henry viii foreign policy 1530-1547

what were henry viii’s foreign policy aims 1529-1547?

• security against threat of a catholic crusade

• gaining land in france/prestige

• dominance over scotland

• control of ireland

why did henry want security against a catholic crusade?

• principle aim in the 1530s

• break from rome and religious reforms made england vulnerable to backlash

• feared threat of a catholic invasion

why did henry want to gain land in france/prestige?

• driven by aim of regaining lost territory

• wanted to follow in footsteps of william the conqueror and henry v as warrior king

• all english kings since edward iii claime title of ‘king of france’

• popular policy despite increasing resentment towards cost of the war

why did henry viii want dominance over scotland?

• concerns of security of the border

• threat of the ‘auld alliance’ with france

• council sought to weaken scotland and increase english control of the region

why did henry want control of ireland?

• english control of ireland continuously weak

• remained dangerous staging point for rebellions

• wanted to brung population under his command and enforce religious reformation

foreign policy aim in the 1530s

succession and security

• avoid invasion and costly foreign wars

• underpinned by desire for annulment and break from rome

• sough defensive alliance against suspected invasion by charles v and papal forces

foreign policy aim in the 1540s

war with france and scotland

• more aggressive foreign policy followed against france and scotland

• encouraged by short term financial boost from dissolution of the monasteries

who did henry execute for his involvement in plotting a catholic crusade against england? when?

• cardinal reginald pole

• december 1538

how did henry initially attempt to improve relations with france? why?

1532: met with francis i in calais

• wanted to form an alliance against charles v

what would motivate charles v to form catholic crusade against henry?

• deeply catholic → strongly opposed to annulment and break from rome

• wanted revenge for shame broke to the empire and his aunt

• wanted to restore catholicism in england and show support for catherine

what prevented charles v from invading england 1533-36?

• deterrant built by cromwell along south coast with money from dissolution

  • e.g. st mawes fortress

• threat of the ottoman empire → prioritised above england

how did england’s security improve 1536-37?

• death of catherine of aragon and anne boleyn eased threat against england

• war resumed between charles v and francis i

• england not the priority for charles → position to form an alliance with either nation

when did catherine of aragon die?

7th january 1536

when was anne boleyn executed?

19th may 1536

what 2 events worsened england’s position in 1538?

1. treaty of nice

2. papal bull

why did the 1538 treaty of nice weaken the position of england?

• charles v and francis i suspended conflict and agreed to peace terms

• threat of catholic invasion increased dramatically

• removed any notion of an alliance, england left isolated

why did the 1538 papal bull weaken england’s position? consequences?

• excommunicated henry viii officially from the catholic church

• ruled english catholics need not obey henry

• trigger planning for catholic crusade

• envoys sent to france and scotland to gather support against henry

example of an envoy sent by the pope in 1538 to muster support for the catholic crusade

cardinal beaton → sent to scotland

what religious reform did henry instigate in an attempt to lessen the threat of catholic invasion?

1539 act of the six articles

• reverted some doctrine back to traditional catholic practices in attempt to appease pope and charles v

what was the 1540 league of schmalkalden

an organisation of lutheran german princes and free city states

how and why did cromwell form the league of schmalkalden in 1540?

• arranged marriage to anne of cleves july 1540 (after death of jane seymour)

• sought a catholic alliance in case of a catholic invasion

how long did the marriage to anne of cleves last?

• about 4 months

• 6th jan - 9th july 1540

why was cromwell reluctant to annul the marriage to anne of cleves?

• shows his policies unravelling, losing influence and position

• afraid of losing protestant alliance, would become isolated and vulnerable again

• encourages rise of catholic howard faction at court

why was the dissolution of the league of schmalkalden okay?

england no longer required a protestant ally → charles and francis had returned to be enemies, focuses elsewhere so need for protestant alliance is redundant

how did foreign policy contribute to the fall of cromwell?

• marriage to anne of cleves betrayed henry’s trust in cromwell

• gave rivals at court an opportunity to accuse him of plotting against the king’s interests

when was cromwell’s execution? turning point?

28th july 1540

• council no longer sought a protestant alliance

• began to move to a more aggressive and ambitious stance

• henry had male heir (edward from jane seymour in 1537) so less concerned dynastically

what was policy towards ireland in early 1530s?

• continuity with henry vii

• still controlled the pale (area around dublin)

• deputy lord of ireland still the earl of kildare (the fitzgerald family) → dominant gaelic chief

when did policy towards ireland change?

1536

why did policy towards ireland change in 1536?

• earl of kildare opposed henry becoming head of the church of england

• led rebellion against the english

• declared support for the pope and charles v

how did henry manage dissent in ireland in 1536?

• brutal suppression → rebellion was short-lived

• earl of kildare executed

• difficult to rule ireland without the kildare family

what step did henry take in 1540 towards irish foreign policy?

• attempted to strengthen english control

• declared ireland a kingdom under his rule - catalyst

changes due to ireland being declared a kingdom under henry’s rule 1540

• all land in ireland surrendered to the english crown

  • could be returned once leader had sworn pledge if loyalty to henry

• some irish lords invited to sit in parliament in london

• acted as ‘incentives’ to gather support for change

how effective were the changes henry made to irish foreign policy beyond the pale?

• little impact in controlling areas beyond the pale

• did’t have resources to enforce laws → not fully adopted

• irish lacked loyalty to henry

how did henry attempt to make areas beyond the pale more obedient?

• establish english common law throughout ireland

• modernise land ownership

overall effectiveness of henry’s policy to ireland

• relatively unsuccessful

• expensive to maintain military presence

• 1540 initialised important change in relations towards ireland

• catalysed evolutionary transformation in moving away from clan based system to control by a single monarch over a single state

how did henry fund his aggressive foreign policy against france and scotland?

• dissolution of the monasteries

• debasement of the coinage 1544 → led to price rises for normal people

• sale or crown lands and loans

how much did the sale of crown estates and monastery land raise?

£1 million

process before the 1542 english invasion of scotland

• death of henry’s sister margaret

• james v refused break from rome

• james v failed to attend planned meeting in york

• occurred during henry’s royal progress → left waiting for 9 days

• henry sent troops north of the border

what battle with scotland occurred in 1542?

1542 battle of solway moss

outcome of the 1542 battle of solway moss

• death of james v

• 6 day old Mary as queen (would become mary queen of scots)

• english victorious

• failed to capitalise on victory and scottish weakness like 1513 battle of flodden

peace treaty signed with scotland? when? terms?

1543 treaty of greenwich

• edward and mary formally betrothed and peace terms agreed

why did the 1543 treaty of greenwich fail?

• scottish regent (earl of arran) withdrew support

• scottish parliament refused to ratify treaty

what was the aim of the ‘rough wooing’ of the scots?

• raided edinburgh and other scottish towns

• wanted marriage between edward and mary to go ahead

• no strategic purpose (pursuit of aggressive foreign policy) → antagonised scottish further

• created scottish ‘legacy of loathing’

what battle was fought against scotland in 1545? outcome?

• 1545 battle of ancrum moor

• francis i sent troops to support scotland

• english defeated → lost strategic advantage from 1542 victory at the battle of solway moss

how much had war with france cost prior to 1540?

over £2 million

how did henry begin third war with france in 1543 and 44?

1543: agreed alliance with charles v against france

1544: captured boulogne → desperate for glory, victorious and captured boulogne, headed army himself

what occurred in 1544 that jeopardised henry’s success in 3rd war with france?

• charles v agreed peace terms with francis i

• henry now vulnerable and without ally

• francis able to send troops to scotland to support invasion of england

  • force landed on the isle of wight

what was the name of henry’s flagship that was sunk by french forces in 1544?

mary rose

when were peace terms agreed with france? why? outcome?

• 1546

• neither side could afford conflict

• henry retained boulogne and calais

• armies withdrawn from french territory

how much did the war with france cost in the 1540s?