In source 4 we also learn that much must have depended on diplomatic relations with Maximilian and Ferdinand, however Henry’s allies proved unfaithful and unreliable. Source 4, is written by a member of the Government of England. The government is who Henry and Wolsey would go to for Money for these situations. The Government did not like how much Money Henry kept asking for so this could have been reflected in Keith Randall’s report. Henry spent 1.4 millions pounds on fighting wars between 1511-25 and this set England back a far way.
Buckingham had too much influence with the King; this meant he was seen as one of the main causes to the break down in parliament. James wanted money from the Parliament in 1625 because of the war with Spain. Parliament decided to grant a tonnage and poundage as the monarch’s main source of Revenue. Opposition MPs discussed Parliament choosing the Kings ministers for him and also the impeachment of those who gained undue influence over him; this was especially aimed at Buckingham. A breakdown in parliament then occurred because Charles realized the parliamentary attack on Buckingham was increasing so in 1625 dissolved his first Parliament in order to protect his close companion.
He was very critical of the courts lifestyle which made him appear to look superior to the Royalists and this was furthered by his daughter’s marriage to Charles’s brother to which many Royalists became jealous over his influence and strength in position, increasing their dislike of Clarendon. His method of land settlement also upset some Royalists because it meant that those who had sold their land during the interregnum wouldn’t be refunded. Their resentment at this treatment also was to cause problem with Parliament later. He also played a key role in Charles' marriage to Catherine of Braganza and her failure to bear children was also damaging to Clarendon, as he was accused of marrying Charles to an infertile bride for personal gain as his grandchild would become the next heir. These factors all upset the royalists and meant they had negative opinions of Clarendon which they were able to whisper in Charles’s ear when Clarendon wasn’t around and turn Charles’s more against Clarendon so it became easier to dismiss him and use him as a scapegoat later on.
As well as that, there was a very bad harvest in 1621 which caused widespread distress and finally there was wide support for anti-Spanish foreign policy. This meant that money was already short and James had to accept this, but he was a very extravagant king and would struggle to come to terms with not being able to have everything he wanted. Stress would have been a big factor and tension would have been big between the king and Parliament. A main reason that James felt the royal prerogative was under threat in the 1621 Parliament is because of monopolies. Monopolists such as Sir Giles Mompesson and Sir Francis Mithcell were impeached for their corrupt practices in monopolies such as licensing alehouses where many of these alehouses were illegal gambling dens or partly brothels.
Elizabeth made up a lot of debt mainly by fighting the war with Spain which didn’t end until 1604 and so James had to spend some of the governmental money on funding this war. James also wasn’t very good at political debated or talking to the English parliament as they weren’t keen on his favourable Scots so this led to tension there and them not wanting to help fund the war on Spain now James was king. However id James had worked on getting rid of Elizabeth’s debt from the war, monopolies and purveyance then the economy in England would have been more stable. James had financial issues which were down to Elizabeth and what he inherited from her. In source 1 Smith states that “The Spanish war imposed heavy burdens on the country” which is shown in the fact Elizabeth incurred debts of ‘£300,000 a year in ordinary revenue’, and her expedition in the new world lost the English over £5,000 and gave henry iv of France £20,000 to gain his loyalty.
The French and Indian War was fought by the British and the French. This war caused many issues between the American colonies and Britian because of the things the British were doing to the Americans during the war. Economically, the British were doing things ideologically, and politically, as well. After the war, the British were trying to find a way to get back all the money they spent on the war. The English did not have much money aand it did not help the British much.
This is demonstrated in documents 4, 5, and 6. Henry Haskell states that “The government undertook such far-reaching responsibility in affairs that the fiber of the citizens weakened” (Document 4) This shows that the decline of the empire was due to heavy taxation that couldn’t support the government. If the taxes couldn’t sustain the government then it wouldn’t be able to control the people. According to Montanelli “The military crisis was the result of… proud old aristocracy’s… shortage of children” (Document 5) This means that many children weren’t old enough to go into the military which caused the decrease of soldiers. With the lack of soldiers, it would be easier to invade Rome, which could’ve led to the decline of the Empire.
The treaty of Versailles greatly humiliated Germany forcing it to accept soul responsibility for the war. Another fault in this treaty was that it did not work as intended. The idea that Germany could ever afford to pay the reparations to full amount was ludicrous as it was already suffering from the defeat of war. These reparations caused runaway inflation throughout Germany. But perhaps the biggest problem of all was that those who created it themselves did not enforce
To what extent was Parliament more to blame than Charles I for the failure of the settlement in the years of 1646 to 1649? The division within the Parliament was indeed the most important factor which contributed to the failure of the settlements. Despite the parliament, the kings poor negotiation skills and the levellers becoming more influential. After the first civil war, two groups had emerged into parliament as MP’s had different views on what should be done with Charles I. This division made it harder for parliament to agree on settlements.
Additionally, Henry's grasping nature was particularly unpopular among those expected to pay him and this stirred opposition making it difficult for Henry to collect revenues and improve financial stability. Henry took a particular interest in his finances and in the first two years of his reign Henry abandoned the Yorkist practice of using the chamber and instead decided to resume with the exchequer to take control of royal finances. However, by 1487 it was evident that this had been a major mistake. Due to Henry focusing on in hi security he neglected other important aspects of the crown like his estates. In Edward's reign