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Elizabeth’s Foreign Policy - Coggle Diagram
Elizabeth’s Foreign Policy
succession
early possible suitors
Phillip II of Spain offered his hand in polite gesture but lacked serious intent as he was Catholic
Robert Dudley (future Earl of Leicester, prospect horrified Cecil as his influence would erode and it would be risky due to mysterious death of Dudley's wife, Amy in 1560
archdukes Ferdinand and Charles, sons of Emperor Ferdinand but both were Catholic
Prince Erik of Sweden was a protestant suitor but Elizabeth gave little encouragement
HoC first brough it up Jan 1559 but Elizabeth deflected the issue as she believed marriage and succession lay within royal prerogative so not to be discussed in council or govt
when it seemed Elizabeth may die in 1563 after getting smallpox in 1562, councillors had a full-scale succession crisis as the death could cause civil war, foreign invasion or religious strife
options were disgraced Lady Catherine Grey and ardent Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots so neither were chosen but luckily the queen survived
1566 Parliament again pressed issue, prompted by privy councillors e.g. Cecil and Leicester so Elizabeth banished Leicester and Pembroke from Presence Chamber
1579 Elizabeth was declared still able to bear a child so marriage to Francois, Duke of Anjou was suggested by Burghley and Sussex but people were scared to leave an infant with French influence on the throned nothing came from it anyway
execution of Mary, Queen of Scots meant her son James VI had best claim as Elizabeth decided not to marry was safest, and James was protestant and had 2 sons by 1600
despite Elizabeth never naming a successor, councillors e.g. Cecil and Essex got in favour of James even before her death, with Cecil ensuring an extremely smooth succession
Mary, Queen of Scots
her marriage to Earl of Darnly incurred wrath of protestant lords and English, with her then implicated in his murder
she then married his presumed murderer, Earl of Bothwell, setting off civil war and so she fled to England in 1567
English Catholics saw her as rightful monarch so was focus of plots, especially after Elizabeth's excommunication in 1570 as they were absolved from need to obey sovereign so now deemed traitors
Catholic plots
1571 Ridolfi involved conspiracy for Mary to marry Norfolk and overthrow Elizabeth, allowing Burghley to ensure execution of Norfolk for treason
1683 Throckmorton had foreign landing in Sussex followed by overthrow of Elizabeth but was foiled by Walsingham's espionage network, leading only to the Bond of Association, worsening Anglo-Spanish relations and tightening Mary's captivity
1585 Parry plotted to assassinate the queen but failed, leading to the acceleration of parliamentary proceedings on a bill to ensure her safety
1586 Babington where Mary was complicit plotting to assassinate Elizabeth but Walsingham's codebreaker, Thomas Phelippes exposed it, enabling Burghley to secure Mary's execution
Privy councillors and nobles were ordered to try her but feared condemning the mother of future monarch so no sentence was pronounced and Elizabeth failed to order execution for 4 months
Burghley secured the execution with parliamentary pressure so Elizabeth finally signed the death warrant on 1st February 1587
Spain
Anglo-Spanish relations 1585-87
Elizabeth made 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch with Dutch Protestant rebels, sending troops under Leicester to aid
the troops were badly paid so undisciplined and alienated the dutch, with 2 of their officers (William Stanley & Rowland Yorke) deserting and joining Parma
the English commanders quarrelled and Leicester quarrelled with Dutch, partly as they believed Elizabeth would secretly join Parma
so Leicester resigned & returned to England in Jan 1588 and Philip felt he could exploit divisions between Dutch and English
Spanish armada delayed by English attack on ships in Cadiz April 1587 so it didn't set sail until 22 July, after 2 years of organisation (many vessels & crews commandeered from Portuguese)
Armada aimed to reach Gravelines port in Netherlands for Parma's army to board
engaged in indecisive battle in English channel from 30th July- 6th Aug where they were forced to return to Spain (hazardous route to Scotland and west of Ireland, losing ships in storms)
why relations deteriorated end of 1560s
John Hawkins trading activity attempted to break Spanish trading monopoly in Caribbean so his fleet were blockaded in 1568 in Port San Juan de Ulua
Phillip II wanted tighter political organisation in Netherlands under direct Spanish control to root out heresy, putting Elizabeth under pressure from protestants to aid the Dutch ones fearing danger in which she had qualms aiding rebels fighting authority
English harrassed the Spanish e.g. when Spanish vessels (carrying 400,000 florins intended for Duke of Alba) were forced to seek shelter from storm in Nov 1568, Elizabeth impounded the money
breakdown in trade with Spain and Netherlands
philip's encouragement of 1569 Northern Rebellion and 1571 Ridolfi plot
Elizabeth's excommunication in 1570
war against Spain 1588-1604
Elizabeth valued national security but many saw it as fight for national and religious survival against Catholics, some policy makers concentrating in Netherlands to confront Parma but others favoured expansive naval campaign e.g. Hawkins
England succeeded in small-scale naval attacks in Caribbean and mainland Spain 1585 and 87
3 attacks on Spain from 1595, e.g. short-lived victory capturing Cadiz and sinking 4 galleons and when Hawkins and Drake died in failed Panama attack
Cadiz capture prevented Spanish merchant vessels sailing to West Indies and provoked fleet ordered to England in 1596, but was defeated by storms
1597 Essex dispatched fleet against Spanish fleet in north-west Spain to prevent attack on Ireland after rebellion but weather forced it back, and meant Spanish fleet couldn't land in Ireland (constant fear & prevention of Irish landing)
1589 Sir Francis Vere as commander of English made relationship with Dutch leader, Nassau and Spanish forces often mutinied so they recovered territory from Parma
cost of maintaining Netherlands force was high but Dutch paid share and by 1594 Spanish were expelled form north, becoming independent state while south had degree of autonomy
Netherlands and Anglo-Spanish relations 1570-85
Elizabeth contributed to deterioration by expelling Sea Beggars from English ports, forcing them to land in Dutch port Brielle, where unchecked by Spanish garrison, they sparked off a full-scale revolt against Spain
by 1576 all Dutch provinces rose against atrocities from Spanish army, producing Pasification of Ghent calling for expulsion of foreign troops and restoration of provinces' autonomy, favoured by Elizabeth
provinces divided into Union of Utrecht (north & Protestant) and of Arras (south & Catholic) with Spain making peace with Arras, so Duke of Parma could reconquest northern provinces
provinces quarrelled and France prepared to invade, leading Elizabeth to contemplate marriage to Anjou to retain Dutch influence
Elizabeth was more overtly anti-Spanish; supporting Portuguese pretender Done Antonio (illegitimate royal family claiming against Spanish rule after death of childless King Henry), knighting Francis Drake for circumnavigating the globe and contemptuously treating Spanish ambassador
Spain was strengthened by 1580 annexation of Portugal
after 1580 Parma's conquest of north gained momentum, leaving only Holland and Zealand protestant and their rebel leader William of Orange assassinated 1584
Phillip II & Catholic League (led by Guises) in France made 1584 Treaty of Joinville, so Phillip no longer had political motive not to support Mary, Queen of Scots