DEALINGS WITH SPAIN & EUROPE 1485 - 1509

MEDINA DEL CAMPO - SPAIN

WHAT HAPPENED

• H proposed marriage between Arthur and CoA (once they reached a marriageable age)

• Ferdinand agreed to H’s demands about size of CoA’s dowry and PROMISED NOT TO HELP ANY ENGLISH REBELS (threats to throne lessened)

WHAT IT DID

• ✔Arguably Henry’s most significant achievement in foreign policy:

  • ✔mutual protection in the event of an attack.

  • ✔Gave Henry international peace and security - Tudor Dynasty recognised by leading European royal family. Secures international recognition of H’s legitimacy.

• ✔Encouraged export of goods from Spain to England

• ✔Increased income from customs revenue on Spanish goods from 33k (1495) to 40k (1509)

• ✖Spain didn’t allow England trading rights in the New World, e.g. America, Asia

THE HOLY LEAGUE

• Marked beginning of H’s most successful period (1496-1502) in diplomacy.

• Other European leaders feared France becoming too powerful.

  • 1495 - League of Venice formed w/ Pope, Ferdinand, Max, Venice and Milan - aimed to drive Charles out of Italy. By 1496 Ferdinand realised it was dangerous to exclude England.

• H joined league only on condition that England was not bound to go to war against France.

  • H was also able to make commercial treaty w/ France while maintaining good relations with allies in the league

THE MARRIAGE OF CoA AND PRINCE ARTHUR - 1501

• 100,000 crown dowry

• Alliance was now of even greater significance that when it had originally been mooted.

• Marriage of Juana to Phillip of Burgundy united the states - possibility of another ally for Henry if needed.

RELATIONS WITH BURGUNDY

WHAT HAPPENED

• ✔England’s most important trading partner (particularly ANTWERP - cloth)

• 1493: Trade embargo after MoB supported Warbeck - English merchants redirected to Calais.

• ✔1496: Magnus Intercursus ended embargo - allowed English merchants to trade freely in Burgundy (except Flanders) without paying taxes

• ✔1506: Malus Intercursus is negotiated when PoB takes shelter in England after a storm:

  • free trade for English merchants (but not vice versa)

  • Return of Earl of Suffolk

  • Proposed marriage between Henry and Phillip’s sister Margaret.

• ✖1507: due to unpopularity in Burgundy - Malus Intercursus ABANDONED, Magnus Intercursus restored.

WHAT IT DID

• ✔showed H’s willingness to sacrifice trade for political security (undermining Warbeck’s support)

• ✔ Magnus Intercursus marked trade success - benefitted English merchants and ended diplomatic tensions

• ✔Malus Intercursus would have heavily favoured England:

  • tax free access to Burgundy’s markets

  • Strengthened political o troll (e.g. Suffolk returned)

• ✖HOWEVER, Malus highlighted overreach - too imbalanced. Signalled limits to Henry’s leverage/power

• ✖The reversal back to Magnus = while H could secure short-term gains, he had to compromise for long-term stability in foreign relations.

AREAS OF DIFFICULTY 1503-4

• ✖Prince Arthur dies only 5 months after marriage and leaves CoA a widow

• ✔NEW marriage organised to H8.

  • negotiations were slow but papal dispensation granted in 1504

• ✖Eliz. of York dies 1503 - no more heirs unless remarried.

• ✖Earl of Suffolk flees

• ✖1504 - H considered options for wife - first option was widow Joanna of Naples (Ferdinand’s niece) but didn’t happen due to untimely death of Isabella of Castile

DEATH OF QUEEN ISABELLA

• ✖Henry and Ferdinand now matrimonial rivals

• ✖Juana of Castile was heir to kingdom, so unity of Spain could only be preserved if she allowed her father to act as a regent on her behalf but Phillip was enticed by potential of becoming King and forced her to take inheritance to Castile immediately.

  • this meant that Henry’s most major ally could be reduced from King of all of Spain to just King of Aragon.

• ✖Spain and Burgundy (H allies) now rivals - Henry struggled to ensure he kept support of both.

PHILLIP OF BURGUNDY’S DEATH - THE END OF THE ENGLISH-BURGUNDIAN ALLIANCE

• Juana held captive by father who claimed that she had gone mad after her husbands death

  • allowed him to retain complete control of a united Spain. As such, H had allied himself to the ‘losing’ side of the Spanish struggle.

• Fearing France would seize on the weakness of Netherlands to take lands - H sought to repair damaged relationship with Ferdinand as well as strengthening HRE relations

• Whilst H had largely restored diplomatic balance by 1508 - King Louis XII, Maximilian and Ferdinand formed the League of Cambrai and EXCLUDED HENRY

  • drop an alliance directed at Muslim Turks but used as an excuse to attack wealthy state of Venice.

  • Stated it wouldn’t impact English interests negatively, but left Henry isolated in effect.