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To what extent was Elizabeth s foreign policy between 1588 and 1603 an expensive failure

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To what extent was Elizabeth s foreign policy between 1588 and 1603 an expensive failure
To what extent was Elizabeth’s foreign policy between 1588 and 1603 an expensive failure? (45 marks)

Introduction

Define key term ‘expensive failure’ – Foreign policy being an expensive failure would be defined as Elizabeth spending a lot of money on expeditions and war in foreign countries, which England couldn’t really afford. This would be a failure if all the money spent had equalled in very little positive outcome
Define criteria of what an ‘expensive failure’ would entail – for foreign policy to be an expensive failure, Elizabeth would have had to spend high amounts of money on foreign affairs which had then equalled in little positive outcome and instead failed, due to not meeting the aims of her foreign policy in each country for example loosing at war, loosing money on expeditions and war being ended with a peace treaty instead
Judgement – even though there was some success in Elizabeth’s foreign policy, such as defeating the Spanish armada, however this was out balanced by many failures Elizabeth’s foreign policy entailed, such as one of her main aims for Spain to have no control in the Netherlands. Even though she did have some success in her foreign policy, this was still highly expensive, which could question if a success was this expensive, is it in fact a failure instead.
Historiography – Tilbrook: “In the end little had been achieved at a very great cost.”
Synoptic – Foreign policy was less of an expensive failure during

Netherlands

Aims – now England was at wars with Spain, Elizabeth didn’t want the Spanish to even have loose control any more, but to be completely out of the Netherlands, therefore the Netherlands could be made more protestant
Was an expensive failure
Southern part of the Netherlands was still under Catholic control
War cost England £s million
Wasn’t an expensive failure
Northern Netherlands was now protestant
Spain weren’t fully in control of the Netherlands
Doran: “ Ultimately Elizabeth’s objectives were achieved” however

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