Cromwell

• Government

  SK1 = Reduced Privy Council membership from 70-90 members to more effective 20 allowing them to react quickly in emergencies

  SK2 = Split Wales into shires to bring it in line with England and gave Council of Wales powers needed to bring Wales under control of central government - major leap towards modernisation of gov

  CSK = Wolsey’s Eltham Ordinances had cut Privy council membership down to 6 which improved efficiency - modernisation process had already begun

  CONSENSUS = Wolsey’s chief advisor at the time was Cromwell
• Religion

  SK1 = 1536 Ten Articles and 1537 Bishop’s Book both undermined Catholic sacraments

  SK2 = Greatest achievement was the distribution of an English bible to every parish in the country - Matthew’s Bible then the Great Bible

  CSK = 1539 Act of 6 Articles reasserted Catholic sacraments and made denial of transubstantiation punished by burning
• Finances

  SK1 = Earned Henry £1.3mil by dissolving the monastries

  SK2 = When this money ran out he persuaded parliament to agree to a peacetime taxation of £214,065 - was able to maintain success

  CSK = Sanctioned building of coastal defences around Calais costing £376,477 to defend against Catholic crusade - was a waste as no crusade took place
• How did religion cause his fall?

  SK1 = Cromwell was caught harbouring over 60 protestants

  SK2 = Act of Attainder confiscating his property mentioned his support for Lutheran Robert Barnes

  CSK = Cromwell still had support from the protestant population due to his religious reforms e.g. The Great Bible
• How did Anne of Cleves cause his fall?

  SK1 = Henry dubbed her the ‘Flanders Mare’ and was unable to consummate

  SK2 = Discord between France and Spain made the alliance unnecessary and Henry now wanted to marry Catherine Howard - divorce should’ve been easy as the marriage was unconsummated but Cromwell stalled until he was arrested in June 1540 - Henry married Catherine on the day of Cromwell’s execution

  CSK = Alliances were no longer needed as there was no threat of catholic crusade - Henry’s marriage would have always been his own decision rather than advisors
• How did the Conservative Faction cause Cromwell's fall?

  SK1 = Norfolk took over as chairman of religious settlement committee at 1539 Parliament

  SK2 = Norfolk found him harbouring the protestants and accused him of treason - direct attack from conservative faction who provided Catherine Howard as an alternative to Henry

  CSK = Cromwell was able to assume leadership of the Privy Chamber in 1540 and pack it with his own supporters

  CONSENSUS = Ultimately not enough to counteract the opposition he faced from major members of Privy Council e.g. Norfolk whose niece was engaged to Henry