Spain and the Spanish Armada

• During the early years of Elizabeth’s reign Catholic Spain , the most powerful country in the world at that time, and Protestant England remained friendly
• Over time tension built up between England and Spain leading to war in 1585 and an invasion of England in 1588, known as the Spanish Armada
• What issues led to war between Spain and England

  • France at civil war 
  • Piracy 
  • Elizabeth supporting Dutch revolt 
  • Marriage rejection 
  • Religious differences
  • Spain supports plots against Elizabeth
• Why did Religious differences lead to war with Spain?

  • Spain was a Catholic country and England a Protestant country 
  • This meant that the two rulers had conflicting spiritual outlooks
• Why did marriage rejection lead to war with Spain?

  • King Philip of Spain had been married to Elizabeth’s sister, Mary I.  
  • When Mary died he offered to marry Elizabeth but she rejected him , angering Philip
• Why did Piracy lead to war with Spain?

  • English sailors like Hawkins and Drake attacked and stole treasure from Spanish ships in the New World 
  • King Philip was furious but Elizabeth encouraged and rewarded adventurers
• Why did the civil war in France lead to war with Spain?

  • France was the traditional enemy of both England and Spain, meaning that they united together against the country 
  • Now France was in civil war it was preoccupied with its own issues and no longer posed a threat 
  • So the alliance between Spain and England was not necessary anymore
• Why did Spanish support for Catholic plots lead to war with Spain

  • There was evidence of Spanish support for plots to restore Catholicism to England, particularly involving getting Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne and Elizabeth off 
  • This made Spain a threat to Elizabeth
• Why did the Dutch Revolt lead to war with Spain?

  • Protestants in the Netherlands began a revolt against Spanish rule in 1572 
  • Elizabeth secretly supported the Dutch rebels because she knew the Dutch revolt would keep the Spanish too busy to threaten England
• Why did Elizabeth's army joining the Dutch rebels lead to war with Spain?

  • Elizabeth sent an army to help the Dutch rebels fight Spain 
  •  For the first time English and Spanish armies were fighting each other.  
  • England and Spain were now at war
• The Netherlands were ruled by Spain but the English saw the Netherlands as a vital place for trade
• By 1572 Protestant ideas had spread in the Netherlands and Protestant Dutch rebels began a campaign for independence from Catholic Spain, leading to the Dutch Revolt
• King Philip of Spain sent an army to defeat the rebels
• Following the death of the Dutch rebel leader, William of Orange, Elizabeth was approached to become Queen of the Dutch - She declined but sent an army to fight with the Dutch against Spain
• Throughout the 1590s the Dutch won several victories against the Spanish and by 1609, after Elizabeth’s death, the Dutch Protestants won control of Holland
• The greatest challenge to Elizabeth was first sighted in the English Channel on 29 July 1588 - This was the Spanish Armada, a fleet of armed ships sailing towards England in a crescent formation
• Partly because of religious differences, and partly because of English interference in Spanish affairs in the New World and the Netherlands, King Philip of Spain decided to invade England and attempt to overthrow Elizabeth
• Elizabeth was expected to protect her people from this invasion
• The Spanish Commander/Commanders

  The Duke of Medina Sidonia - He had little experience of sailing
• The English Commander/Commanders

  • Lord Howard of Effingham - He had little experience of fighting at sea 
  • Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake -  Both were very experienced
• Spanish Fleet

  • 130 (roughly) total ships - these included :
  • 64 battleships 
  • 22 huge galleons 
  • 45 converted merchant ships
• English Fleet

  • 200 (roughly) total ships - these included:
  • 54 strong, light and fast battleships
  • 140 converted merchant ships
• Spanish sailors and soldiers

  • 30,000 men on board the fleet 
  • 20,000 soldiers on land
• English sailors and soldiers

  • 14,000 men on board the fleet 
  • 20,000 soldiers on land
• Spanish food supplies

  • Not fresh food supplies 
  • 6 months’ worth of supplies were stored on the ships
• English food supplies

  • Fresh food supplies 
  • Supplied daily
• Spanish Weapons

  • 2,000 large cannon 
  • Could fire heavy cannon balls 
  • Could only fire over a short distance 
  • Were slow to load.
• English weapons?

  • 200 smaller cannons  
  • Could fire over long distances 
  • Were quick to load
• Spanish tactics?

  Get close so men could board and capture the enemy ships
• English tactics?

  Destroy enemy ships by firing cannon balls at them from a distance
• Spanish annual income?

  £3 million
• English annual income

  £300,000 - Parliament did grant Elizabeth taxes to top this up
• Stage 1 - The Armada sets sail

  • The Armada leaves Lisbon on 28 May 1588. It’s delayed by storms and repairs, and finally sets sail for England on 21 July.
  • The Armada is sighted by the English from Lizard Point in Cornwall. Warning beacons are lit along the English coastline
• Stage 2 - The Armada gets chased

  • The Armada continues through the English Channel now chased by English ships, but suffers little damage.
• Stage 3 - The Armada tries to join up with more troops

  • The Armada anchors near Calais where more troops are meant to join, led by the Duke of Parma, but the English send burning fire ships into the fleet 
  • The Spanish ships panic and are scattered out of formation
• Stage 4 - The Battle of Gravelines?

  • The Spanish ships are blown towards dangerous sandbanks and the English attack again in the Battle of Gravelines
  • This time they battle at close range and significant damage is inflicted to the Spanish fleet.
• Stage 5 - Spanish retreat

  • The Armada is forced north around the east coast of Britain and the English fleet turn back after food and ammunition supplies run low.
  • The Armada sets sail for home but are forced around Scotland and Ireland. Many ships are wrecked in storms and thousands of sailors drown.
  • The surviving Spanish ships arrive back in Spain, but almost half of their fleet is lost.
  • Victory for England
• Ships lost

  • Spain - 51 
  • England - 0
• Men lost

  • Spain - around 20,000 
  • England - around 100
• English losses were relatively minor during the battle compared to those of the Spanish