Synopses & Reviews
His thesis is simple: English policy in Ireland was shaped to a greater extent than has previously been realized by foreign policy and the power politics of the Counter Reformation... A brief but important book.'CHOICE Dr Palmer explores the role of sixteenth-century Ireland in considerable depth, examining how it changed during times of crisis abroad, and how the tensions provoked by the Reformation in England introduced an ideological element into international politics. He shows how the failure of Henry's invasions of Scotland and France in the 1540s led to greater involvement in Ireland by these countries, which in turn led to the entry of more and more English officials into Ireland and the implementation of increasingly aggressive policies. This study thus shows that Tudor rule in Ireland reflected wider international politics, with significant implications.WILLIAM PALMERis Professor of History at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
Synopsis
This book examines the place of Ireland in English foreign policy from 1485-1603. Recent reinterpretations of the history of sixteenth-century Ireland, while injecting new life into early modern Irish historiography, have paid little attention to the role of Ireland in Tudor foreign policy and strategic thinking. While foreign policy was not the 'deus ex machina' of Irish policy, several shifts in Tudor policy toward Ireland occurred during times of foreign policy crisis. The tensions provoked by the Reformation in England, for example, introduced an ideological element into international politics. England and Ireland became regular targets for foreign Catholic plots, forcing Henry VIII and, later, others to seek a more compliant Ireland. In the 1540s Henry compounded England's international situation by invading Scotland and France. Both endeavours ultimately failed and led to more French and Scottish intervention in Ireland, which in turn led to the entry of more and more English officials into Ireland and the implementation of increasingly agressive policies. Tudor rule in Ireland, therefore, both reflected wider international politics and had implications for relations between England and Scotland, and between Scotland and Ireland. WILLIAM PALMER is Professor of History at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
Synopsis
Examination of the influence of Irish affairs on English foreign policy under the Tudors.
His thesis is simple: English policy in Ireland was shaped to a greater extent than has previously been realized by foreign policy and the power politics of the Counter Reformation... A brief but important book.'CHOICE DrPalmer explores the role of sixteenth-century Ireland in considerable depth, examining how it changed during times of crisis abroad, and how the tensions provoked by the Reformation in England introduced an ideological element into international politics. He shows how the failure of Henry's invasions of Scotland and France in the 1540s led to greater involvement in Ireland by these countries, which in turn led to the entry of more and more English officials into Ireland and the implementation of increasingly aggressive policies. This study thus shows that Tudor rule in Ireland reflected wider international politics, with significant implications.
WILLIAM PALMERis Professor of History at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.