Question 1
Evaluate the interpretations in both of the two passages and explain which you think is more convincing as an explanation of the achievements of Henry VIII and Wolsey’s foreign policy
during the period from 1509 to 1520.
Passage A
Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey’s foreign policy was a failure. Firstly, Henry failed to achieve his primary goal, which was to recover the French empire which had been conquered by Henry V. Secondly, this aim was unrealistic: Henry’s high hopes were naïve, given that his resources were tiny compared with those of France. Thirdly, his foreign policy was often incoherent, thus allowing more cunning operators, such as Ferdinand of Aragon and the Emperor Maximilian to manipulate him. In short, foreign policy under Henry and Wolsey was unaccomplished, anachronistic*, naïve and aimless. Henry VIII’s campaigns achieved few concrete gains and often seem to have been conducted for his allies’ benefit rather than his own. His campaign in 1512 collapsed. He only succeeded in capturing the towns of Therouanne and Tournai in 1513. Neither of these campaigns directly served English interests. Further, Ferdinand and Maximilian signalled their gratitude to Henry by signing separate treaties with France, which left England to carry the fight against France by herself. The costs of Henry’s wars were extremely high; they drained his private resources and those of his subjects. The relative expense of these wars becomes clearer still when one realises that Henry wasted the wealth which his father, Henry VII, had painstakingly saved. For all Wolsey’s efforts, it should have been clear that England could not compete with France, even with the support of Charles V.
*anachronistic – old fashioned and out of place
Adapted from: J. Ross, ‘Henry VIII’s Early Foreign Policy, 1509–1529,’ published in History Review, December 2001.
Passage B
England’s dealings with her neighbours during these years have been variously described as misdirected, muddled, costly failures, naïve and shameful. The first task in making an assessment of England’s foreign relations during the first half of Henry VIII’s reign is to identify the criteria to be used. It seems safe to assume that most people will wish to include ‘degree of success’ in their assessment, and this will be measured against Henry’s and Wolsey’s aspirations. If this is the case, there is probably room for a less critical conclusion to be reached than has often been drawn in the past. Although there were some large-scale failures, there were many occasions when Henry and Wolsey had good reason to think that they had been very successful. After the campaign of 1513 Henry knew that he was internationally regarded as a figure of splendid chivalric kingship and his certainty was increased by events such as those at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Wolsey was equally successful in creating an outstanding reputation and status for himself which meant that he was treated as being virtually on a par with the leading rulers of Europe. These were not little achievements.
Adapted from: K. Randall, Henry VIII and the Government of England, published in 2001.
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