Elizabeth's French Wars, 1562-1598

: English Intervention in the French Wars of Religion

Abstract

The aim of this study is to establish the scale and importance of English intervention during the French Wars of Religion of the late sixteenth century. The question of why and how Elizabeth I intervened is addressed; and the consequences of this intervention. How the ‘natural’ enemy became an ally is examined and how relations between Elizabeth and three French kings were frequently at the heart of grand strategy.

Elizabeth’s sword of intervention was double-edged: both benevolent and exploitative. She hoped to aid the Huguenots while recovering England’s lost French territories. Later, her intervention became a method of keeping hostilities with Spain away from English shores. Many believed intervention was necessary to protect the continuation of English trade with Europe.

England became the ‘arsenal’ of first Huguenot, then royalist France. The scale of provision of matériel de guerre is examined together with the role of economic and monetary questions; showing how England effectively ‘kickstarted’ and perpetuated the wars. The emphasis is placed on military history, focusing on the involvement of English armies at Le Havre (1562–63), Rouen (1591), Crozon (1594) and Amiens (1597); exploiting much previously untouched material from English and French libraries and archives.

The study demonstrates that Elizabeth’s position was far less perilous than previously thought. It portrays evidence of an ‘Elizabethan Sparta’; of a highly-regarded and skilled army. The thesis will make a contribution to the fiscal-military debate in that intervention was made possible by a mature and efficient financial system. It helps to show that Elizabeth was strengthened as the leader of Protestantism, not only in England but of Europe as a whole.

The opportunity to set out avenues for future research has not been neglected. This includes the hypothesis of a precocious ‘Elizabethan Industrial Revolution’; a Darwinesque fossil in the ‘prehistory’ of the nation’s industrial heritage.

Date of Award	22 Jan 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University
Supervisor	Anthony Claydon (Supervisor)