The significance of support for the challenges from Burgundy, France, Scotland and Ireland

Question 1

Why was Ireland a potential problem for any English ruler?

Answer 1

Its seperation from the mainland meant that it was geographically and politically remote so English rulers couldn’t claim it as it was too far to be controlled from London

Question 2

What made Ireland good for invasions?

Answer 2

It had a strategic position that made it a good launching pad

Question 3

Where was English influence found in Ireland?

Answer 3

In Pale, Dublin as it was controlled by the Lord Deputy who was a representive of the English government

Question 4

What did English kings have to do in areas beyond Pale in Dublin?

Answer 4

They had to find ways to neutralise the threat by forming working relationships with those who in reality ruled the country - the Irish nobility and gentry

Question 5

Who were the Irish nobility and gentry?

Answer 5

The were descendents of English nobility who had married into Irish families

Question 6

What were the Irish nobility like?

Answer 6

Rulers such as the Fitzgerald Earls of Kildare were very powerful and ruled their territories almost independently from England

Question 7

What had Anglo Irish rulers taken the opportunity to do in the Wars of the Roses?

Answer 7

To increase their hold on the government of Ireland at the expense of familes like the Fitzgeralds of Desmond and the Butlers of Oremond

Question 8

What happened to the Fitzgeralds of Kildare when Henry VII seized control of England in 1485?

Answer 8

The Fitzgeralds of Kildare were vulnerable as Yorkist supporters and was under pressure to support Simnel to boost his political survival

Question 9

Why did supporting Simnel boost Gerald Fitzgerald of Kildare’s political survival?

Answer 9

If Simnel were to be successful, Kildare would be able to keep his hold over Ireland intact

Question 10

Why was it dangerous for Henry that Simnel had Kildare’s support?

Answer 10

Kildare was able to provide Simnel with troops and a base from which to launch invasion and Kildare was directly out of Henry’s reach making logistics difficult

Question 11

Why did the significance of Ireland not decline in the 1490s after the Simnel rebellion had been suppressed?

Answer 11

Because Henry did not have the military strength to interfere directly in Irish affairs

Question 12

Why could Kildare’s support for Simnel be said to be not that threatening?

Answer 12

Because Kildare hadn’t taken part in the invasion himself meaning Henry was forced to act cautiously regarding Ireland

Question 13

How did Henry respond to Kildare’s participation in the Simnel rising?

Answer 13

He pardonned him and wanted Kildare to take out bonds to ensure his future good behaviour but Kildare refused, instead he had to accept an oath of loyalty from him

Question 14

What part of Ireland did PW launch his rebellion?

Answer 14

In Cork, Ireland 1491 and tried to return to Ireland again in 1495 and 1497

Question 15

How did Kildare feel towards PW’s campaign?

Answer 15

He was reluctant to get involved directly and watched from the sidelines neither helping or stopping him

Question 16

What was PW’s problem without Kildare’s support?

Answer 16

He was unable to raise much Irish military support and was forced to leave Ireland rapidly on each occasion without an invasion force

Question 17

How did Henry respond to PW’s presence in Ireland?

Answer 17

He knew Kildare couldn’t be trusted and sent a small force to deal with PW in 1492 and removed Kildare from his post as deputy

Question 18

Why did removing Kildare as deputy not work for Henry?

Answer 18

Kildare was far to powerful and the replacements could not control Ireland as Kildare had done leaving Henry worried for another Irish invasion

Question 19

Who did Henry send to Ireland to enhance the English authority there?

Answer 19

Sir Edward Poynings, he had to repel another attack by Warbeck in 1495 as PW had attacked Waterford in Ireland with the support of Irish noble the Earl of Desmond

Question 20

What else did Poynings do in Ireland?

Answer 20

He ordered the arrest of Kildare on suscipicion of treason and Kildare was imprisoned in England untl 1496

Question 21

What law did Poynings introduce after Kildare had been imprisoned and what did it do?

Answer 21

Poynings Law 1495 - no Irish parliament could be summoned unless the English king had given consent or pass laws that hadn’t been approved by an English ruler

Question 22

What did Poynings control over Ireland eventually enable?

Answer 22

He was able to persuade the Irish parliament to pass an act which enabled Ireland to be under direct control of the English monarchy

Question 23

What happened after Ireland became under English control?

Answer 23

Kildare was allowed to return to Ireland to be deputy and he remained loyal until the end of Henry’s reign, Ireland was no longer a threat

Question 24

Why was Burgandy a potential threat for English monarchs?

Answer 24

Because of the presence of Margaret of Burgandy who was the sister if Edward IV and Richard III and she used her position to try and restore a Yorkist monarch

Question 25

Why did Margaret’s hold over Burgandy put Henry in a difficult position?

Answer 25

He could not easily stop Margaret protecting rival claimants and was reluctant to use the expensive and risky tactic of miliary intervention, close links with Maximillian Holy Roman Emporer

Question 26

What did Henry use against Burgandy?

Answer 26

He would stop trading wool at the port of Antwerp which was damaging for Burgandy as they had a mutual reliance on the port

Question 27

How was Margaret threatening during rebellions?

Answer 27

She offered protection and active support to John de la Pole, Francis Lovell and Perkin Warbeck, she even provided mercenaries for PW and recognised him as king

Question 28

What did Margaret’s persistant Yorkist support lead Henry to do and what was the outcome of this?

Answer 28

He enforced a trade embargo despite the damage it would cause to England’s financial and trading interests but Phillip retaliated with his own embargo in 1494

Question 29

Why did tensions with Burgandy ease in 1496?

Answer 29

War broke out in Italy in 1494, Chares VIII direct threat as successful in Italy, both England and Burgandy didn’t want France to be too powerful

Question 30

How did England and Burgandy try to improve their relationship after fears that France would become too powerful in 1496?

Answer 30

Treaty - Intercursus Magnus - lifted trade embargo and Margaret agreed to stop supporting PW and joined anti French alliance - League of Venice

Question 31

What was England’s traditional relationship with France like?

Answer 31

France was a traditional enemy, France in Auld Alliance with Scotland

Question 32

How did Henry deal with the threat from France?

Answer 32

1492 launched invasion of France, wanted to inconvenience Charles VIII enough to rethink support of PW - Charles agreed to negotiate due to war with Italy

Question 33

What was the result of the Anglo French negotiations?

Answer 33

Treaty of Etaples (1492) which meant Charles couldn’t harbour his enemies, paid an annual pension

Question 34

Why did Anglo French relations deteriorate in the first place?

Answer 34

Due to the fate of the independent duchy of Brittany. If France was successful = easier to invade England. France launched invasion, Henry only sent 3000 troops to defend it, French won.

Question 35

What were traditional relationships with Scotland like?

Answer 35

Traditional enemies. Protection of Northern boarder posed threat. Richard had been popular in North but Henry wasn’t

Question 36

Why did relations with Scotland deteriorate?

Answer 36

1486 - Henry VII negotiated 3 yr truce with James III while they were in civil war. When James IV ended civil war, wanted greater European power. Prepared to arrange a marriage between PW and Lady Catherine Gordon

Question 37

Why was the threat of James IV significant?

Answer 37

Henry trying to build marriage alliance with Spain - Spain unlikely to go ahead if thought Tudors were at risk. Cornish rebellion due to demands of taxation made Henry vulnerable - lack of force

Question 38

How did Henry resolve tensions with Scotland?

Answer 38

Offered marriage alliance with Margaret. James’s unsuccessful invasion of England in 1496 led to him to agree to Truce of Ayton - 7 yr truce in 1497 and marriage alliance in 1503