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Y307: Tudor Foreign Policy 1485–1603

Depth study: The loss of Calais — historical and strategic significance of Calais

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit group 3

Overview

Recall questions on the historical and strategic significance of Calais, the condition of the garrison and costs in maintaining it, reasons why England went to war with France in 1557, events leading to the loss of Calais in 1558.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Describe how Calais was lost.

Who and when

Why did England go to war with France in 1557?

Key term

What happened to Guînes?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why did Calais matter historically and symbolically to England?

    Model answer

    Held since Edward III captured it in 1347, it was the last English possession in France and a standing reminder of the English claim to the French crown.

  2. 2

    What was the commercial importance of Calais?

    Model answer

    It was the staple through which English wool exports had to pass, giving the Crown customs revenue and control of the trade.

  3. 3

    Explain the strategic value of Calais.

    Model answer

    It provided a fortified bridgehead on the continent for landing armies, a base commanding the narrow seas and a direct link with the Netherlands.

  4. 4

    What was the condition of the garrison by the 1550s?

    Model answer

    The defences were outdated against modern artillery, pay was in arrears and numbers had been cut, with the winter garrison reduced as an economy.

  5. 5

    Why was maintaining Calais controversial in a time of financial strain?

    Model answer

    The town, its outlying forts and its garrison absorbed a heavy annual cost even in peacetime and returned little beyond customs revenue and prestige.

  6. 6

    Why did England go to war with France in 1557?

    Model answer

    Philip pressed his wife's government for support against France, and Thomas Stafford's French-backed raid on Scarborough supplied the pretext for a declaration of war.

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