Henry II: An Imperialist King?

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• 1. Approach to empire
• 2. Relations with France
• 3. Campaigns in Wales
• 4. Approach to Ireland
• 5. Henry lands in Ireland
• 6. Conclusions on Ireland
• 7. Henry and Scotland
• 8. Feudal control
• 9. Find out more
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Approach to empire

It is impossible to divorce the question of Henry II and imperialism from the nature of 'feudalism' and his own obsession with his rights. The debate as it stands can be broadly broken down into two camps. There are those who believe that Henry's actions early in his reign were dictated by his desire to get back or define what was rightfully his, and that his later invasion of Ireland was in reaction to the growth of private Norman power there. Others argue that Henry was very aggressive, making claims over and above those he could legitimately make, and that Henry and the English viewed the Celtic kingdoms on their borders as barbarians whom it was legitimate to conquer.

By a close reading of the major events of Henry's reign, we can show that Henry was a consummate opportunist who succeeded in exploiting the chances he was given to consolidate his power. Just how deliberate this was is the central question of the debate.

'...Henry was a consummate opportunist who succeeded in exploiting the chances he was given to consolidate his power.'

Henry ruled over a vassalage system, in which the personality of the king is central. This is crucial to our understanding of everything Henry did. He did not view himself as King of England, any more than he viewed himself as Duke of Normandy or Count of Anjou. He was Lord of His Domain, which included England, Normandy, Maine, Anjou and on the periphery, Brittany and Wales. As he saw it, he held England by indisputable right of blood, and he held Normandy and Anjou by that same right but as a vassal of the French king. Brittany, Wales and Maine came to him by right of conquest, handed down to him in part by his predecessors, but requiring the final seal to be set on them, and the blessing of the French king for those lands in France. These lands had all once belonged to Henry I, through conquest, marriage or inheritance, and it was therefore Henry II's inalienable right as he saw it to stamp his authority upon them.

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Published: 2001-04-01