Henry VIII foreign policy

• When was the Treaty of Etaples renewed? Why?

  • 1510
  • Henry’s councilors (inherited from his father) wanted a continuation of peace. Henry VIII had idolised Henry V and did not want peace with the French.
• What happened at the 1st invasion of France in 1512?

  Henry sent a substantial army of 10,000 men to Southwest France under the command of the Marquis of Dorset.
• Was Henry's first invasion of France effective?

  No, it achieved nothing and was used by Ferdinand of Aragon as a diversionary tactic so he could capture Navarre.
• What happened at the 1513 invasion of France?

  Henry, himself, led an army of about 30,000

  men (organised by Wolsey) to invade France in

  June 1513.

  At the ‘Battle of the Spurs’ Henry captured the

  towns of Therouanne and Tournai. In reality, it

  was nothing more than a skirmish.

  The war was costly, caused the loss of the

  French pension and Tournai was eventually

  sold back to the French.
• What happened at the Battle of Flodden in 1513?

  • James IV invaded the north of England.
  • Catherine of Aragon sent the Earl of Surrey to defeat the invasion.
  • It was a massive blow for Scotland as James Iv and 10,000 soldiers were killed.
  • However, Henry did little to exploit this and left his sister, Margaret, as regent for James V.
• How did Henry reach peace with the French in 1514?

  • Wolsey negotiated the marriage of his sister Maryand Louis XII of France despite a huge age gap.
  • The marriage took place in October 1514 and Louis XII died in January 1515.
  • The Duke of Suffolk married Mary in secret meaning Henry could not remarry her for diplomacy.
• Why was Francis's succession in 1515 problematic for Henry?

  Francis I was a young, charismatic king whom Henry saw as a personal and political rival. He attempted to secure an alliance with Spain but was unsuccessful as Ferdinand died in 1516.
• What was the impact of Ferdinand's death in 1516?

  When Ferdinand of Aragon died in 1516, his grandson Charles V, who was already the ruler of the Netherlands became the King of Spain. Charles decided not to go into an alliance with England and, instead, signed the Treaty of Noyon with France.
• What was the Treaty of Cambrai 1517?

  Maximilian agreed the Treaty of Cambrai with the French. This left England dangerously isolated in Europe.

  The alliance gave Francis I the opportunity to install the Duke of Albany (French noble) as regent in Scotland as he was heir presumptive. This inevitably put pressure on Anglo-Scottish relations.
• What was the Treaty of London?

  The Treaty of London (1518) came about due to Pope Leo X’s concerns about the threat posed by the Ottoman Turks. It was a united Christian Front meaning it comprised England, France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire. The treaty ended England’s isolation, became a treaty for ‘perpetual peace’, and propelled Wolsey to become Papal Legate over England. Albany was removed from Scotland and Tournai was returned.