England v. Spain and Spanish Armada
Religious Wars Project - Jeffrey, Dawson, Kemal
Summary
The Spanish launched an invasion on England, using the Spanish Armada. The Spanish Armada was a 130 ship naval fleet, and was considered the strongest navy at that time. They were assembled in order to take down Queen Elizabeth I under King Philip II’s order. Their plan was to assemble an army of 30,000 from the Netherlands and send them across the sea to launch a ground assault. However, Sir Francis Drake launched a preemptive attack destroying dozens of ships and delaying the Armada for months. Back in England, the English started to fortify the beaches, added light beacons, and blocked the Thames Estuary with a chain. The Spanish finally set sail, while Howard and Drake assembled 100 vessels to confront them. After several days, the Spanish managed to set anchor and tried to rendezvous with the Duke of Parma. Drake and Howard set fire ships towards the Armada, causing them to separate. After the formation broke, the English launched a counterattack, but retreated after losing supplies. Later, a strong wind carried the Armada north, and they were forced to retreat due to disease and famine. On their way back to Spain, a huge storm destroyed several ships. At the end, the English won the war and the Spanish suffered many losses.
Causes
There were many small conflicts that slowly built up tension, leading to war.
- Execution of Queen Mary of Scotland in 1587 made the Spanish want revenge.
- Philip II wanted to restore Catholicism in England, and he was supported by the Pope.
- Philip II wanted more power and land, and the French and Spanish have already agreed to wipe out the Protestant faith in Europe.
- English pirates were raiding other Spanish commerce ships throughout the mid to late sixteenth century.
- Queen Elizabeth I supported the Dutch rebels in the Spanish Netherlands in 1585 with the treaty of Nonsuch.
Course of Events/Timeline
- Sir Francis Drake raids ports in Spain, destroying supplies and armada preparations (April 1587)
- Armada sets sail for England (May 1588)
- English fleet attacked the Armada as it sailed up the English channel (From July 20-27, 1588)
- Armada anchors near the port city of Calais, France (July 27, 1588)
- The English attacked the Spanish fleet at the battle of Gravelines. The Spanish fleet fled North where many Spanish ships were sunk by storms. (July 29, 1588)
- Other Spanish armada attempts at 1596 and 1597, both failed
- Treaty of London signed in 1604 ending the Anglo-Spanish War
Key Figures
Admiral Charles Howard
Sir Francis Drake
Queen Elizabeth I
King Phillip II of Spain
Duke of Medina Sedonia
Duke of Parma
Outcome
The English won against the main Spanish Armada. There were a few more smaller “armadas” in later years but all were a fail. A peace treaty was signed in 1604 that ended the Anglo-Spanish war known as the treaty of London. The Spanish suffered 15000 deaths and lost 60 of 130 ships.
Main Significance
After the Armada was defeated, Spain’s power was partially weakened. England's victory proved that England was the most powerful naval forces of the time. The victory saved the Dutch Republic from being completely wiped out. This battle also had a large influence on military tactics as the use of ships were adopted by almost all countries and sea battles became a normality of war. Most countries started using heavy cannons which lead to the dawn of a new era of warfare at sea.
Primary Source Document
This document shows an account of how a Spaniard saw their defeat against England. At first they were confident of their power, but England's military tactics and leadership proved to overpower the Spanish. This victory for proved that England was the most powerful naval force of the time and would lay the foundation for its naval forces to be influential in the New World.
Links to transcript:http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/god-blew-they-were-scattered/source-4/
Sources
https://spanisharmadaapush3.weebly.com/primary-sources.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Armada-Spanish-naval-fleet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/adams_armada_01.shtml,
https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_anglospanish,
https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/london-treaty-1604http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/tudors_stuarts/the_armada/revision/4/
https://spartacus-educational.com/TUDmedina.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/howard_charles_admiral.shtml