The treaty that led to disaster
In 1513, James IV of Scotland renewed and strengthened the Auld Alliance with France — the ancient pact of mutual defence that had bound the two nations against England since 1295. The immediate cause was Henry VIII's invasion of France: under the terms of the alliance, Scotland was obliged to create a diversion by attacking England from the north. James honoured the treaty. The decision cost him his life and the lives of 10,000 Scots.
The Auld Alliance was the longest-standing alliance in European history. Its logic was straightforward: Scotland and France shared a common enemy in England. When England attacked France, Scotland invaded England. When England attacked Scotland, France provided money, soldiers, and diplomatic support. The alliance had saved Scotland from English conquest on multiple occasions and had given France a permanent strategic irritant on England's northern border.
James IV's renewal of the alliance in 1513 was driven by both duty and ambition. He was a Renaissance king who saw Scotland as a major European power, and honouring the French alliance was central to that vision. When Henry VIII crossed the Channel to fight in France, James assembled the largest Scottish army ever fielded — perhaps 30,000 men — and crossed the River Tweed into Northumberland.
The result was Flodden. On 9 September 1513, James IV was killed along with his son the Archbishop of St Andrews, nine earls, thirteen barons, and an estimated 10,000 soldiers. It was Scotland's greatest military catastrophe. The Auld Alliance had demanded loyalty, and James had given it — at a price that Scotland could scarcely afford. The treaty of 1513 stands as a reminder that alliances have consequences, and that the bonds between nations are sometimes sealed in blood.