'Henry VIII broke away from Rome because he wanted to increase his power.' Explain why you agree or disagree with this point of view. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIt could be interpreted that Henry VIII broke away from Rome because he wanted to increase his personal power, however there are two main contradictory views. Firstly that Henry realized the wealth of the Church and decided to take that supply for himself, and secondly that he was driven by the need for nullification. Overall, it can be argued that his need for cancellation was the most important factor. A key reason behind the break with Rome was Henry VIII's quest for power. This is evidenced by his conquest attempts to claim parts of France and expand his kingdom, and his desire to be seen as an "imperial king". Such a monarch would not accept a power greater than his own, or be contradicted by a greater force in matters of nullification. This anger would be supported by the Collectanea satis copiosa, compiled by Cranmer, which undermined the Pope's role in the English Church and referred to an Erastian tradition according to which the King of England was accepted as head of the English Church. However, this desire to overthrow the Pope's power would never have been realized if it were not for the need for an annulment, making this quest for power more of a means than a motive. His desires can be seen to later transform into a lust for power, through the Act of Supremacy of 1534 which made him "the only Supreme Head of the Church in England", confirming the previous Acts and making him the indisputable Head. this takeover is seen only as a different approach, not as the reason for the breakup. Originally, through charging the clergy with praemunire and the Act of Annates in 1532, Henry sought to change the Pope's decision by putting financial pressure on him. If it had worked, he would no doubt have been content and would not have needed to pursue power, so he would not have broken with Rome. There, the need for annulment was the reason Henry VIII broke away from papal authority in England. This is the fundamental starting point from which all the other reasons arise: if he had not needed the annulment, he would never have started the path that led to his separation from Rome. Marking this reason as the beginning of all things clearly shows that it is the only reason behind the breakup, no matter how Henry tried to achieve it, the reason why he used these methods was because he needed an undoing. It was the trigger, the cause, at the heart of every act and every decision until he finally declared the marriage invalid in the Act of Succession of 1534. The final possibility is that Henry was driven by the need for money. He was a king accustomed to a lavish lifestyle and after twenty years or so of reign the royal coffers would no doubt have been depleted. During the process of fighting for annulment, Henry would no doubt have become aware of the Church's vast wealth – by fining those accused of praemunire he was awarded a large sum of money – but this was little more than a fringe benefit. He did not abolish papal authority in England for estates, he originally stopped the annates to put pressure on the Pope, not to promote his own wealth. While this would have attracted Henry as an added bonus and an easy source of income, it wasn't a reason. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay In conclusion, the the).