cromwell's fall

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  • Main Reasons for Cromwell's Fall
    • Heresy charges against Cromwell (factionalism)
      • Catholic faction claimed he was plotting to introduce fully Protestant Church of England
        • Found letters Cromwell had written to Protestant Germans - fabricated - but as he was closely associated with reformist beliefs,  enough to convince H to pass an act of attainder
      • Stephen Gardiner (Duke of Norfolk) and Thomas Howard most responsible for Cromwell's fall
        • niece Catherine Howard ready to seduce Henry
      • Speed and power of Catholic factions seen through the fact that H had 3 months prior made Cromwell an earl
    • Foreign Situation
      • F + S signed truce 1528 - left England isolated - fears of Catholic crusade after Henry's excommunication 1538
        • To solve this, Cromwell arranged marriage between King and Anne (sister of Duke of Cleves in Germany
          • She arrived in England 1539 - H said she looked horrendous and demanded for the marriage to be cancelled
      • Fiasco weakened relationship with Henry - had already started being unhappy with Cromwell's religious changes
        • But, H had made Cromwell Earl of Essex 1540 - 3 months before execution - still had King's favour despite all this?
          • Catholic faction more important?
    • Henry VIII
      • Had been publicly embarrassed by Cromwell and had become infatuated with young Catherine Howard (19 vs 49)
        • Married Catherine same day Cromwell was executed
    • Class hatred (enemies at Court)
      • Nobles hated those of not noble blood, although many had benefitted from dissolution of monasteries (land distributed)
        • Even more agonising when Cromwell was giving them orders and watching them (JPs) - wasn't properly part of the Church (unlike Wolsey)
          • Did less than Wolsey to antagonise nobility into disliking him - but jealousy of his growing status immanent
      • Protestant reformers saw Cromwell as an ally
      • Maintaining powerful allies was key to Cromwell's position
    • Religious Changes
      • Reformist changes that Cromwell implemented caused hatred from catholic faction
      • Leanings towards Protestantism - strongly agreed with Luther's policies
        • Charged with heresy due to this - seen as the architect of reformation (not King) and changes to Catholicism
    • Cromwell himself
      • Scheming, unscrupulous tyrant who would use force to achieve
        • e.g secret informers to spy on potential enemies - JPS' activites
        • Or was he just invaluable to Henry when drafting and shushing legislation through parliament 1531-5
  • Even more agonising when Cromwell was giving them orders and watching them (JPs) - wasn't properly part of the Church (unlike Wolsey)
    • Did less than Wolsey to antagonise nobility into disliking him - but jealousy of his growing status immanent

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