Section C: Wolsey’s foreign policy

Henry’s foreign policy before Wolsey

1. The key powers in Europe at the time were the Holy Roman Empire and France.

2. The Holy Roman Empire included a wide range of territories, including the Austrian Empire. In 1519 the Holy Roman

Empire was taken over by the Spanish King Charles V, who was Catherine of Aragon’s nephew, and part of the

powerful Habsburg Family. This made Spain and the Holy Roman Empire part of a now very-powerful Habsburg

Empire.

3. France was ruled by Francis I, who was from the powerful Valoisfamily. In the 1400s England had conquered much

of northern France, but by the 1450s France had re-conquered these lands and was much more powerful than

England.

4. Francis I and Charles V were now fighting each other, in the Valois-Habsburg wars.

5. Although he was very powerful at home, Henry VIII was a relatively minor player in Europe.

6. England had a population of 2.75 million and a royal income of £110,000 a year, as compared to France’s population

of 15 million and royal income of £350,000 a year, and the Holy Roman Empire’s population of 23 million and

income of £560,000 a year.

7. The only part of France that was still controlled by England was Calais.

8. Henry had attempted to invade France in 1512; this had been a humiliation, and failed because of his army’s

drunkenness and disease.

9. He had attempted again in 1513, when he been victorious at the Battle of the Spurs; however, the towns he had

captured were only minor, and the campaign had left him desperately short of money.

Aims of Wolsey’s foreign policy

1. Wolsey’s aims were not always the exact same as Henry’s – Henry preferred war and Wolsey was worried about

the expense – but they both agreed that England’s ultimate aim was to be seen as the equal to France and the

Habsburg Empire.

2. He wanted to provide opportunities to play France and the Habsburg Empire off against each other.

3. He wanted to create a better relationship with France and the Habsburg Empire. This would ensure that these two

powers would not join together to make an alliance against England.

4. He wanted to provide opportunities for Henry to gain military glory in battle. Although Wolsey was concerned

about the expense of war, he knew fulfilling Henry’s ambitions in this area was key to his own career.

5. However, if he could also develop a reputation for Henry as a European peacemaker, this would gain Henry the

international prestige he wanted without having to pay for long wars.

The Treaty of London (1518)

1. Wolsey called a large meeting in London, inviting all the rulers of Europe the send ambassadors.

2. The result was treaty of ‘universal peace’, which aimed to end European warfare by making powers agree to a nonaggressive foreign policy.

3. 20 leaders of Europe signed up to the Treaty, including the Pope.

4. As part of the bigger peace treaty, there was also an agreement between France and England, which arranged the

marriage of Henry’s baby daughter, Mary, to the son of Francis I. This was a success for Henry and Wolsey as it gave

Henry the prestige of being seen as a European peacemaker and allowed England to be seen as a significant power.

5. However, in the long term in failed: because the Spanish King Charles V had inherited the Habsburg Empire in 1519,

France now felt threatened as it was surrounded on all sides by Habsburg territory. The war between France and

the Habsburgs re-started in 1521.

The Field of the Cloth of Gold (1520)

1. Wolsey and Henry organised a series of conferences with Francis and Charles to prevent war.

2. They also wanted to see what each side would offer in return for English support if a war did break out.

3. The most spectacular of these meeting stook place between Henry and Francis in the ‘Field of the Cloth of Gold’,

just outside Calais, in June 1520.

4. Both men wanted to show off, so there was a week of feasting and jousting, organised by Wolsey. The highpoint

was an unplanned wrestling match between the two Kings (Henry lost!)

5. Symbolically, it seemed a success – it put Henry at the centre of events alongside other major European monarchs.

6. However, no decisions were made that would bring peace to Europe, and Francis I declared war on Charles V in

April 1521.

7. The expedition was also monumentally expensive.

Increasing difficulties in the 1521-5

1. After Charles and Francis went to war in 1521, Wolsey attempted to put together a peace deal, but failed. His grand

hopes for a ‘universal peace’ were now over.

2. Henry decided to declare war on France in 1522.

3. In 1523 a joint attack on Paris was agreed between England and the Habsburg Empire. The English forces set out

in August under the Duke of Suffolk. However, the promised troops from Charles never turned up, and Suffolk was

forced to retreat.

4. This looked like a failure; however, it became clear that Charles V had used Henry’s troops to distract the French

while he attacked Francis at the Battle of Pavia. Charles won this battle and took Francis I prisoner.

5. Henry and Wolsey asked Charles for a joint invasion of France, and to then divide France up between England and

the Habsburgs, and make Henry king of France.

6. However, Charles did not want to expand Henry’s power, and so he refused Henry’s request, refused Henry any

share of the spoils from the victory at Pavia, and released Francis.

7. It was obvious Charles did not view England as an equal of valued ally.

8. Having been let down so obviously by their Habsburg ally, Wolsey opened negotiations with France, signing a peace

treaty in 1525. This was the Treaty of More. Under this Treaty, Henry agreed to give up his claims to France in

return for an annual payment.

9. The financial cost was huge: it cost Henry £430,000. This led to tax increases and forced loans which hurt Henry’s

popularity.

Developments 1525-29

1. England and France were now at peace.

2. In 1526 Wolsey helped to organise (but did not join) the League of Cognac. This created an alliance of France, the

pope, Venice and Florence, with aim of stopped Charles V conquering any more of the Italian peninsular.

3. In 1527 Wolsey strengthened relations with France further by signing the Treaty of Westminster, which threatened

Charles with military intervention if he did not improve his relations with his neighbours.

4. England was now firmly committed to fighting Charles and his Habsburg Empire. From 1527 this would significantly

complicate Henry’s attempts to gain a divorce, especially when the pope became a prisoner of Charles V.

5. Later in 1527, Habsburg troops ransacked Rome, and the Pope, Clement VII, became a prisoner of Charles V. This

would cause complications for Wolsey’s attempts to gain an annulment for Henry.

6. In 1528 France and England declared war on Charles, and Francis I invaded the Italian peninsular. However, no

English troops were sent to fight. This discredited the idea that England was a serious international player.

7. Wolsey introduced a trade embargo of the Netherlands (this meant England refused to trade with them), as they

were part of the Habsburg territory. However, this was called off because of protests from English cloth workers.

8. Most importantly, in June 1529, Charles defeated the French at the Battle of Landriano in northern Italy, and in

August Francis made peace with Charles in the Treaty of Cambrai. Wolsey was only informed of the negotiations

at the last minute.

9. Charles V’s control over Europe, and - most importantly for Wolsey - the Pope, was now complete.