Henry VII Foreign policy

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  • Created by: RebeccaGH
  • Created on: 04-07-18 13:59

 

Relationships with Scotland and other foreign powers

1.1   Securing the succession and marriage alliances

·         Henrys foreign policy aims were to maintain positive relations with foreign powers to ensure national security, the Tudor dynasty and English trade.

 

France

·         Following a French invasion of Brittany which looked as if they would gain complete control of Brittany, Henry summoned a parliament to grant him extraordinary revenue to raise an army against the French in 1489.

·         The invasion was an issue for as he owned a debt of loyalty to the Duke of Brittany, who had sheltered him from 1471-1484, after he was chased out of France, if France became wealthier then a King of England, then hr would not be able to claim the throne of France any longer, it would also threaten trade with Brittany,. If France was to expand to Brittany, it would become significantly easier for them to launch an invasion into England, It would also make it easier for them to take back Calais, England’s last continental possession.

·         England and Brittany agreed to the Treaty of Redon in February 1489, which would pay for a small English army to defend Brittany from France.

·         Henry also tried to strengthen his position with an alliance with HRE, who would marry French Duchess Anne, as he had no desire for Brittany to fall into French hands.

·         The English army went to Brittany but Anne surrendered and married Charles VIII, leaving the army marooned in Brittany. Meanwhile, HRE lost interest and the situation was worsened as Warbeck was seeking French backing for his claim to the English throne.

·         Henry launched a French invasion in 1492 and the French sought a peace settlement.

·         At the signing of the Treaty of Etaples in November 1492, Chares VIII agreed to withdraw support for Warbeck and to pay a pension to Henry to compensate him for the expense of recruiting an army for the invasion.

·         This ultimately improved Anglo-French relations and improved Henry’s financial position.


Burgundy

·         At the bulk of England’s exports went through the ports of the Netherlands (under Burgundy’s jurisdiction} so it was important that relations were maintained. However, the duchess of Burgundy (Margaret) was the sister of Edward VI and Richard III and heavily supported the Yorkists. The HRE was also Margaret’s step son in law. Maximillian passed over jurisdiction of the Netherlands to his son Philip in 1494.

·         Relations between England and Burgundy deteriorated as a result of the hospitality the HRE was showing to Warbeck.

·         Henry gambled that putting a ban on trade with Burgundy would ease

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