Alliances

• • France wanted to be allied with England because France was surrounded by Spanish territory expect to the north
• • Spain wanted to be allied with England because Elizabeth’s fleet could help protect its ships sailing in the Channel to the Netherlands
  • Spain had controlled the Netherlands since the 15th century
  • however, from 1567, Spain wanted to stamp out Protestantism in the Netherlands - Spanish troops were sent to the Netherlands
  • this alarmed English Protestants with fear that this could happen to them
  • Elizabeth felt pressure to help the Dutch Protestant rebels
  • this led to England’s involvement in the Netherlands