Fall of Wolsey (20)

• INTRO/LOA

  Failure to obtain a divorce was undoubtedly the most significant reason for Wolsey’s fall from power, Henry was adamant for this divorce given that he had no legitimate heir, and he would do the utmost to end his marriage. Wolsey failed to get him this divorce despite his confidence, so it is no surprise that he fell out of Henry’s favour. Other factors for his fall from power include his foreign policy misjudgements and The Boleyn Faction however these were catalysts to the overall reason for his fall from power; failure to get a divorce.
• Reason 1 - Failure to obtain divorce

  • first approach to was to state Julius II had been mistaken in granting the dispensation because it ignored the divine law set out in Leviticus.
  • Pope was likely to annul the marriage due to his vulnerability regarding the situation of muslim Turks advancing in the mediterranean.
  • Alongside this, he also paid for treatises to be written arguing that the marriage was invalid.
• Reason 2 - Foreign policy misjudgements

  •  In 1527 the HRE used his army to sack Rome and capture the pope. and pressured him to decline the annulment.
  •  The pope provided a dispensation for bigamy & with England’s insignificant influence in Rome, it was final
  • The situation could have been changed through an alliance with France, but this did not happen because of trade protests.
  • France became Allied with the HRE with the Treaty of Barcelona Henry isolated diplomatically
  •  he was undermined by bad luck and factors outside of his control, he had made decisions which worsened his position
• Factor 3 - The Boleyn Faction

  •  Wolsey always had a hostile relationship with the nobility given that he had risen from the son of a butcher to the cardinal,
  • Boleyn family claimed he was hostile towards them since her broke off Anne betrothal to Northumberland
  • Capitalised on the fact that the trial had been going on for 2 years, claimed he did not want Anne to be queen as her influence would overbear his own
  • This factor was a catalyst given that henry was becoming desperate and frustrated with wolsey, hence the treason accusations
• Conclusion

  failure of divorce was the most important reason for his fall from power bc from Henry's perspective, Wolsey was to blame for things like foreign involvement & miscalculation of the Pope’s stance. Additionally, although they are not the most important reasons, Foreign policy misjudgements and Boleyn Faction were still a contributing factors as foreign policy misjudgements were the catalyst to the divorce failing due to failed alliance. & the Boleyn faction provided Henry with the suspicion that he was hindering the divorce deliberately, which is what got him accused for treason.