Foreign Policy

• French Pension: The French would pay H7 costs, 5K a year.
• Treaty of Etaples led to: The French would pay the debts from previous treaties (picquingy).
• The French would not recognise pretenders.
• Henry achieved important concessions at the Treaty of Etaples in 1492
• Scotland was the only country with which England shared a border and where cross border lawlessness was a common way of life.
• Scotland worked closely with France as a part of the ‘Auld Alliance’, explicitly anti English.
• The alliance meant that England could be attacked from two sides at the same time.
• Raids across the border were common and this forced England to use expensive military protection.
• Scotland acted as a big nuisance to England.
• Ireland under Henry was a position of anomaly, with no separate Irish state and the title of Lord of Ireland granted by the pope to the King of England in the 12th century.
• France was the most powerful European country, seeking to bring duchies like Brittany and Burgundy under control of the French crown.
• France and England shared a longstanding hostility, which included the 100-year war from 1337 to 1453.
• France provided financial aid for H7’s invasion in 1485.
• France had the largest and most professional army in Europe and was financially much stronger.
• France was also allied to Scotland, both making France a big threat to England.
• The marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon, and Isabella of Castile in 1469 helped to bring the two kingdoms together, giving them a façade of unity.
• James III was assassinated by his own nobles in 1488 and James IV took over at age 15.
• Philip of Burgundy died after arriving in Spain in 1506, and his wife Joanna went crazy (mentally), leading to Ferdinand taking over Castile again as a reagent.
• Philip of Burgundy and his wife Joanna went to Spain in midwinter to Castile as she was the rightful heir, but they were shipwrecked in England, leading to the Treaty of Windsor in 1506.
• The regents who ruled on James IV’s behalf were hostile to England especially due to the Brittany fiasco and the invasion of France and the Treaty of Etaples 1492.
• Arthur died in 1502 and Henry immediately offered his other son H8, but this would require Papal dispensation (the Pope’s permission for marriage) which costs a lot of money.
• However, the death of Isabella in 1504 weakened that perceptions and the next few years saw Ferdinand involved in conflict to reassert his control over Castile, which would take a significant effect on H7’s foreign policy.
• By 1500, Henry had managed to achieve a degree of control over Ireland as he had gone back to using Kildare, who had decided to serve Henry loyally, as he realised he could rebuild his family fortunes.
• Henry was keen to keep the Scottish quiet at the beginning of his reign so he could consolidate power, so he signed a treaty with James III in 1486.
• Prince Henry was appointed as Lieutenant of Ireland and Sir Edward Poynings as his deputy.
• Sir Edward Poynings was initially successful in establishing royal authority by the means of threat of force and the use of bribery, but his methods led to financial problems and the recall of Poynings in 1496.
• Henry was keen to have good relations with Spain and achieve some of his foreign policy aims, so he signed the Treaty of Medina del campo in 1489, which gave mutual protection, ensured they would not harbour rebels or pretenders, and organised the marriage of Arthur to Katherine of Aragon.
• Spain was split into two main states: Castile (bigger and more powerful) and Aragon (smaller and less powerful).
• The marriage arrangement led to drama, and the Treaty of Medina del campo also had financial issues, leading to the marriage being postponed until 1501.
• Kildare was initially reluctant to support Simnel and Warbeck, but eventually did so, leading Henry to take actions against the Irish aristocracy and establish the rule of the 'Pale' through English men, backed by armed forces.
• Both sides cooled off the idea of marriage until 1504 when Isabella died, and Ferdinand was forced to go back to Aragon.
• Spain was a new major power in Europe due to the marriage.
• Spain had priorities of driving Muslims out of Granada which they accomplished in 1492.
• The Holy Roman Empire was a loose federation of about 300 states, mostly situated in what has now become Germany.
• The emperor was elected, and Maximilian I, was Elected in 1486 and became emperor in 1493.
• The HRE covered much of central Europe.
• They had claimed salons in Italy, and it was there that the major conflict of this period would occur.
• The power of the Duchy of burgundy had been broken with the death of Duke Charles the Bold in 1477, after which the lands of the Duchy proper had been resumed by the French crown.
• In terms of trade: the area ruled by burgundy was the most important area.
• Margaret, the sister of Edward IV and Richard III, married the Duke of burgundy offering a Yorkist pathway directly to Henry.