foreign policy

what was at the forefront of her ministers thinking as she was a single woman

succession

what was the queens opinion on issues relating to marriage and succession

they lay within the role prerogative and were not areas for discussion in parliament or on the council

what were the pros and cons of an english marriage

might have strengthened here control

but could provoke jealousy and factionalism among nobles

what were the pros and cons of a foreign marriage

could secure an alliance

risked entangling england in unwanted conflicts and giving too much influence to foreign powers

who were suitors for a marriage to elizabeth in the early years of her reign

• robert dudley

• philip ii of spain

• archdukes ferdinand and charles

• prince erik of sweden

why would a marriage to robert dudley create political risks

after the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of leicester’s first wife, amy dudley

she was found dead at the bottom of stairs and it was assumed she was murdered on the orders of leicester

when did the house of commons first raise the issue of marriage and what was elizabeth’s response

january 1559

she deflected the pressure

why was a full scale succession crisis created in october 1562

elizabeth was stricken with small pox and it seemed she may die

who were the two potential candidates for successor meaning there was no consensus on who it may be

disgraced lady catherine grey

mary queen of scots

when did parliament press elizabeth to marry

1566

how did elizabeth react to being pressed to marry by parliament

reacted furiously

banished leicester and the earl of pembroke from the presence chamber and publicly rebuked other members of the council

when was elizabeth declared capable of still bearing a child and who was a possible marriage then suggested to

1579

duke of anjou

why were many councillors horrified at the suggestion of elizabeths marriage to the duke of anjou

it would lead to an infant child under french influence as succession

what was elizabeth known as

the virgin queen

what image did being ‘the virgin queen’ allow elizabeth to cultivate

a powerful image suggesting that she was married to her people and ruled solely for their benefit

what did the execution of mary queen of scots mean in terms of succession and why was this positive

james vi of scotland had the best hereditary claim

he was protestant and already had two sons

who kept in contact with james from around 1600 and ensured his untroubled succession

robert cecil

why was mary queen of scots a significant threat to elizabeth

due to her strong claim to the english throne

her catholic faith

why was mary’s marriage to the earl of darnley a disaster

she was implicated in his murder

what set of a brief civil war in scotland

mary’s third marriage to darnley’s presumed murderer, the earl of brothwell

when did mary flee to england

1567

what did mary queen of scots presence in england symbolise

an alternative monarch who could restore catholicism

when was elizabeth excommunicated by the pope

1570

what did elizabeth’s excommunication do

absolve catholic subjects from the need to obey their sovereign

how did the presence of mary queen of scots in england destabilise elizabeth’s reign

she became a figure for catholic nobles and foreign powers to rally around

existed as a viable catholic successor

gave rise to the constant fear of conspiracy

when was the ridolfi plot

1571

what did the ridolfi plot involve

a conspiracy for mary to marry the duke of norfolk and to overthrow elizabeth

what did the ridolfi plot allow burghley to ensure

the execution of norfolk for treason

which foreign power did the ridolfi plot have support from

spain

when was the throckmorton plot

1583

what did the throckmorton plan involve

• a plan for foreign invasion of england, backed by france and spain

• foreign landing in sussex followed by the overthrow of elizabeth and her replacement by mary

what foiled the throckmorton plot

the efficiency of sir francis walsinghams espionage network

what did the throckmorton plot lead to

the creations of the bond of association

it worsened anglo-scottish relations and tightened the conditions of mary’s captivity

when was the parry plot

1585

what was included in the parry plot

a plot to assassinate the queen led by william parry

he was thought to be influenced by catholic sympathisers

what did the parry plot lead to

the acceleration of parliamentary proceedings on a bill to ensure the queen’s safety

when was the babington plot

1586

what was included in the babington plot

mary was complicit in a plot to assassinate elizabeth

who exposed the babington plot

walsingham’s codebreaker, thomas phelippes

what did the babington plot allow burghley to secure

mary’s execution

what was elizabeth reluctant to do in relation to the babington plot

press for the execution of another anointed monarch

what was eventually decided in regards to mary and the babington plot

mary should face trial at fotheringhay castle in northamptonshire where she moved the day after babingtons execution

how long was the delay during which elizabeth shrank from ordering her cousins execution

4 months

what tactic did burghley use to influence elizabeth in regards to marys execution

parliamentary pressure

when did elizabeth sign the death warrant for mary’s execution

1st february 1587

how was marys execution seen in the eyes of many catholics

she had died a martyr for the catholic faith

when was a trade embargo declared between england and the netherlands

1563

what did philip do in the netherlands between 1566-67

sent an army under the duke of alva to the netherlands with 10,000 troops to restore spanish control after a huge revolt by calvinists who wanted independence

why did relations with spain deteriorate at the end of the 1560s

• the trading activity of sir john hawkins

• the situation in the netherlands

• the english found opportunities to harass the spanish

what happened to john hawkins fleet in september 1568

it was blockaded in the mexican port of san juan de ulua and only two ships were able to escape

how did john hawkins infuriate spanish interests

he attempted to break the spanish trading monopoly in the carribean

how did the situation in the netherlands deteriorate relations with spain in the 1560s

• philip ii wanted a tighter form of political organisation in the netherlands under more direct spanish control

• elizabeth came under pressure from protestant councillors to aid the dutch protestants who feared danger

example of england harrassing the spanish in nov 1568

• a storm forced several spanish vessels carrying 400,000 florins intended to pay the army of the duke of alba to seek shelter in english ports

• elizabeth impounded the money leading alba to seize english ships and property in the netherlands

• an embargo was then placed on all trade with the netherlands and spain

when was the excommunication of elizabeth

1570

why had spanish relations been soured further by the early 1570s

• the breakdown of anglo-spanish and anglo-dutch trade

• philips encouragement of the northern rebellion

• the ridolfi plot

• the excommunication of elizabeth

when was the treaty of blois

1572

what was the treaty of blois

formal anglo-french defensive alliance

both countries agreed to help the other if attacked by a third party

how did elizabeth continue the deterioration of anglo-spanish relations in 1572

expelled the sea beggars from english ports

what did the expulsion of the dutch sea beggars result in

they were forced to land in the durch port of brielle

their occupation of the port sparked a full scale revolt against the rule of spain

philip accused elizabeth of encouraging the dutch rebels

what had happened in the netherlands by 1576

all provinces had risen up against what they saw as atrocities by the spanish army

they produced the ‘pacification of ghent’ which called for the expulsion of all foreign troops and the restoration of the provinces autonomy

why did elizabeth contemplate a marriage to the duke of anjou

to retain english influence in the netherlands

what emerged from the divisions in the netherlands

two separate entities

• union of utrecht - largely northern and protestant

• union of arras - largely southern and catholic

what created the basis for the governor general to begin his conquest of the northern provinces

the spanish made peace with the union of arras

who was governor general of spain and the netherlands

the duke of parma

what made matters worse in 1580

spanish power was strengthened by the annexation of portugal

examples of elizabeth adopting a more overtly anti-spanish in 1580

• supporting the portugese pretender - the duke of antonio

• knighting francis drake on circumnavigating the globe

• treating the spanish ambassador contemptuously

how did the situation in the netherlands deteriorate from an english perspective after 1580

parma’s reconquest of the north fained momentum leaving only the provinces of holland and zeeland in protestant hands

when was william orange assassinated

1584

when was the treaty of joinville

1584

who came to an agreement in the treaty of joinville

philip ii and the catholic league of france

why did the treaty of joinville alarm elizabeth

the guise family led the catholic league and so philip had no political motive to prevent him from supporting mary queen of scots

when was the treaty of nonsuch

1585

how many troops were sent to the netherland under the command of the earl of leicester

7000

what were the limitations of leicester’s troops in the netherlands

• the troops were badly paid and were so ill disciplined that they alienated the dutch

• the dutch felt betrayed when two officers william stanley and rowland yorke deserted and joined parma

• the english commanders quarrelled among themselves

• leicester quarrelled with the dutch

when did leicester resign his command

january 1588

what did philip convince himself before the spanish armada

that he was doing gods work

he was engaged in a catholic crusade

why was the sailing of armada delayed

as a result of successful english attack by drake on spanish ships in the harbour of cadiz in april 1587

when did the armada sail and where from

la coruna on the 22nd july 1588

what was the objective of the spanish armada

to reach the port of gravelines in the spanish netherlands where it was intended that the spanish army would board the ships so that an invasion of england might be launched

when was the armada sighted off the coast of cornwall

29th july

when was the spanish armada engaged in an indecisive battle in the english channel

30th july → 6th august

why was the spanish armada forced to retreat

the protestant wind

what route did the spanish armada take when retreated

sailed north towards scotland and then back south west of ireland

when was peace with spain not concluded until

the deaths of both elizabeth and philip

where were the later stages of the war fought

• the sea of western england

• in the caribbean

• on land in france, ireland and the netherlands

when did england enjoy success with small scale naval attacks in the caribbean and on mainland spain

1585 and 1587

how many attacks did england make on mainland spain and its colonies from 1595

three

example of a short lived victory for england after 1595

the capture and occupation of cadiz

the sinking of four galleons

what was the result of hawkins and drakes attack on panama

it failed

both hawkins and drake died at sea

when did philip order a fleet to invade england and what happened

1596

it was defeated by storms

what was done to prevent a spanish attack on ireland

a fleet under the earl of essex’s command was dispatched to attack the spanish fleet in harbour in north west spain in 1597

what happened to essex’s fleet

it was driven back to plymouth by adverse winds

eventually used to sail to the azores suggesting that the need for booty had superseded wider strategic considerations

what happened after fear of invasion in 1599

naval activity was directed almost entirely by the need to prevent spanish landings in ireland

who was made commander of the english forces in 1598

sir frances vere

who did sir frances vere forge a positive relationship with

the dutch leader, maurice of nassau

what ensured that territories lost to the duke of parma were recovered

problems faced by the spanish troops

positive relationship between sir francis vere and maurice of nassau

by when had the spanish been expelled from all the lands of the northern netherlands

1594