Foreign Policy
How successful was Henry VIII’s early foreign policy?
Background
- Henry VII left his son a fairly peaceful foreign policy
- There was a very secure alliance with Spain, although it had suffered somewhat in the
last few years of Henry VII’s reign. The marriage of Henry and Catherine of Aragon had
helped secure this.
- Trading relations with Burgundy were positive
- The truce of Ayton ensured that Scotland was not a problem for a considerable period of
time, especially as it had negotiated the marriage between Henry’s daughter Margaret
and James IV
- Relations with France were fairly peaceful. Henry was continuing to receive payments of
his French pension following the Treaty of Etaples in 1492
- However, Henry VIII viewed himself as a successor to Henry V (the English king who
had secured significant victory in France in the Battle of Agincourt). He wanted to be a
warrior king and would pursue an aggressive foreign policy.
Key Dates
Year English Foreign Policy Events in Europe Aim of English Foreign
Policy
1509 -Henry Crowned -League of Cambrai Anti-France
-Marriage to Catherine
1511 -Anglo-Spanish deal to -Holy League against
attack France France
1512 Start of First French War
1513 -Capture of Thérouanne
-Battle of the Spurs
-Defeat of Scots at
Flodden (death of James
IV of Scotland)
-Capture of Tournai
1514 -Anglo-French peace End of First French War
treaty
-Marriage of Louis XII of
France and Princess Mary,
sister of Henry VIII
1515 -Death of Louis XII
-Francis I crowned and
, victorious at Marignano
1516 -Death of Ferdinand of
Aragon
-Franco-Spanish Treaty of
Noyon
1517 -Charles I crowned in
Spain
-1517 Treaty of Cambrai
establishing peace
between Holy Roman
Empire and France; Duke
of Albany, heir
presumptive of Scotland,
sent by Francis to
Scotland to stir up trouble
between Scotland and
England
1518 -Treaty of London
1519 -Death of Maximillian
-Charles elected Holy
Roman Emperor
1520 -Henry meets Charles V in
England
-Field of Cloth of Gold
-Henry meets Charles at
Calais
1521 -Wolsey meets Francis at -War between Charles I
Calais and Charles at and Francis I
Bruges -Ottomans capture
-Anglo-Imperial alliance Belgrade
(Treaty of Bruges between
England and Emperor
Charles V)
1522 Start of Second French
War
1525 -Anglo-French Treaty of -Charles V victorious at End of Second French
the More Pavia War
-Charles refuses to
partition France
1526 -League of Cognac
, against Charles
-Ottomans victorious at
Mohacs
1527 -Anglo-French Treaties of -Charles V’s troops sack Anglo-French entente
Westminster (April) and Rome began to develop and
Amiens (August) foreign policy geared to
-Henry seeks marriage gaining a divorce
annulment
1528 -Henry declares war on -French successfully
Charles over the invaded Italy down to
Netherlands (war never Naples
took place)
1529 -Oct: Fall of Wolsey -June:Defeat of French by
Charles V at Landriano
(June)
-Papal-imperial treaty of
Barcelona
-Peace of Cambrai
(August)
-Ottomans at the gates of
Vienna
1532 -Francis and Henry (and
Anne Boleyn) met at
Calais
-Defensive alliance with
French
1533 -Marriage to Anne Boleyn
1534 -Act of Supremacy -Ottomans captured Tunis Break with Rome
completed
1535 -Negotiations with -Charles V recaptured Search for German
Schmalkaldic League Tunis protestant alliance
1536 -Execution of Anne Boleyn
1537 -Birth of Edward
1538 -Truce of Nice between Fear of Invasion
Charles and Francis
1539 -Invasion Scare
-Act of Six Articles
-Cleves marriage
negotiations
How successful was Henry VIII’s early foreign policy?
Background
- Henry VII left his son a fairly peaceful foreign policy
- There was a very secure alliance with Spain, although it had suffered somewhat in the
last few years of Henry VII’s reign. The marriage of Henry and Catherine of Aragon had
helped secure this.
- Trading relations with Burgundy were positive
- The truce of Ayton ensured that Scotland was not a problem for a considerable period of
time, especially as it had negotiated the marriage between Henry’s daughter Margaret
and James IV
- Relations with France were fairly peaceful. Henry was continuing to receive payments of
his French pension following the Treaty of Etaples in 1492
- However, Henry VIII viewed himself as a successor to Henry V (the English king who
had secured significant victory in France in the Battle of Agincourt). He wanted to be a
warrior king and would pursue an aggressive foreign policy.
Key Dates
Year English Foreign Policy Events in Europe Aim of English Foreign
Policy
1509 -Henry Crowned -League of Cambrai Anti-France
-Marriage to Catherine
1511 -Anglo-Spanish deal to -Holy League against
attack France France
1512 Start of First French War
1513 -Capture of Thérouanne
-Battle of the Spurs
-Defeat of Scots at
Flodden (death of James
IV of Scotland)
-Capture of Tournai
1514 -Anglo-French peace End of First French War
treaty
-Marriage of Louis XII of
France and Princess Mary,
sister of Henry VIII
1515 -Death of Louis XII
-Francis I crowned and
, victorious at Marignano
1516 -Death of Ferdinand of
Aragon
-Franco-Spanish Treaty of
Noyon
1517 -Charles I crowned in
Spain
-1517 Treaty of Cambrai
establishing peace
between Holy Roman
Empire and France; Duke
of Albany, heir
presumptive of Scotland,
sent by Francis to
Scotland to stir up trouble
between Scotland and
England
1518 -Treaty of London
1519 -Death of Maximillian
-Charles elected Holy
Roman Emperor
1520 -Henry meets Charles V in
England
-Field of Cloth of Gold
-Henry meets Charles at
Calais
1521 -Wolsey meets Francis at -War between Charles I
Calais and Charles at and Francis I
Bruges -Ottomans capture
-Anglo-Imperial alliance Belgrade
(Treaty of Bruges between
England and Emperor
Charles V)
1522 Start of Second French
War
1525 -Anglo-French Treaty of -Charles V victorious at End of Second French
the More Pavia War
-Charles refuses to
partition France
1526 -League of Cognac
, against Charles
-Ottomans victorious at
Mohacs
1527 -Anglo-French Treaties of -Charles V’s troops sack Anglo-French entente
Westminster (April) and Rome began to develop and
Amiens (August) foreign policy geared to
-Henry seeks marriage gaining a divorce
annulment
1528 -Henry declares war on -French successfully
Charles over the invaded Italy down to
Netherlands (war never Naples
took place)
1529 -Oct: Fall of Wolsey -June:Defeat of French by
Charles V at Landriano
(June)
-Papal-imperial treaty of
Barcelona
-Peace of Cambrai
(August)
-Ottomans at the gates of
Vienna
1532 -Francis and Henry (and
Anne Boleyn) met at
Calais
-Defensive alliance with
French
1533 -Marriage to Anne Boleyn
1534 -Act of Supremacy -Ottomans captured Tunis Break with Rome
completed
1535 -Negotiations with -Charles V recaptured Search for German
Schmalkaldic League Tunis protestant alliance
1536 -Execution of Anne Boleyn
1537 -Birth of Edward
1538 -Truce of Nice between Fear of Invasion
Charles and Francis
1539 -Invasion Scare
-Act of Six Articles
-Cleves marriage
negotiations
