How far was foreign policy the main cause of conflict between Crown and Parliament between 1618 and 1629?

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How far was foreign policy the main cause of conflict between Crown and Parliament between 1618 and 1629?

        The outbreak of the 30 years war in 1618 intensified the continuing conflicts between Crown and Parliament from 1618-29. The underlying troubles of finance and a fear of popery and arbitury government became greater during this period and led to a breakdown in relations between Crown and Parliament by 1629. These underlying issues formed a structural weakness within the kingdom’s ship of state which, added to by the contributory conflicts caused by Buckingham, was unable to cope when all were brought into greater significance by the outbreak of war and the pressure of foreign policy.

        The war in Europe, while creating conflicts of wider and older issues, forced clashes between Crown and Parliament over foreign policy. James wished to act as a mediator, centring policies on the creation of peace. Through dynastic marriages, James sought to show a commitment to moderation and restore Frederick V’s Palatinate lands using diplomacy. Parliament on the other hand wanted a declaration of war and to support Protestantism within Europe. Unsatisfied with James’ handling of foreign policy, the commons issued the Commons protestation in December 1621 demanding the abandonment of the Spanish match, a protestant marriage and the use of force to save the Palatinate. This brought forward issues of prerogative and led to James’ angered dismissal of parliament. James, convinced it was now a necessity, continued to pursue negotiations over the Spanish match and in 1623 Charles and Buckingham made a trip to Madrid in order to force an agreement, outraging parliament. When James called his 4th parliament in February 1624 James broke with tradition and asked for advice on foreign policy. A stalemate was met in which the James refused to end Spanish negotiations unless supply for war was granted and Parliament refused supply until negotiations were broken. James was forced to make concessions: monies granted by parliament would be under a Commons committee and the king would discuss declarations of war or peace with parliament before hand. Parliament then granted £300,000 for a naval war in defence of the ‘true religion’. James however had estimated £750,000 was necessary and remained convinced that England could not fight Spain without an ally. A marriage alliance, therefore, was agreed with the French. This angered parliament who hoped plans for a catholic marriage had been lost with the failure of the Spanish match. When Charles called his 1st parliament in June 1625 hostilities toward the crown were evident. Parliament remained opposed to the Catholic French Treaty and had granted money for war, a declaration of which had not been made. Against their wishes, the money had been spent on a land war in the United Provinces: Count Mansfield’s expedition, a total failure, had wasted parliament subsidies. A series of humiliating and costly military failures ensued with expeditions to Cadiz in 1625 and 1626 and to La Rochelle in 1627. The French use of English ships to attack Huguenots was yet another humiliation and a severe blow to England’s reputation as a protector of Protestantism. These failures made foreign policy a continued cause of conflict for Crown and Parliament between 1618 and 1629.

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        Relations were worsened during this period through conflicts over finance in part brought into greater significance due to the pressures of war. By 1621 England was at the height of economic depression, suffering from a series of harvest failures and a slump in cloth trade caused by the failure of the Cockayne project. The debt was nearing £1 million and James struggled to extract subsidies from Parliament who were insisting on but unwilling to fund intervention in the Palatinate. James’ extravagance and reliance on favourites had escalated and he was seen by parliament as ‘leaky cistern’ when it came to ...

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