Henry VII – Foreign Policy

1. Henry VII – Foreign Policy • Aims: secure throne, international recognition, dynasty’s legitimate succession, promote prosperity, maintain prestige but still keeping costs down. • Defensive cautious policies • Tudor owed debt of gratitude and finance to Brittany and France. • Italian Wars – Henry wanted no part

2. France • Breton Crisis 1487-92 • 1489 Treaty of Redon = anti French alliance • 3000 troops – paid for by Brittany – didn’t assert England’s claim to French throne • 1491 – France took Brittany – Henry asserted claim and besieged Boulogne • 1492 – Treaty of Etaples – annual pension of 50 000 crowns and Charles agreed not to support imposters.

3. Burgundy • Margaret of Burgundy – Yorkist – married to Charles the Bold but Burgundy controlled by Maximillian HRE • 1489 – Treaty of Dordecht = agreed to send troops to Brittany – never sent • 1493 – Philip Duke of Burgundy took control of Burgundy – Henry appealed about support given to Warbeck – Philip ignored • Henry banished Burgundian merchants from England, trade embargo until 1496 – the Great Settlement (Intercursus Magnus) • 1504 – death of Isabella of Castile – led to controversy over who ruled – claimants = Ferdinand and Philip – Henry backed Philip due to trade, marriage negotiations and wanted Edmund de la Pole returned. • Freak storm led to Philip being stranded in England – Treaty of Windsor agreed – developed trade, de la Pole returned, Henry recognised Philip as ruler of Castile, agreed to marry Philip’s sister Margaret of Savoy – collapsed after Philip’s death.

4. Spain • 1489 – Treaty of Medina del Campo – mutual defence and marriage • Spain didn’t help in war against France • Warbeck saga threatened marriage • Arguments over dowry – didn’t marry until 1501 – Arthur died 1502 • Henry proposed new marriage – Ferdinand resisted ,1503 betrothed but needed papal dispensation • Death of Isabella meant that Ferdinand was no longer an immense power – Henry tried to stop marriage. • 1505 – Treaty of Blois agreements between Spain and France through marriage agreement made Spain strong again.

5. Scotland • James IV minor – Regent = Earl of Angus • 1495 – came of age supported Warbeck • Henry built a large army – ready to attack Scotland but coincided with Cornish rebellion • 1497 – Truce of Ayton – marriage between James and Henry’s daughter

6. Ireland • Lenient towards after Simnel affair – Kildare and Anglo Irish nobles had to swear oath of allegance • 1491 - less tolerant when Warbeck appeared dismissed Kildare and sent a small army • 1495 – Sir Edward Poynings became Lord Deputy – bolster royal power and deal with Yorkist threat • 1496 – reverted to ruling by Anglo Irish nobles – Kildare reinstated but Henry kept Kildare’s son at English court.

7. (a) Explain why the cloth trade was so important to Henry VII. (12 marks) • The reasons for the importance of the cloth trade to Henry VII were primarily economic: • • ships taking wool and cloth to Burgundy were carrying the vast majority of England’s • exports • • the trade in wool and cloth was the historic staple underpinning the economy. • Encouraging the cloth trade fitted in with Henry VII’s general approach to trade – his backing for trade treaties with other countries (including Intercursus Magnus in 1496 and Malus Intercursus in 1506); his support for the Merchant Adventurers and the exploration from Bristol; the passing of the Navigation Acts to build up English shipping. • There were also political and diplomatic issues that might be used to explain the importance of the cloth trade: • • Henry VII supported merchants and trade to increase prosperity and royal wealth – thus • increasing internal stability, lessening his dependence on the nobility and reducing the • risk of rebellion • • the cloth trade was also important to Henry VII because of the complications arising from • potential foreign support for pretenders • • Margaret of Burgundy backed both Simnel and Warbeck, putting great pressure on • Anglo-Burgundian relations • • in 1493, Henry placed an embargo on all trade with Burgundy, using the cloth trade as a • diplomatic weapon. • *Note: there is a danger here that answers will use the embargo to explain that the cloth trade was not so vital to Henry VII – that is not what this question is about. Answers should be focused directly on identifying reasons why trade was important.

8. (b) How successful was Henry VII in securing international recognition in the years 1485 to 1509? (24 marks) • Henry VII was a usurper king. One of the main aims of his foreign policy was to secure recognition of his kingship and the dynastic claims of his family to the throne of England. • Candidates will need to provide evidence that Henry VII did secure international recognition for his dynasty: • • he negotiated marriage alliances for Princess Margaret with Scotland (Truce of Ayton) and Prince Arthur with Spain (Treaty of Medina del Campo) • • he included dynastic recognition in all the important treaties signed, e.g. Treaty of Etaples. • This needs to be balanced with understanding that foreign relations were far from stable and therefore this international recognition was never secure: • • the series of deaths 1502–1506 undermined foreign relations: deaths of Arthur 1502, Queen Elizabeth 1503, Isabella 1505 and Philip 1506 • • at the end of the reign Henry VII was dangerously isolated in Europe. In 1508 • Maximilian signed the Treaty of Cambrai with the kings of France and Spain. The Treaty was a military alliance against Venice, part of the continuing Italian wars. It can be argued that the distraction of war against Venice strengthened Henry VII; however, there was danger that the focus of the alliance might move to an anti-Tudor position. • Candidates may comment that relations fluctuated, showing understanding that Henry VII was not able to determine international relations and secure the dynastic recognition.