Political and religious rivalry

• Alba set up the council of troubles in 1568, a tribunal which would harshly punish protestants after the Dutch Revolt
• The Council of troubles showed Elizabeth that Spain was a directly threat to Protestantism
• Elizabeth secretly supported Dutch Protestants by:

  • Allowing sea beggars into English ports for safety
  • Gave money to others fighting the Spanish (John Casimir)
  • Encourage privateers to attack Spanish ships
• Elizabeth proposed marriage with the French heir, Duke of Alecon. This would encouraging him to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands
• By 1576, the expenses of the war in the Netherlands led to the Spanish government to stop paying troops. This led them to loot Antwerp
• The looting of Spanish troops in Antwerp made them vulnerable. This gave all 17 Dutch provinces the chance to unite against Spain. This was drawn up in a document called the Pacification of Ghent
• The Pacification of Ghent declared that Spanish troops should be withdrawn from the Netherlands
• By late 1584, the Duke of Parma had restored Spanish control in Spain. England's allies such as the Duke of Orange and the Duke of Alencon were dead
• John Casimir was a foreign mercenary hired by Elizabeth to gather 6000 volunteers for an army. This would ensure Elizabeth can build an army against Spain without it seeming under her authority officially
• By 1587, England and Spain were close to war. Philip blamed Elizabeth for supporting rebels and privateers, while Elizabeth blamed Spain for their support for plots against her
• A good relationship with the Duke of Alencon would encourage Philipto withdraw troops from the Netherlands
• After the Duke of Alencon's death, France fell into a civil war, meaning it was too unstable to support England
• The Duke of Orange was the leader of Protestants in the Netherlands. He was likely assassinated by a Spanish Catholic
• The treaty of Joinville was signed by the French Catholic League and Spain in 1584, which made them both allies against Protestantism
• Robert Dudley encouraged Elizabeth to intervene in the Netherlands, but she did not want to anger Philip. Due to this, Dudley was not given enough supplies to start a large campaign against Spanish control there
• In 1586, Robert Dudley accepted to become the Governor general of the Netherlands. This made Elizabeth angry, as she still desires negotiations with Spain
• The Netherlands wanted England to be a governor general as they needed another protestant ally who could protect them
• The assassination of William of Orange showed how easy it was for a Protestant leader like Elizabeth to be executed