Foreign Policy

Union between France and the Papacy

• Reopens Habsburg-Valois war, therefore England will be apart of conflict eventually

• France is her enemy

Netherlands worth defending

England still had trade links with Netherlands

Feb 1556

Treaty of Vaucelles establishes a temporary peace between France and Spain

July 1556

Alliance between France and the Papacy reopens the Habsburg-Valois War

January 1557

England sends troops to help defend the Netherlands

March 1557

Philip returns to England to pressure Mary for support in France, refuses, resisted for 3 years

June 1557

England declares war on France

January 1558

Capture of the Calais Pale by the French

Why Mary agreed to join war against France

• France openly accepted Protestant exiles and rumours of Henry II to recapture Calais

• French supported invasion attempt by Protestant exile Thomas Stafford in April 1557

• Philip returned to England to pressure Mary

Why Mary did not want to join

• Had an alliance with the papacy to restore English relations with

• If she declared war on France, would have to also fight Scotland

• Mary wanted to remain at peace

• War is expensive

• Looks like a Spanish pawn

How they helped

• 7,000 troops send to aid Spanish army of 70,000

• Lost Calais Pale within 3 weeks

• In response, raise army of 7,000 and 140 ships to attack Brest, capture Le conquet

• Conflict only came to end as Philip had exhausted his supplies, peace negotiations October 1558 and finished April 1559

• Successfuly defended Scottish borders