How (un)successful was Henry VIIs foreign policy?

INTRODUCTION: Henry would not have known what foreign policy meant. To him, it was all part of consolidating his throne. However, it is possible to derive four broad aims of Henry's "foreign policy"
Aim 1: Secure the throne by avoiding conflict with powerful European neighbours
1. SUCCESS: Signing one and three yearpeace treaties with France and Scotland respectively in 1485-1486 helped stave off any imminent threat from his neighbours.
2. SUCCESS: The Breton Crisis 1487-92 was both a success and a failure, Henry lost Brittany – a large chunk of English territory in France, but the Treaty of Etaples in 1492 gave him a huge pension (745,000 gold crowns!) and a promise not to shelter pretenders to the throne, meaning he was more secure on the throne.
3. SUCCESS:The Treaty of Medina del Campo in 1489 was a diplomatic masterstroke (in my view), Henry made an alliance with the European superpower, the newly united Spain. Along with this was a promise for Spain to not shelter pretenders, a marriage alliance between Arthur and Catherine of Aragon with a dowry of 100,000 crowns. Fulfilling many of Henry’s aims!
4. SUCCESS: In 1496, Henry managed to join the top table of European diplomacy by not only being invited to join the Holy League in 1496, but to feel bold enough to negotiate entry with the condition he would not have to go to war with France. Not only did this offer him security of being allied with the rest of the Continent, it was also international recognition of his kingship!
5. SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL: He managed to stave off the threat from pretenders to the throne. For example, Simnel posed the most real threat to Henry’s security, given the support he received from Burgundy, to lead a force which included highly trained German mercenary, Martin Schwartz and an army of 8,000 into battle at Stoke Field in 1487, Henry was able to rely on his nobles to help him defeat this serious threat to his power to secure his dynasty.
6. SUCCESSFUL: The Truce of Ayton 1497, and the marriage of James IV to Henry’s daughter Margaret, finally secured the Scottish border following the Warbeck imposture. This was important to secure the throne as it stopped pretenders gaining access to England through the “back door” of Scotland.
7. SUCCESSFUL: Even when events did not go his way, Henry still managed to find a way to secure his throne. Following the death of Arthur and Elizabeth in 1502-03, he rode his luck when Ferdinand and Isabella were shipwrecked to negotiate the Treaty of Windsor in 1506.
8. UNSUCCESSFUL: Between 1502-1509, Henry is dangerously isolated from European affairs after the death of his son Arthur (no marriage alliance with Spain) and does not remarry. Foreign policy costs a great deal after 1502 (eg enforcing Poynings Law in Ireland) and the League of Cambrai set up in 1508 sees England excluded from an alliance of major European powers meaning the dying Henry is leaving an insecure throne to his son.
Aim 2: Achieve international recognition of his kingship
1. SUCCESSFUL: This was achieved early on in continental terms by the Treaty of Medina del Campo. Allying with the new superpower of Europe was a masterstroke
2. SUCCESSFUL: Pope Innocent VIII officially recognising Henry as the true King of England in 1486 was a huge boost to his recognition and possibly helped negotiations for the Treaty of Medina del Campo
3. UNSUCCESSFUL: Constant threat to his throne from Margaret of Burgundy (sister of Richard III who Henry defeated at Bosworth) never truly dealt with. Margaret hosted pretenders to the throne and was a thorn in Henry's side until the Magnus Intercursus was signed in 1496
Aim 3: Promote prosperity and trade in England
1. SUCCESSFUL: Magnus Intercursus in 1496 is the best example of promoting prosperity. Not only did it include a clause forcing Margaret of Burgundy to recognise Henry's kingship (see aim 2), it also granted extremely favourable duties to English merchants exporting wool to Bugundian lands - helped to promote the work of the Merchant Adventurers.
2. SUCCESSFUL: In the same year as Magnus Intercursus (1496), Henry also concluded a commercial treaty with France that was favourable to English merchants.
3. UNSUCCESSFUL: Shows that securing the English throne is more of a priority in 1493 when he establishes a trade embargo with Burgundy once he understands the threat that Warbeck poses to his throne. English merchants are the ones who suffer most, but it does have an impact on Crown income as they aren't collecting Customs Duties for trade with Burgundy.
Aim 4: Maintain prestige while keeping costs down
1. SUCCESSFUL: The Breton Crisis is the best example of success in this area, by invading France late in the campaigning season (October 1491) and full in the knowledge that France was distracted in Italy and wouldn't want a war with England, the Treaty of Etaples was a perfect example of how Henry maintained his prestige at a low cost
2. SUCCESSFUL: Taking advantage of Phillip of Burgundy being shipwrecked to negotiate the Treaty of Windsor is another good example of how, even as late as 1506, Henry was looking to maintain prestige at a low cost. The Malus Intercursus that was negotiated as part of this also ensured massive trade revenue for England and so links with prosperity.
3. UNSUCCESSFUL: Ireland is always a good example to use here. Apart from sheltering pretenders (crowning Simnel as King of England etc), whenever Henry attempted to intervene in Ireland it always cost the Crown a lot of money while having very little effect. Eg the institution of Poynings Law in 1494 meant more work for Tudor government and a higher cost to enforce it. There's evidence as well that laws and bills were added after permission had been granted for the Irish executive to meet to discuss certain issues.

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How (un)successful was Henry VIIs foreign policy?

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	Created by P John over 7 years ago