In this month's expert talk, Gareth Russell (author of "A History of the English Monarchy" and editor of Tudor Life magazine) discusses the successes and failures of Henry VIII as a military leader, leading to some interesting and damning conclusions.
- You are here :
- The Tudor Society
- /Expert Talks /
- December Expert – Gareth Russell – Henry VIII as a military leader
There are 2 comments Go To Comment
Leave a Reply Cancel Reply
Latest Content
- #OTD in Tudor history – 5 December
- #OTD in Tudor history – 4 December
- #OTD in Tudor history – 3 December
- #OTD in Tudor history – 2 December
- #OTD in Tudor history – 1 December
- #OTD in Tudor history – 30 November
- #OTD in Tudor history – 29 November
- #OTD in Tudor history – 28 November
- #OTD in Tudor history – 27 November
Categories
- Expert Talks (106)
- Feast Days (70)
- Friday Videos (380)
- Guest Articles (27)
- Magazines (94)
- Monday Martyrs (24)
- News (434)
- On this day (1,945)
- Places (52)
- Public (572)
- Quizzes (427)
- Resources (199)
- Audios (27)
- Battles and Rebellions (43)
- Daily Life (2)
- Documentaries (15)
- Expert answers (31)
- Family Trees (3)
- Primary Sources (54)
- Recommended Reading (15)
- This Week in History (427)
- Transcripts (80)
- Tudor People (280)
- Explorers (13)
- Martyrs (59)
- Monarchs (25)
- Six Wives (14)
- The King's Men (36)
- The Queen's Men (12)
- Tudor and Renaissance Artists and Composers (8)
- Tudor Churchmen (16)
- Tudor Men (70)
- Tudor Poets and Playwrights (24)
- Tudor Women (55)
- Tudor Times (51)
Archives
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
Excellent analysis, Gareth! I hadn’t really thought all that much of Henry’s military prowess, but the fact of the matter is that he was surprisingly unsuccessful in most of his campaigns. I wonder if he would have been so obstinate in his quest for an heir if he had not have been so inept on the battlefield. Perhaps his words to Chapuys, “Am I not a man like other men?” came from insecurity in his masculinity not just in the pursuit of an heir, but also in his quest to dominate militarily. Had he been more successful, he may not have felt the need to destroy everyone else in his path to get that Prince of Wales.
Henry had many disadvantages as well, no foothold on the coast save Calais, so no vast regional area like Gascony or Normondy to fall back to for the winter. In 1523\4 Suffolk had the best chance to do something in France, being forced to stop just short of Paris due to two things, a freezing cold French winter that makes our winter look like Spring, plus the Regent Mary of Hungry could not resupply him as her lines had been cut off. Wolsey had interfered with his original plan and Suffolk set of much later in the year, the so called allies broke down and left and Suffolk was left exposed. Even if he attacked and took Paris he could not hold it and as the winter dug in his men got frost bite and died. 100 men were dying every week and promised reinforcements were not coming in time. He did what any decent commander does and put what was left of his army first, sending them home. Henry had a strop on and refused to listen. Then when he does come back a real soldier, Suffolk met Henry in the lists and proves his prowess. Unfortunately, Henry is so busy waving to everyone that he does not lower his viser and taken by surprise, Suffolk’s lance shattered under his helm almost killing the King. Henry gets up and fights six more courses, but he was a better jouster than a warrior. It is not that he did not achieve anything, he did not achieve what he could or keep what he won. It was and still is difficult to campaign in France, even Henry v found it so, so billing him as a full success is also nonsense. Henry v was also responsible for several atrocities to civilians, plus by the time he won a rather lucky victory at Agincourt he had a starving mob of an army left. The French riding into arrows over mud and rain helped, plus Henry v was a good general as well as a skilled and lucky one. Henry v also had territory to get more supplies from. Henry viii did not. It was expensive to hold the towns won in 1513 and he sold them back. In 1544 Suffolk again won the King Bolougne but as you say, dysentery took over and then the winter and they had to return home. Norfolk failed to take another town as Henry did not give him the support he needed. Again we had to sell it back. Henry could not resupply the towns, he did not have the resources. Mary I did not want to go to war with France, but after resisting for three years she gave in and reinforced Phillips army. Yes, she lost Calais as a result but so what, it was too expensive to keep hold of anyway. The English crown lost its inheritance rights to parts of France long before the Tudors. We had no right to attempt to get them back and it was not a bad thing that we lost them. It was arrogant stupidity to waste so much energy on French wars that at the end of the day were costly in terms of men and money. It may have been somewhat expected to be a warrior, but people also demanded more from their kings by now and I am certain Henry could have done more beneficial things and still been a great King. Don’t forget a lot of his fortune was also taken up by another fruitless task, his divorce.