- Her children would be educated as Catholics until age of 13.

Question 32

When was the Mansfeld’s expedition?

Answer 32

1625

Question 33

Did Louis XIII send any troops to the Mansfeld expedition?

Answer 33

No.

Question 34

Who led the Mansfeld expedition and how did it go?

Answer 34

Experienced German mercenary- Count Mansfeld.
Complete disaster, troops were poorly equipped and the Dutch countryside they landed in was already stripped. Many soldiers died of disease and others fled.
Achieved nothing, £60,000 subsidy wasted.

Question 35

What allies did Buckingham want?

Answer 35

Protestant allies.