Why did Henry carry out the Siege of Boulogne? (12 marks)
Within the first 6 years of Henry’s rule he had his first foreign opposition from France, which resulted in the Siege of Boulogne. Beginning in 1487, The Breton Crisis arose. France was trying to absorb Brittany into its own borders, with the opposition from numerous European powers such as Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, as Brittany would only strengthen France’s power further. Despite various treaties such as the Treaty of Redon in 1489 which agreed that Ferdinand and Maximillian would join with Henry to build an anti-French alliance hopefully preventing the absorption of Brittany. This treaty angered Charles VIII of France and he showed his displeasure to Henry’s actions by sheltering the pretender Perkin Warbeck.