Henry VII: Foreign policy
Overview:
● Foreign policy often reflected domestic needs
● Generally sought positive defensive relations
● England was a middle ranking power and not as strong as france, spain, HRE of the Hapsburg Dynasty
● Aims:
1) Secure his Tudor dynasty/ maintain control of crown
2) Boost reputation abroad.
3) Promote prosperity in England.
4) Maintaining peace.
● Strategies:
1) Strategic marriages and alliances.
2) Avoiding war.
- War was expensive and dangerous
- Peace was far cheaper + allowed Henry to focus on consolidating power in England
3) Prioritising economic stability.
Who is in Europe?
● France- Charles VIII of the Valois family. Strongest power in Europe.
● Spain- Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castle (married 1469), held kingdom 1479-1504 (Isabella dies).
Ferdinand continues to exercise authority.
- Newly unified force
- (Before 1479, Spain wasn't a unified country — it was a collection of separate kingdoms like Castile,
Aragon, Navarre, and Granada)
● HRE- Emperor elected by 3 archbishops and 4 princes. No government. Frederick III →Maximilian ( (1493)
● Duchy of Burgundy-
● French-Hapsburg rivalry- long conflict between hapsburg dynasty (Spain and HRE) and France, mainly over
control in Europe.
● Hapsburg-Valois conflicts- A series of wars from the early 1500s to the 1550s between the Habsburgs (ruling
Spain and the Holy Roman Empire) and the Valois kings of France.
France:
Largest and most powerful army. Financially strong.
● 1485- signed a one year truce with France. Buys him time to consolidate his reign.
● No intention of restarting the 100 years war
● Fiefdom of French Crown in Brittany (duchy that maintained a degree of independence from the French Crown)
● 1487- French invaded Brittany. Alarmed Henry who summoned parliament in 1489 to grant him extraordinary
revenue to raise an army against the French. (2 reasons. Felt obligated to the Bretons, feared that direct French
control of Brittany could threaten England).
● Duke Francis II ruled Brittany, his only child was Duchess Anne, who couldn’t inherit the throne. France was
eager to use the death of Francis in 1488 to claim Brittany and strip it of its independence.
● February 1489- Treaty of Redon with Brittany and England- Anne would pay for small English army to defend
Brittany. Agreed to send 6000 troops, in the end only sent 3000.
● Henry tried to strengthen alliance with Maximillian (HR emperor), who had marriage-by-proxy with Anne.
Maximilian sends 1500 troops to Brittany. (treaty of dordrecht 1489)
- Failed to successfully help Brittany and expeditions to Brittany cost £24,000
● Anne, anxious, surrenders to France and reluctantly married Charles VIII 1491
● Maximillian loses interest and English army was stranded in Brittany- Henry in difficult position
● French backed Perkin Warbeck, which made the situation worse
● March 1489- Treaty of Medina Del Campo. Henry agrees with Spain to begin joint war against French. Marriage
between Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon.
● 1492- Henry launched an invasion of France late into the campaigning season, so the French quickly sought a
quick peace treaty- Henry knew that Charles wanted to invade Italy.
● Henry showed flexibility as he adapted to benefit from change in French priority
● November 1492- Treaty of Etaples- Charles agreed to withdraw support of Perkin Warbeck and to give a pension
to Henry to compensate for having recruited and army to invade France. £159,000
● Henry had successfully defended national and dynastic interests whilst improving financial position.
● 1495 – Henry joined the anti-French Holy League alongside the HRE
Overview:
● Foreign policy often reflected domestic needs
● Generally sought positive defensive relations
● England was a middle ranking power and not as strong as france, spain, HRE of the Hapsburg Dynasty
● Aims:
1) Secure his Tudor dynasty/ maintain control of crown
2) Boost reputation abroad.
3) Promote prosperity in England.
4) Maintaining peace.
● Strategies:
1) Strategic marriages and alliances.
2) Avoiding war.
- War was expensive and dangerous
- Peace was far cheaper + allowed Henry to focus on consolidating power in England
3) Prioritising economic stability.
Who is in Europe?
● France- Charles VIII of the Valois family. Strongest power in Europe.
● Spain- Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castle (married 1469), held kingdom 1479-1504 (Isabella dies).
Ferdinand continues to exercise authority.
- Newly unified force
- (Before 1479, Spain wasn't a unified country — it was a collection of separate kingdoms like Castile,
Aragon, Navarre, and Granada)
● HRE- Emperor elected by 3 archbishops and 4 princes. No government. Frederick III →Maximilian ( (1493)
● Duchy of Burgundy-
● French-Hapsburg rivalry- long conflict between hapsburg dynasty (Spain and HRE) and France, mainly over
control in Europe.
● Hapsburg-Valois conflicts- A series of wars from the early 1500s to the 1550s between the Habsburgs (ruling
Spain and the Holy Roman Empire) and the Valois kings of France.
France:
Largest and most powerful army. Financially strong.
● 1485- signed a one year truce with France. Buys him time to consolidate his reign.
● No intention of restarting the 100 years war
● Fiefdom of French Crown in Brittany (duchy that maintained a degree of independence from the French Crown)
● 1487- French invaded Brittany. Alarmed Henry who summoned parliament in 1489 to grant him extraordinary
revenue to raise an army against the French. (2 reasons. Felt obligated to the Bretons, feared that direct French
control of Brittany could threaten England).
● Duke Francis II ruled Brittany, his only child was Duchess Anne, who couldn’t inherit the throne. France was
eager to use the death of Francis in 1488 to claim Brittany and strip it of its independence.
● February 1489- Treaty of Redon with Brittany and England- Anne would pay for small English army to defend
Brittany. Agreed to send 6000 troops, in the end only sent 3000.
● Henry tried to strengthen alliance with Maximillian (HR emperor), who had marriage-by-proxy with Anne.
Maximilian sends 1500 troops to Brittany. (treaty of dordrecht 1489)
- Failed to successfully help Brittany and expeditions to Brittany cost £24,000
● Anne, anxious, surrenders to France and reluctantly married Charles VIII 1491
● Maximillian loses interest and English army was stranded in Brittany- Henry in difficult position
● French backed Perkin Warbeck, which made the situation worse
● March 1489- Treaty of Medina Del Campo. Henry agrees with Spain to begin joint war against French. Marriage
between Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon.
● 1492- Henry launched an invasion of France late into the campaigning season, so the French quickly sought a
quick peace treaty- Henry knew that Charles wanted to invade Italy.
● Henry showed flexibility as he adapted to benefit from change in French priority
● November 1492- Treaty of Etaples- Charles agreed to withdraw support of Perkin Warbeck and to give a pension
to Henry to compensate for having recruited and army to invade France. £159,000
● Henry had successfully defended national and dynastic interests whilst improving financial position.
● 1495 – Henry joined the anti-French Holy League alongside the HRE
