Henry VIIIs early Foreign Policy featuring Wolsey

1
Henry VIIIs early Foreign Policy (featuring
Wolsey)

• 1509 - 1529

2

• Examine the relative importance of Wolsey and
  Henry VIII in shaping the course of English
  foreign policy in the years 1509 1529.

3
Chronology

• Pre Wolsey
• laughing stock of Europe
• 1511 Lord Darcys trip to Cadiz
• 1512 Navaree, failure
• England let down by Spanish. Drunkeness, chaos.

4
Chronology

• 1513 Battle of Spurs, victory? rise of
  Wolsey.Capture of Tournai
• Defeat of Scots at Flodden
• But severely limited, peace treaty signed 1514
  with France, yet always a dynamic state of
  affairs, as evinced by accession of Francis I in
  1515 and Death of Maximillian in 1519 complicates
  relationships more competitive, ambitious
  monarchs. Accession of Charles V makes Hapsburg v
  dominant therefore makes sense for England to
  switch allegiance from French.

5
Achievements?

• 1518 Treaty of London
• 1520 Field of Cloth of Gold
• What was the purpose and the significance of
  these events? Did England really play any role?

6
Switch

• 1521 1525 allegiance with the Hapsburgs. But
  an essentially pointless link, and in 1525
  Charles V defeats Francis at Pavia and Henry VIII
  ad hoc reaction to gain from it Charles V
  ignores.
• 1525 1529 Decided that Charles V too powerful
  therefore back to Francis, but in this period the
  annulment comes to the fore, Charles V controls
  the Papal maneouvres, Catherine is Charles
  cousin therefore no chance!

7
Success?

• Did England have any success at all in this
  period?
• Need to consider context.
• England v. small in what is an increasingly
  bi-polar european politic. Therefore has no real
  presence or control.
• Aims? Dynasty? Balance of Power? Glory? Peace?
  Egotism? Mediation?

8
The Relationship

• In order to assess the success, one must consider
  the aims, but did Wolsey and Henry have differing
  aims?
• Pollard Wolsey obsessed with Papal power
• Elton Wolsey obsessed with himself and
  delusional viz., potentialities of Englands
  power
• Crowson peace maker humanist, Henry more
  aggressive
• Palmer trying to create a balance of power
• Potter cant see a Wolsey / Henry dichotomy
  because they were operating within a powerful
  foreign policy nexus in which a bi-polar mode was
  dominant therefore they were always reacting,
  but prone to being manipulated, very much the
  pawn. Foreign Policy realities much more
  complex.
• Lockyer more traditional, sees Wolsey as a
  greedy man operating in Foreign Policy as he did
  in domestic sphere.
• Gwyn, much more sympathetic Wolsey hamstrung by
  the ambitions of his master.
• Scarisbrick (complex) but critical of Wolsey sees
  a role for him, and one distinct from Henry
  though claims Henry had more influence.

9
Aims?

• Power?
• Balance of Power?
• Glory?
• Mediation?
• Trade growth, economic motivation?
• Papacy?
• Egoism?
• What were these aims, were they planned,
  long-term? Who was in charge?

10
success

• Once you have decided upon the aims and the
  relationship between Henry and Wolsey, and who
  had most influence. How successful were they,
  bearing in mind the complicated and subordinate
  foreign policy climate they were working in.
• And finally read Potter he claims most of our
  evidence on Wolsey and Henry is already biased
  because it is mostly derived from foreign
  ambassadors who desired to pen them often in a
  critical and misleading manner.

11

• Good Luck and Happy Easter!
• Further Reading
• Henry VIII, J. Scarisbrick (more than the
  handout)
• The Cardinal , S. Gunn and Lindley (eds)
• The Tudors, J Guy
• Cardinal Wolsey, P. Gwyn

12
Writing a piece of historical argument

• Look at last years cwk feedback the
  indicative content and the level descriptors
• Remember to
• Read widely and plan ahead
• Use detailed, accurate examples to support your
  explanation
• Argue a case, but show balance show awareness
  of other opinions ie integrate these within
  your own thinking. This is called judgement and
  is awarded at level 5.
• Make your thinking clear, use lucid sentences I
  was told at University that the most difficult
  skill is to explain complex ideas in a simple way
  you should have noticed that the best
  historians are well practised at this. If you do
  this, you give yourself the best chance that the
  examiner will understand your argument.

13

• Good Luck and Happy Easter.