Henry VIII foreign policy plan essay

Q- To what extent did English foreign policy fail between 1509-29?

Paragraph 1 -

most successful - period of 1509-14

YES

  • Catherine of Aragon marriage consolidated Spanish alliance after years of tension

  • 1510 truce with France - effective in simmering tensions but not for Henry’s aims

  • Second campaign in the First French War success - Tournai and Therouanne 1513

  • cavalry won battle of spurs - captured powerful people - Henry gained reputation

  • although Henry resigned temporarily from french invasion - he gained agreement from France which gave him annual pensions , Henry kept Tournai and therouanne and Mary (sis) married the french king Louis XII

  • Battle of Flodden - an attempt to invade whilst Henry was distracted with his french war proved England to be an efficient force - 10000 scots died including James IV - Margret as regent - less threat

  • Wolsey emerged as a great asset to Henry

BUT

  • Ferdinand could still break agreements and be easily bribed by the french

  • Henry joined anti-french league - first campaign into France a failure as Ferdinand had no intention to invade France and used English troops as a front - he withdrew and made peace with France - English troops diseased on return

  • Tournai and Therouanne economically invaluable and benefited HRE more than Henry

  • after all this desire for French war - he made peace with France so that he wasn’t isolated amongst Maximilian , Ferdinand and Louis XII

  • flodden shows that Scottish relations were always going to be tense and never satisfied

Paragraph 2 - 1514-20

temporary success but ultimately didn’t gain any advances in foreign relations

YES

  • Treaty of London - 1518 - display of diplomatic power - Henry central to the peace agreement between 20 euro powers

  • Field of Cloth of Gold 1520 - Francis and Charles both wanted alliance with England before war broke out - increased prestige with meet at Calais

BUT

  • Maximilian’s death meant that Charles V of Spain and burgundy was to become the HRE 1519, shifted balance for power in Europe - had to strengthen England’s power - France particularly isolated amongst Charles’ territory

  • Treasury empty - funding for war nearly impossible - Wolsey had to raise tax to please the war hungry king

  • no diplomatic advances - cost a year’s income and in 2 years another french war broke out - Henry and Charles met without Francis

Paragraph 3 - 1520-29

YES

  • Battle of Pavia 1525 - Richard de la pole killed- Charles captures Francis

  • Treaty of More 1525 - agreements with Francis - Henry gave up claim to throne and got pension - wanted Charles’s decrease in domination of Europe

  • League of Cognac 1516- anti imperial alliance n N Italy - England as ‘protector’

  • Treaty of Westminster 1527 - strengthened alliance

BUT

  • Pavia - Henry saw claim to french throne but couldn’t afford - Charles annulled proposal of marriage between him and Mary (Henry’s daughter)- shows he didn’t value English support

  • Amicable Grant 1525 - unable to raise taxes for french invasion - rebellion of 10000 men in east Anglia

  • Sack of Rome - Charles captures the Pope - divorce from Catherine impossible - protests in cloth industry as trade suspended with Netherlands

  • League of Cambrai - pope and Francis made peace with Charles - England asked to join last minute - shows position as limited - diplomatically isolated with pope support gone