James and Charles: Foreign Policy 1604-25

POLICIES

1604 TREATY OF LONDON:

• Abandoned Protestant Dutch, made peace with Spain.
• Allowed English and Spanish to trade.
• Upset many Puritans.

• Still had good relations with Protestant Europe.
• 1612, Treaty of Mutual assisstance, a Protest union.
• 1612, Got his daughter married to Protestant, Fredrick Elector of Palatine.
• Wanted Catholic Spanish match for Charles.

WHY HE WANTED A SPANISH MATCH, INFANTA MARIA FOR CHALRLES:

• Money, prestige and peace.
• Restore the Palatinate via Habsburg family.
• Marriage and Foreign policy were his Royal Prerogative, Parliament had no say

BUCKINGHAM, GEORGE VILLIERS:

• War with the Howard and Carr factions.
• James and Charles favourate.
• Parliament attacked his supporters via impeaching for monopolies.
• Used the King to get what he wanted.

WALTER RALEIGH:

• A sailor for England, a pirate in Spain and raided ships.
• Planned to kidnap James for Catholics.
• James needed him in 1614 for cash and sent him to south America.
• He told him not to upset Spanish coloni es but he failed.
• Came back and was imprisoned.

COURT FACTIONS

• Howards, Pro-Catholic.
• Abbott, Anti-Catholic.

HOW IT STARTED:

• Protestants in Bohemia rejected Catholic monarch Archduke Ferdinand for Fredrick Elector of Palatine. 
• War triggered by defenstration of Prague, Catholic nobles thrown out of a window. 
• Fredrick driven out of Bohemia in Palatinate by Catholics.
• James had to back up his son in law but took a diplomatic approach.
• James tried to avoid it.
• Parliament couldn't interefere as Foreign policy was James royal prerogative.

1621 PARLIAMENT:

• James wanted small war against Austrian Habsburgs,
• French alliance would allow this.
• Parliament wanted full scale anti Catholic war supported by Dutch.
• War would be led by Buckingham and be expensive.

CHARLES AND BUCKINGHAM TRAVEL TO MADRID:

• One last chance for peace.
• Tried to win Spanish princess.
• They were caught and Spain arrested them.
• James tore up all agreements with Spain.
• 1624 considers war.

WAR

• Charles incharge as James is really ill.
• French alliance made via Marriage for Charles with Catholic, Henrietta Maria.
• Need France to get to Spain to start Mansfield expedition.
• French authorites refused to let Mansfield march from France to Spain. 
• Charles at war with Spain, Parliament wanted.
• King was unfit to lead navy.
• Failure of Cadiz and La Rochelle.
• War with France too as they borrowed English ships to attack Protestants. 

MONARCH AND PARLIAMENT THREATENED:

• John Elliot spoke to allow Parliament interfere on Foreign policy, a royal prerogative.
• King couldn't arrest him, would abuse Parliamentary privilidge.
• Parliament couldn't fund war.
• 1627 used a Forced loan.
• Wanted to attack French fortress.
• Buckingham led attack on Eal Der Re, failed, 15ft Ladder too short.