Henry VIII did not have the same approach to government as Henry VII had done. Henry VII was very much a person who wanted to involve himself in the day-to-day running of government – almost in fear that he would lose control of government if he was not in as much control as was possible in those days of limited communication. Henry VIII took a very different approach. He believed that government could be left to trusted men who once they knew the king’s wishes would implement them. Therefore, though Henry VIII was not overly involved in government, his men were actually carrying out his policies. Henry believed that his men were honourable and that loyalty would be their guiding star. Therefore, he did not need to involve himself in government as his trusted and loyal ministers would do it for him. Success was likely to be rewarded. Most, if not all, knew what failure meant.
Henry’s ministers knew that there were only two times in the day when Henry might be available to discuss policy – around the time each day that he took Mass and after dinner. Even then, neither time could be guaranteed, especially the latter. Henry was very good at quickly understanding issues that needed to be answered. While history tends to remember his six wives and infamous temper, it tends to forget that Henry was an intelligent man though probably not as intelligent as he thought he was. He was not the “universal genius” that Erasmus called him either. However, there is little doubt that in the early years of his reign, Henry could easily digest information when it suited his purpose to do so. Keith Randall described Henry as a “shrewd politician”.
Francis Drake circumvented the globe from 1577-1580, helped defeat the Spanish Armada of 1588, and was the most renowned seaman of the Elizabethan era.
The theory espoused by former US President Ronald Reagan, according to which special forces should be formed and strongly supported, with the aim of violently overthrowing communism in so-called "third" countries.
Although he was primarily thinking of Cuba, this Reagan theory was considered very dangerous in the European Union.
Official Brussels has therefore publicly rejected such an approach as unacceptable in international politics, given, inter alia, the fundamental value of the EU, which is based on peace, understanding, tolerance and solidarity.
This doctrine was not always successful. For example, in Lebanon it was a real disaster.
