4. How and why did England’s relationship with France change under Elizabeth?

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we consider the question ‘How and why did England’s relationship with France change under Elizabeth?’, focusing in particular on: (i) the reasons for her actions in Scotland and France in the first decade of her reign, including the threat represented by Mary, Queen of Scots; (ii) the background to the 1572 Treaty of Blois, which sees England end hostilities with France; (iii) the testing of the Treaty of Blois with the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre later in the same year; (iv) the nature of the Treaty of Blois as a defence alliance; (v) Elizabeth’s intervention in French dynastic politics following the assassination on Henry III in 1589; and (vi) her continued support for Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France) following his conversion to Catholicism in 1593.

Course

In this course, Professor Susan Doran (University of Oxford) explores Tudor foreign policy through six key questions: (1) Why did Henry VIII spend so much time at war against France?; (2) Why was foreign policy so disastrous during the years 1547-58?; (3) How did the Reformation affect foreign policy?; (4) How and why did England’s relationship with France change under Elizabeth?; (5) Why did Elizabeth go to war against Spain?; and (6) Was Elizabeth’s foreign policy a ‘complete mess’?

Lecturer

Susan Doran is Professor of Early Modern British History at the University of Oxford. She has a substantial publishing record which reflects a particular interest in the religious and political history of the Tudors, especially Elizabeth I. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College and Director of Studies in History at Regent’s Park College.