FOREIGN POLICY
Fact File One:
Monarch: Henry VII
Event: Brittany Crisis
Dates: 1488 - 1492
People involved: Henry VII, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Beaujeu, Ferdinand, Maximilian,
Charles VIII of France and St Aubin du Corbier
Crucial points:
• After Francis II died, Anne of Beaujeu took wardship of Anne of Brittany, wanting to ab-
sorb Brittany
• French troops sent into Brittany - Maximilian and Ferdinand tried to stop it
• 28th July 1488 - French defeated Breton army and allied forces with St Aubin de Cor-
bier
• February 1489 - Treaty of Redon - Henry agreed to send 6,000 troops to defend Breton
independence - Maximilian, Ferdinand and Alain d’Albert
- Treaty of Dordrecht with Maximilian - Henry agreed to send 3,000 troops to help relieve
a garrison under French and Flemish seize
• March 1489 - Treaty of Medina del Campo - Henry and Spain agreed to go to war
against Charles VIII - defend their lands and promised not to make agreements with
France without consulting each other
- Treaty allowed for equal trading rights and was in favour of English merchants
- Alliance was strengthened by the arrangement for the marriage of Prince Arthur and
Catherine of Aragon
• July 1489 - Maximilian made peace with Charles VIII
• January 1491 - Maximilian married Anne of Brittany by proxy
• December 1491 - Anne of Brittany was forced to marry Charles VIII
• 1492 - Treaty of Etaples - Henry to leave France in return for 745,000 crowns (£5000
per annum)
Effect on England:
• Wanted to prevent the coast of the Channel from being dominated by France but didn’t
want to upset them either because he was newly appointed to the throne
• Parliament was summoned to make a grant of £100,000 to finance a small force
• England had no intention to go further than Brittany and re-open longstanding English
claims to French lands - Henry proclaimed this but it did not satisfy the French
- Very important in Henry’s dealings with Perkin Warbeck
Fact File Two:
Monarch: Henry VII
Event: Castilian Crisis
Dates: 1504-08
People involved: Henry VII, Queen Isabella, Ferdinand, Philip, Joanna and Louis XII
Crucial points:
• 1504 - Queen Isabella died and no guarantee that Spain would stay united and Ferdi-
nand wanted to ensure he became Regent of Castile on behalf of Joanna
Fact File One:
Monarch: Henry VII
Event: Brittany Crisis
Dates: 1488 - 1492
People involved: Henry VII, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Beaujeu, Ferdinand, Maximilian,
Charles VIII of France and St Aubin du Corbier
Crucial points:
• After Francis II died, Anne of Beaujeu took wardship of Anne of Brittany, wanting to ab-
sorb Brittany
• French troops sent into Brittany - Maximilian and Ferdinand tried to stop it
• 28th July 1488 - French defeated Breton army and allied forces with St Aubin de Cor-
bier
• February 1489 - Treaty of Redon - Henry agreed to send 6,000 troops to defend Breton
independence - Maximilian, Ferdinand and Alain d’Albert
- Treaty of Dordrecht with Maximilian - Henry agreed to send 3,000 troops to help relieve
a garrison under French and Flemish seize
• March 1489 - Treaty of Medina del Campo - Henry and Spain agreed to go to war
against Charles VIII - defend their lands and promised not to make agreements with
France without consulting each other
- Treaty allowed for equal trading rights and was in favour of English merchants
- Alliance was strengthened by the arrangement for the marriage of Prince Arthur and
Catherine of Aragon
• July 1489 - Maximilian made peace with Charles VIII
• January 1491 - Maximilian married Anne of Brittany by proxy
• December 1491 - Anne of Brittany was forced to marry Charles VIII
• 1492 - Treaty of Etaples - Henry to leave France in return for 745,000 crowns (£5000
per annum)
Effect on England:
• Wanted to prevent the coast of the Channel from being dominated by France but didn’t
want to upset them either because he was newly appointed to the throne
• Parliament was summoned to make a grant of £100,000 to finance a small force
• England had no intention to go further than Brittany and re-open longstanding English
claims to French lands - Henry proclaimed this but it did not satisfy the French
- Very important in Henry’s dealings with Perkin Warbeck
Fact File Two:
Monarch: Henry VII
Event: Castilian Crisis
Dates: 1504-08
People involved: Henry VII, Queen Isabella, Ferdinand, Philip, Joanna and Louis XII
Crucial points:
• 1504 - Queen Isabella died and no guarantee that Spain would stay united and Ferdi-
nand wanted to ensure he became Regent of Castile on behalf of Joanna
