England vs. the Spanish Armada
1585 - 1604
Summary
England and Spain had been rivals for many years due to many conflicts and problems. This is why King Philip ll of Spain launched a quest called the ¨Enterprise of England¨, which was a quest for Spain to conquer England so it could be brought back to Catholicism. However, before the Armada even took off, To slow the Armada’s progress, the Queen allowed the salty privateer and navigator Sir Francis Drake to make a surprise strike against the Spanish port of Cadiz. After briefly capturing the city’s harbor, Drake and his men torched some 30 Spanish vessels and seized or destroyed several tons of food and supplies intended for the Armada. Finally, the Armada took off on May 19, 1588, carrying many soldiers that were ready to take over the English Channel, hoping to unite with the Duke of Parma. Still knowing of this, the English tried many attempts to intercept the Armada. One attack led by Drake and Lord Howard consisted of them setting ships on fire and sending towards the Armada, which broke up the defensive line. After this, having the advantage of being on familiar land, England used long-range attacks on the Spanish Armada. While this was happening, many ships were falling out of formation and getting lost. By the end, the English had won since the Spanish had come off unorganized and misfortunate due to major storms that wrecked many of their boats.
Cause
Other causes include:
- Phillip II wanted to convert England back to Catholicism since England was Protestant under Elizabeth's rule.
- The Spanish wanted to increase their power and influence, they wanted to capture England for the Spanish Empire.
- Elizabeth would often hesitate to make decisions, which her advisors strongly disliked, the Spanish thought that this hesitation would make her weaker and vulnerable to attack.
Timeline of Events
- 1560 - England's pirates capture Spanish ships - England had a strong group of paid pirates that would plunder and capture Spanish ships to weaken them significantly.
- 1585 - King Phillip of Spain commissions ~130 ships for the Armada - This cost Spain a huge amount of money which was nearly 65% of the entire country's wealth.
- 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed - Mary was found guilty of attempting to overthrow Elizabeth due to religious reasons. This angered King Phillip.
- May 1588 - Armada sails to England - English spies are aware of this fleet, and England is on watch.
- August 1588 - Spain anchors at Calais - Waits for reinforcements from the Netherlands before attacking
- August 1588 - England sends ships into Calais - Five ships were intended to break their defensive formation and ignite ammunition and gunpowder upon Spanish fleets. This plan was a success and the Armada was scattered. English ships followed them and the Armada was forced to return back to Spain.
- September 1588 - Storms in Scotland greatly damage ships - Nearly half the ships are lost and thousands of Spanish soldiers are killed in a storm.
- 1596 - Second Spanish Armada attempt - Most ships are wrecked from a large storm.
- 1597 - Third Armada attempt - Another storm stops this mission
- 1604 - Treaty between England and France - England agrees to stop pirating Spanish fleets and to concede from the Netherlands conflict and Spain gives up on trying to convert England to Catholicism.
King Phillip II
Elizabeth I
Francis Drake
Outcome
Main Significance
Worked Cited
https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/spanish-armada
https://www.tutor2u.net/history/reference/reasons-for-the-spanish-armada
https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-spanish-armada
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/272710-spanish-armada
Primary Source: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/god-blew-they-were-scattered/source-2/
This is a report from Lord Howard of Effingham, the Admiral of the English fleet. Lord Howard stated that the Spanish Armada was ´soe strong´. He talks about the incoming fleet and the dangers it threatens.