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A* essay on Henry VIII foreign policy
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A* essay on the success of Henry VIII foreign policy through the entirety of his reign, perfect for A level revision
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‘The foreign policy of Henry VIII failed to achieve its objectives in the years 1509 to 1547.’Assess the validity of this view. 25 marks
Henry VIIIs ambitious character resulted in his foreign policy aims of making England a
major power in Europe which is why he was determined from early on in his reign to play a
more active role in international politics. This consisted of some notable diplomatic triumphs
such as the field of the cloth of gold in 1520 however there were also some very notable
failures such as the Gascony campaign of 1512, therefore while some aspects of henrys
foreign policy can be considered a success such as treaties with foreign powers that enhanced
England’s power and status in Europe there were some very significant failures such as
Flodden in 1513 which ultimately suggests that henry lacked the finance and army necessary
for a foreign policy borne of strength that achieved his objectives in the years 1509-1547.
Henry VIII’s primary foreign policy objective was to conquer foreign land and become and
become a warrior king like his predecessor Henry V, this was centred on gaining control of
land in France. This is evidenced early on in Henry VIII’s foreign policy for example in 1512
during the first invasion of France. Henry sent an army of 10,000 men to the southwest of
France under the command of the Marquis of Dorset. However, this was ultimately a failure
due to the abstention of King Ferdinand of Spain who had previously promised his support
however had seemingly used England as a distraction whilst he invaded Navarre. This
resulted in the English soldiers being quickly recalled. This failure displays a naivety on
behalf of the new king and set a prescience of weakness amongst Europe as England’s first
foreign adventure under leadership of Henry VIII had failed after only a few months. Another
example of his inexperience is evidenced in 1530, the balance of power had shifted again
when Charles of Spain became the Holy Roman Emperor meaning that Henry had to choose
a side and against Wolsey's better judgement, Henry chose to side with the Hapsburg’s by
declaring war on France, this was ultimately unsuccessful and showed a marked consistency
in inexperience on the European stage throughout his reign resulting in no territorial gains
and the expense of a war on the continent, reinforcing Henry’s failure to achieve his foreign
policy aims. Admittedly however, Henry did achieve some of his objectives with regarding
France. The name success being the battle of the spurs in 1513 which was regarded as a great
success due to the capture of Tournai. Yet this is but one example of success in France and
came with a large strain on revenue. Therefore, it would be plausible to argue that Henrys
foreign policy failed to achieve its aims as it seemingly had the adverse effect of wasting
resources and damaging the profile of the new king.
A further area of evaluation is through Henrys foreign policy objective of raising the
international prestige of England on the European stage. This can firstly be seen through
diplomatic advances. One example of which can be seen through the secured marriage
between Louis XII of France and princess Mary, sister of Henry VIII. This proved successful
for Henry as it equated to a relationship with France which created a stronger image for
England as no longer isolated in Europe. This image of strength was further solidified with
the Treaty of London in 1518. Here, Henry and Wolsey used diplomatic mastery to unite
European powers in a pledge of peace. This shows that Henrys foreign policy was successful
in raising England’s international prestige as a uniting force and therefore solidifying its
reputation on the European stage. Admittedly however, Henry’s diplomatic reputation was
arguably undermined by the treaty of Cambria in 1517 which established peace between the
Holy Roman Empire and France. This resulted in the Duke of being sent by Francis to stir
trouble between Scotland and England. This demonstrates how Henry was incapable of
exploiting divisions and weakness within Scotland. Yet, this was rectified later in his reign
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