Regarding Henry VIII's plans... Again.

Bensdabest

Hi, just had a question regarding the designs Henry VIII had for France. He went to war with France, and due to this, Scotland, many times. I just can't seem to find out why. Most of his many, many, many detractors say he sought out glory in war against the French, or to reclaim the lands held by England prior to the Hundred years war. Is this the extent of his plans? Did he have anything further in mind beyond taking those lands?

Any help would be appreciated.
 

Maniakes

I found the text of the 1511 Treaty of Westminster here (starting at the bottom of the linked page). It's the alliance between England and Spain for the first of Henry VIII's wars against France. The treaty's stated reason for the war (not necessarily the actual reason, but at least a starting point) is intervention on behalf of the Pope in his ongoing war with France. The treaty describes a plan for a joint campaign by England and Spain to conquer the Aquitaine for England.

Henry's second war against France, in 1520, was also kicked off by a treaty recorded in the same source. The stated casus belli here is France's aggression against the HRE triggering England's obligations to the Emperor under previous treaties, and the treaty contemplates a war aim of re-acquiring unspecified places then held by France but which "belong by right" to either Henry or the Emperor. A follow-up message states an additional CB of France's default on payments owed to England under previous treaties.

I can't find a treaty related to the beginning of Henry's third war against France (1544), but I did come across at least one source claiming that it was triggered by France's aid to Scotland's war effort against England during the Rough Wooing.
 

Bensdabest

Wow. Thank you very much. You really have helped me there Maniakes. That is a lot more than I was expecting and very useful, thanks.
 

Dr. Waterhouse

The War of the Holy League is fascinating because parties are constantly changing sides or otherwise entering and exiting. At one point in I believe 1513 Pope Julius II vacates the throne of France as part of the ongoing feud he has with Louis XII. Louis XII for his part had just previously tried to delegitimize Julius as pope and called a general council of the church to bring him down. So upon vacating the throne of France, Julius II offers it straightaway to Henry. All Henry actually has to do is, well, defeat Louis and take it all. (You will note that this does not actually change the amount of work necessary to actually conquer France, and yet someone is offering someone else France, like it was a tic-tac. An astounding moment. Very Julius.) So, how reasonable was that? Would it have affected the decision-making of the king of England at this point? Might Henry have gone to England thinking he was going to relive the glory of Henry V and actually create a new dual monarchy?

I guess it all depends on how much faith in himself Henry had.
 
Clandango

Clandango

Henry had went to war with France multiple times in alliance with the Habsburgs, using a lot of men and treasure. When the Habsurgs captured the French king they didn't support England in getting France, telling them to take it for themselves if they wanted it. This was one of the things that made Henry's first marriage worth even less, as he married Catherine when the Spanish were basically refusing to pay a dowry. He liked her, though. So she can't provide any heirs (and thus risking another War of the Roses sort of thing) and her family did nothing to help out Henry with territory, even when it was easily in their grasp.
 
kasumigenx

kasumigenx

Clandango said:
Henry had went to war with France multiple times in alliance with the Habsburgs, using a lot of men and treasure. When the Habsurgs captured the French king they didn't support England in getting France, telling them to take it for themselves if they wanted it. This was one of the things that made Henry's first marriage worth even less, as he married Catherine when the Spanish were basically refusing to pay a dowry. He liked her, though. So she can't provide any heirs (and thus risking another War of the Roses sort of thing) and her family did nothing to help out Henry with territory, even when it was easily in their grasp.
Click to expand...
Henry VIII marrying Claude is possible if he divorces Catherine.
 
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