 starter activity
How much can your remember about Wolsey? Take the bingo challenge!

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Key words: regency watershed dauphin
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Learning objectives
TBAT identify the key views on
Wolsey’s approach to foreign policy
To assess the successes and failures of
Wolsey’s policies

If you were Wolsey, who would you form alliances with to improve own and your king’s status in Europe?
 Who would you create enemies of?

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Read p.65 and note down the views of these historians:
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G.R.Elton

A.F.Pollard
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J.J.Scarisbrick

Steve Gunn
  Who do you agree with and why?

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G.R.Elton
: wanted Eng. To hold balance of power by forming alliances with powerful rulers
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A.F.Pollard
: wanted to pursue papal policy as cardinal & legate a latere
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J.J.Scarisbrick
: aimed to encourage peace
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Steve Gunn : couldn’t predict where foreign policy would go - improvised
  Who do you agree with and why?

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Wolsey’s first foray into foreign policy didn’t go well. Read p.66 and list reasons why Wolsey and
Henry would have felt humiliated by the end of
1517
  How far do you think Wolsey was to blame?
How embarassing!

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Duke of Albany overthrew regency of Margaret
(H8’s sister)
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Francis I beat Swiss at Marignano (1515)
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Concordat of Bologna (1516)
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Double-crossed by Maximilian I
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Peace of Cambrai left England isolated

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Things get better with the Treaty of London.
Read p.67 and list reasons why Wolsey might feel a bit better!
  What were the threats to the Treaty of
London? Find out by reading and taking notes on the bottom of the page

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Orchestrated by Wolsey
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Non-aggression pact
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Collective security
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Diplomatic prestige – 20 reps in
London
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French pension in return for Tournai
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Mary betrothed to Dauphin

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Then came the Field of the Cloth of Gold – but how much did it achieve? Make a list of English triumphs and disasters between 1520 and 25.
Use p.68-9
  Who comes out on top, England, Spain or
France in this period?

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FotCoG logistical success –
3,000 notables, royal pavilions, festivities
Wolsey arranged 3 Powers conference in Calais (1521)
Treaty of Bruges (1521) with
Charles V
Wolsey delayed committing
Eng troops to war against
France

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FotCoG – achieved little of diplomatic importance
Raiding party led by
Surrey (1522) made no territorial gains
English support for rebellion led by Charles, duke of Bourbon came to nothing

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What changed in1525? Read p.69-70 and explain dramatic change in English foreign policy
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List events outside Wolsey’s control that added to his problems.
  Would you agree with G.R.Elton this year was a diplomatic revolution?
Battle of Pavia, 1525

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Battle of Pavia (1525) – Charles V captured
Francis I
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Treaty of Cognac (1526) – Eng. & Fr formed an alliance
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Treaty of Westminster (1527) – marriage agreement involving Mary
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Sack of Rome (1527) – Clement VII taken prisoner
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Great Matter – H8 dependent on support of
Pope
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Peace of Cambrai (1529) – Eng isolated

Click the map to see a C16th
‘Google Maps’



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You will be given a series of dates and events.
Plot them on a living timeline.
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 Do you agree that 1525 was the watershed?

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Read p.71-3 and create a scales chart detailing the successes and failures of
Wolsey’s foreign policy.
Don’t forget a judgement at the end.
 Which of the historians’ views of
Wolsey’s foreign policy principles do you most agree with?
On balance, where do you lie?

This house believes Wolsey was a failure at foreign policy!
Continue the debate online!


Key words: regency watershed dauphin

Learning objectives
TBAT identify the key views on
Wolsey’s approach to foreign policy
To assess the successes and failures of
Wolsey’s policies