سياسة إنكلترا الخارجية في عهد الملك هنري الثامن
(1511-1520م)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65074/0fmgst09Keywords:
England, foreign policy, King Henry VIII, Thomas Wolsey, the Italian Wars, the Field of Golden ClothAbstract
Received: 2026 / 03 / 02
Revision: 2026 / 03 / 20
Accepted: 2026 / 04 / 07
Published: 2026 / 09 / 30
This study examines the foreign policy of England during the reign of Henry VIII up to 1520. It argues that he sought to strengthen his kingdom’s position as an active European power by maintaining a balance among the major powers, notably France and Spain. In its initial phase, his policy was characterized by militarism and the pursuit of personal glory; he entered into alliances with European rulers such as Ferdinand II and undertook military campaigns that reflected his ambition to restore English influence in French territories. As circumstances evolved, foreign policy shifted toward diplomacy under the leadership of Thomas Wolsey, who aimed to position England as a mediator among European powers. This approach culminated in the Treaty of London 1518, which sought to establish a degree of balance and peace. It was further exemplified by the meeting with Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, an event that symbolized displays of power and political rapprochement despite its limited practical outcomes. This indicates that England’s foreign policy combined military ambition with diplomatic flexibility.
References
( ) البابا يوليوس الثاني (1443–1513): أحد أبرز بابوات عصر النهضة، تولّى الكرسي البابوي بين عامي 1503 و1513، وتميّزت حبريته بطابعها السياسي والعسكري أكثر من الطابع الروحي. سعى إلى تعزيز السلطة البابوية وتوطيد نفوذها في إيطاليا من خلال الحملات الحربية والتحالفات الدولية، مستعيداً أراضي عدة، وأخضع مدن كبرى مثل بولونيا وبيروجيا للسيادة البابوية، وخاض صراعات مباشرة مع البندقية وفرنسا في إطار عصبة كامبراي ثم الحروب الإيطالية اللاحقة. وإلى جانب نشاطه العسكري، كان راعيًا مهمًا للنهضة الفنية والفكرية، إذ أطلق مشروع إعادة بناء كاتدرائية القديس بطرس في روما وفق تصميم برامانتي، واحتضن فنانين كبارًا مثل ميكيلانجلو ورافائيل، مما جعل حبريته مرحلة مفصلية في تاريخ الفن والعمارة الأوروبية. ينظر:
William A. Colledge And Other, The New Standard Encyclopedia, Vol.VI, The University Society, New York, 1904, P.607; Encyclopedia Americana, Vol.11, New York 1978, P.278.
( ) Richard Heath, Op. Cit., P.21.
( ) Charles Knight, Op. Cit., P.42.
( ) كريستوفر باينبريج: وُلد في ويستمورلاند عام 1462. تلقى تعليمه في الكنيسة، وبعد تخرجه أصبح رجل دين وتدرج في المناصب الكنسية بدعم من عمه الذي كان يحظى بنفوذ قوي في عهد الملك هنري السابع. ثم ذهب للدراسة في إيطاليا ونال الدكتوراه في القانون المدني في بولونيا عام 1492. خدم ملكه في روما، وأصبح رئيس أساقفة دورهام عام 1507، وترقى إلى منصب الكاردينال عام 1511. استقر في روما، ووثّق علاقته بالبابا يوليوس الثاني الذي جعله في المرتبة الأولى من الكرادلة التسعة الجدد المعيّنين في رافينا عام 1511، وجعله مندوبًا إلى الجيوش البابوية في البندقية. توفي عام 1514. للمزيد ينظر:
Dominic Aidan Bellenger and Stella Fletcher, Princes of the Church: A History of the English Cardinals, Sutton Publishing, London, PP.57-58.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Studies in History and Archeology

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright and Licensing:
For all articles published in Journal of Studies in History and Archeology, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work.
Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers: It is absolutely essential that authors obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables or any extract of a text) which does not fall into the public domain, or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyrightholder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyrightholder).
Permission is required for: Your own works published by other Publishers and for which you did not retain copyright.
Substantial extracts from anyones' works or a series of works.
Use of Tables, Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks if they are unaltered or slightly modified.
Photographs for which you do not hold copyright.
Permission is not required for: Reconstruction of your own table with data already published elsewhere. Please notice that in this case you must cite the source of the data in the form of either "Data from..." or "Adapted from...".
Reasonably short quotes are considered fair use and therefore do not require permission.
Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks that are completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition do not require permission.
Obtaining Permission
In order to avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process, you should start obtaining permissions as early as possible. If in any doubt about the copyright, apply for permission. Al-Adab Journal cannot publish material from other publications without permission.
The copyright holder may give you instructions on the form of acknowledgement to be followed; otherwise follow the style: "Reproduced with permission from [author], [book/journal title]; published by [publisher], [year].' at the end of the caption of the Table, Figure or Scheme.











