H8 Foreign Policy

• 1509-1514


  Aggressive
• 1514-1526


  No clear theme
• 1526-1540


  Defensive
• 1540-1547


  Aggressive
• 7 aims?

  Glory - Honour - Conquest of Fr - Succession - Trade - Money - Imperial ambition
• 1510 


  Treaty of Etaples renewed (H wanted war)
• 1510 Holy League


  Anti Fr alliance with Eng, Sp, HRE, Ven, Pope
• 1512 


  1st invasion of Fr (achieved nothing)
• 1513 2nd invasion of Fr


  H8 led Battle of Spurs (captured 2 towns) propaganda made it seem a bigger deal than it was
• 1513 Battle of Flodden


  Small Eng army beat James IV (killed) = infant king. H8 did little to build on this. NOTHING GAINED! Costly, pension lost, 1 town sold back
• 1514-15


  Mary and Louis XII marriage —> dies = new king Francis I H8 personal and political rival
• 1517 Treaty of Cambrai 


  Peace between HRE and Fr —> Eng dangerously isolated
• 1517 Scot


  Heir presumptive Duke of Albany = Fr agent (H and W alarmed). Threat minimized by division between Scot nobles. Failed to exploit Scot AGAIN!
• 1518 Treaty of London


  Non aggression pact (Eng, Fr, Sp, HRE). Terms = Eng return 2nd town, Fr pension, Albany out of Eng… didn’t work in long run but W benefitted
• 1519


  Ch V becomes HRE (Fr concerned = good terms with Eng)
• 1520 Field of Cloth of Gold


  H8 and FrI 2 week long lavish event (H lost wrestling match) —> achieved nothing diplomatically and cost £15,000
• 1521


  Conflict between FrI and ChV —> H8 sides with Ch to improve relations with Pope, gain territory in Fr and marriage alliance for Mary
• 1522


  War with Fr —> gained little and costly
• 1525 Battle of Pavia 


  (Ch and Fr) —> H suggests joint Eng and Sp invasion in Fr —> Ch says no —> ego bruised —> no marriage contract —> W doesn’t recover
• 1525


  Peace with Fr (end of Eng-Sp/HRE alliance)
• 1527


  Sack of Rome —> great matter harder to achieve
• 1527 Treaty of Amiens


  H and W forced to make alliance against HRE with Fr. W put pressure on ChV with trade embargo (Burg) BUT ChV retaliated —> unemployment and social problems in Eng
• 1529


  ChV defeats Fr —> power exemplified
• 1529 Peace of Cambrai 


  Between ChV and FrI
• 1529 


  W fall —> failure to resolve the great matter
• 1532 Fr alliance 


  To improve H8 position… Fr also weak. Wasn’t useful (marriage) and little pressure on HRE
• 1532 


  Break with Rome —> alliance with Ger (Schmalkaldic League) to reinforce isolated position
• 1536-39 Pressure on H reduced


  C of A died and AB executed and HRE was fighting with Fr again = less threat for Eng
• Relief was short lived…

  ChV and FrI made peace - Treaty of Nice which agreed to sever connections with Eng. Papal Bull passed = Eng Catholics didn’t have to obey H
• Ireland 1509-1547


  Early reign = few concerns (Eng in control). Kildare dismissed —> major rebellion in 1534 led by his son. Difficult and costly to end. H attempted to gain control and got it in 1541 by setting up a separate kingdom around the Pale (following Eng law). Ireland was a drain on resources and there was no loyalty
• Scot 1542


  Eng invasion = success —> James V killed in Battle of Solway Moss (infant MQS queen). H should’ve invaded Scot but was more interested in Fr
• 1543 Scot


  Treaty of Greenwich = Ed and MQS formally betrothed. Failed to listen to Scot nobilities warnings and capitalise on victory of ‘42
• Fr 1544 


  3rd war with Fr—> alliance with HRE to invade Fr. Huge army (H8 led with serious health concerns). Captured Boulogne (massive achievement). Emperor had enough of conflict so made separate peace with Fr
• Fr 1545 matters worse for H …


  FrI sent troops to Scot for invasion —> Eng defeated at Ancrum Moor BUT Fr didn’t recapture Boulogne and invasion of N Eng didn’t happen
• Fr 1546 peace


  Agreed as both sides ran out of £ (H couldn’t fund the war from extra rev so had to sell crown lands, borrow large sums and debase coinage —> inflation and toxic legacy for Ed)
• Who was part of the Holy League


  Eng, Sp, HRE, Ven, Pope