How successful was English foreign policy in the years 1509 1529?

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How successful was English foreign policy in the years 1509 – 1529?

During these years Henry VIII was the monarch on the English throne, and his foreign policy reflected both his hunger for personal glory, and his desire to see England become a major power in Europe. During the later part of his reign, it seems his wish to control vast parts of Europe, and be an important player in politics, waned; but for the first twenty years of Henry’s reign, from 1509-1529, important decisions and actions of the Monarch were dominated by foreign policy, and it was during this time that Thomas Wolsey, Henry’s eventual right hand man, would rise to prominence. English policy enjoyed both successes and failures – but it is arguable as to what extent these successes reached.

In 1511 was Henry’s first opportunity to increase the reach of his control, and take part of France. King Louis XII, who the current ruler of France, had invaded Italy; leaving the Pope Julius II in a position where he was under threat. The Pope formed a Holy League agreement with Ferdinand, King of Spain, and as his son in-law, Henry offered his services. Henry joined the Holy League in the November of 1511, and in early 1512 he sent around 12,000 troops to invade southern France, led by the Marques of Dorset. However, Henry had not been aware that the Spanish had already defeated the French and made peace, and the soldiers that did not die of illness were sent home. This was a failure in that Henry felt humiliated in the eyes of the rest of the world, and felt let down by both the other members of the Holy League. However, an important lesson was learned about the workings of the European politics of the 16th century, and also about the capriciousness of its monarchs; working only in their own interests. What was learned from this early failure would shape Foreign Policy decisions in the years to come.

To fix what Henry considered a personal disgrace, in 1513 he started another campaign against France. It was Wolsey who masterminded this expedition, making sure that the troops were well equipped etc. But Henry personally led this invasion; emulating what he considered to be the ideal king; 10th century Richard Lionheart, or King Arthur and his knights. Henry rode and fought alongside his troops, and as a result of the battle, later named the Battle of the Spurs, the French town of Tournai came under English control. This was a success in that Henry, as well as gaining land and ‘pensions’ from the French, had made his mark as a King who was not afraid of using battles and war, as methods of foreign political interaction. This was markedly different to his father’s stance; Henry VII had been reluctant to fight wars because of the immense cost.

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However, a problem arose from this apparent success; whilst Henry was away leading this campaign, the King of Scotland, James IV, saw an opportunity to launch an attack on England. James renewed an alliance Scotland had previously had with France, called the ‘Auld Alliance’, (despite the fact he was married to Henry’s sister Margaret to secure Anglo-Scot relations), and on the 9th of September, 1513, the Scots fought the English at the Battle of Flodden. The Earl of Surrey marched north, and defeated the Scots; as a result James IV, and many other Scottish leaders, were killed. This quick put ...

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**** A good answer which needs to be factor led rather than narrative-led. Candidate demonstrates a high level of knowledge and understanding but needs to arrange ideas in a more analytical way to demonstrate a high level of critical thinking.