Do You Agree with the View That Thomas Cromwell Was the...

Do you agree with the view that Thomas Cromwell was the driving force in the break with Rome in the years to 1534?! Plan: ! Para 1:Source 7 and 8 tell us that Cromwell was the driving force in the break! Para 2:Source 9 and 7 also tell us it was driven by henry wanting a divorce ! Conclusion: I believe that the break was not driven by cromwell but a variety of other reasons (quote source 7 and 8 ‘succession problem) Thomas Cromwell was an adviser to Henry VIII, responsible for drafting the documents that formalised Englands religious and political break with Rome during the 1530’s. It can be argued that he was the driving force behind the break from Rome. However it could be other reasons such as Henrys desire for a divorce or†¦show more content†¦Source 9 and 7 disagrees with the statement and tells us that Henrys wish to divorce Catherine of Aragon was the driving force in the break from Rome. Source 9 is a letter written by Eustace Chapuys it tells us of his suspicions to why Cranmer was promoted to Archbishop of Canterbury, â€Å"to the great astonishment of everybody†. He tells us that it is suspected that Cranmer has been made Archbishop as he â€Å"may authorise the new marriage in this parliament and can grant the necessary divorce†. Promoting Cranmer to Archbishop so hastily without consulting the Pope shows a clear break and the cause is shown to be the He nrys haste to gain the â€Å"necessary divorce†. Source 7 says about the Act in Restraint of Appeals that â€Å"in earlier drafts of the act, speciï ¬ c reference was made to the King’s divorce and the problems of succession†, this shows that one of the main pieces of legislation surrounding the break from Rome contained the personal matter of the King’s divorce, showing it was an important factor. However the validity of Source 9 is questionable as it is written by the ambassador to Charles V. Charles V was Catherine of Aragon’s nephew so Chapuys would probably place Catherine’s importance, in the break with rome, ï ¬ rst. In conclusion, I believe that the break from Rome was not driven by Cromwell but by a variety of other factors, foremost of which was Henry’s desire for a male heir. Source 8 says â€Å"possibly the most signiï ¬ cant event in the ‘Reformation’