Without losing sight of the norms of natural boundaries for his country, Henry IV acted in foreign policy according to another principle, which was widely practiced at this time. This was the principle of “political balance”. If the new state was national, that is, built on the basis of the economic unity of the territory and the associated unity of language and culture, then in its relations with other states it sought to protect this whole from their encroachments. Practically in foreign policy, this led to the desire to preserve the historically established balance of power between European states, to create a counterbalance to any rapidly growing power, and in the event of seizures carried out by the strongest power, to compensate for the weaker ones in order to restore the same “balance.” Of course, all such “principles” were valid only as long as it was impossible or dangerous to violate them by force.
Henry IV was guided by “principles” while it was dangerous to round and expand the borders of France in any other way. In practice, he strove for two goals: to weaken the power of the Habsburg dynasty and to maintain the emerging balance between the European powers, which was beneficial for France. In these forms, he continued to maintain friendly relations with England, which helped him, as a Protestant and enemy of Spain, to seize the French throne. However, at the same time, Henry secretly opposed the plans of English sailors and merchants and the machinations of English diplomats in Italy and the East, where, as is known, France had been firmly entrenched since the time of Francis I. As a result of this, the ambassadors of Henry IV in London – Thumery, Harle de Beaumont and La Borderie always faced the difficult task of combining friendship with England with opposition to the desire of the same power to take a leading position. All for the same purposes of weakening the Habsburgs, Henry IV contributed to the conclusion of peace between Spain and Holland. Thus, the French king promoted Spain's recognition of the independence of the 7 northern provinces of the Netherlands that had fallen from it. In the East, in Turkey, Henry restored French influence, which had been shaken during the religious wars, with the help of the successful diplomatic activities of his ambassadors Savary de Breves and Jean de Gonto-Biron. The benefits received by Francis I in 1535 were fully restored in 1604. 5 All nations wishing to trade with Turkey had to send their ships there under the French flag. The exception was the British, who managed to obtain from the Sultan at the end of the 16th century (1599) the right to enter his ports under their own flag. Henry's friendship with the Sultan was a means to frighten the emperor (Habsburg) with the invasion of Turkish armies, and the Spanish king (also Habsburg) with the attack of the Turkish fleet. Both were the key to the security of France. At the same time, however, Henry did not prevent his friends and pious but naive admirers from spreading rumors about his intentions to conquer the East, expel the Sultan from Europe and declare a crusade against him. In relation to the German princes, Henry also adhered to the realpolitik bequeathed to him by the 16th century. His representative Bongar assured the German Protestant princes that Henry’s transition from Protestantism to Catholicism should not embarrass them: the king’s friendly attitude towards the German princes remains unchanged, as does his desire to continue to be the defender of “original German freedom.” Since the princes were strong, the emperor, the eternal enemy of France, Habsburg, was weak. Henry IV finally managed to create a coalition against the Habsburgs and begin organizing the fight against them. However, Ravaillac's dagger interrupted his life (1610).