hvii - foreign policy

• The Treaty of Redon between Henry VII of England and Anne of Brittany was signed in 1489, where Anne had promised to pay for a small English force to protect Brittany from France. This can be seen as successful in that it redefined Anglo-Breton relations, but it can also be seen as a failure as by the time that the English troops had reached Brittany, Anne had already surrendered and married Charles VIII of France. The English troops were now also marooned in Brittany. Ultimately, this was a failure.
• The Treaty of Medina del Campo in 1489 between Spain and England promised:

  • a marriage between Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon
  • an agreement not to harbour pretenders
  • and support in times of conflict

  Successes include improved national security by agreeing not to harbour pretenders and giving aid in times of conflict, and also in the recognition of the Tudor dynasty. However, there are also failures such as Ferdinand being reluctant due to Warbeck, arguments over Catherine's dowry, and Arthur's death in 1502. Overall, because the terms were mainly unexecuted, it is largely a failure.
• The Treaty of Etaples between France and England was signed in 1492 and promised that France would:

  • no longer harbour pretenders, namely Perkin Warbeck
  • give £5000 yearly to England
  • compensate for the English army

  It can be seen as a success in terms of national security, as France could no longer harbour pretenders, and also in terms of recognition of the Tudor dynasty, as it showed that France recognised Henry's legitimacy.
• Poyning's Law of 1495 meant that Irish Parliament could not pass any laws without the approval of the English Crown and Privy Chamber.
• The Intercursus Magnus, 1496 was a commercial treaty that:

  • ended the trade embargo put on Burgundy
  • forced Margaret of Burgundy to see Henry as the legitimate King of England
  • allowed English merchants to trade freely throughout all of Burgundy, except in Flanders.

  This was successful in terms of the defence of English trading interests, as most of England's trade routes went through Antwerp, and also in terms of recognition of the Tudor dynasty.
• The Truce of Ayton in 1497 was a peaceful truce between Scotland and England. It also promised marriage between James IV of Scotland and Margaret Tudor, Henry's daughter. It was successful in terms of national security, as England were long-term aggressors of Scotland, and also in terms of recognition of the Tudor dynasty.
• 5 years after the Truce of Ayton, in 1502, the Treaty of Perpetual Peace was signed which promised an end to the intermittent war between England and Scotland. This could have been a success in terms of national security, but hostilities between the two continued throughout the 16th Century.
• The Treaty of Windsor in 1506 promised to deepen trade relations between England and Burgundy. Under it, the Intercursus Malus removed all duties from English textile exports. This was a success for England in terms of the defence of English trading interests.
• Henry VII's foreign policy aims:

  
  

  Henry had no plans to assert power in Europe. He was more concerned with maintaining good relations and defence.

  • Recognition of the Tudor dynasty
  • National security
  • Defence of English trading interests
• The Navigation Acts of 1485 and 1489 were passed as an attempt to

  • promote trade
  • break the monopoly of the Hanseatic League
  • support English merchant adventurers