War with Spain

Reasons for Poor Relations with Spain

Spain was a strong country. Spain took control of Lisbon in 1580 and Philip became King of Portugal. Spain also had a strong position in the Americas. Growing tension between England and Spain during Elizabeth’s reign eventually led to war.

King Felipe (Philip) II

Philip II of Spain had been married to Mary I, Elizabeth’s sister. This had made him the joint monarch of England.
However, Mary’s death in 1558 without a child prevented a unification of England and Spain under a Catholic monarch.
Although Philip proposed to Elizabeth the year later, she never married him (or anyone).

Catholicism and Catholic English plots

Spain had remained Catholic throughout the years of Reformation.
The Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570 and King Felipe II of Spain had been involved in the Ridolfi, the Throckmorton, and the Babington plots.
Cardinal William Allen was the Pope's English Cardinal. Cardinal Allen was close to King Felipe II and begged him to intervene in England to restore Catholicism.

Support of the Duke of Anjou in the Netherlands

Philip II of Spain ruled the Netherlands. In 1579, Elizabeth began to support Protestant rebels, led by the Duke of Anjou, one of Elizabeth's lovers. She sent the Duke of Anjou £60,000 to support his aim of becoming the King of the Netherlands.
In 1585, she gave even more support, signing the Treaty of Nonsuch. This gave military support to the Dutch rebels and promised that England would protect them.
Elizabeth signed the treaty because England relied on Dutch ports for trade, Elizabeth wanted to support Protestants and because of her relationship with the Duke.

Robert Dudley in the Netherlands

In December 1585, Robert Dudley (the Earl of Leicester) led English forces in the Netherlands after William of Orange's death. This was an attempt to complete the Duke of Anjou's earlier work.
Dudley led 7,000 troops and became "Governor-General". This title implied that the English owned the Netherlands, provoking King Felipe II.
Dudley (the Earl of Leicester) had a bad campaign and lost the war in 1587.

English privateers

English privateers like Sir Francis Drake traded with Spain’s American colonies. These privateers raided Spanish boats and stole their treasure. Drake's boat, called the Golden Hind, was infamous.
Although they were not officially British, some of the privateers’ loot went to Elizabeth. The treasure received from Sir Francis Drake in 1580 was enormous.

The 1568 plunder

In 1568, 5 Spanish ships containing £100,000 of treasure sheltered in the English Channel. English pirates and the English government claimed the plunder from the ports of Plymouth and Southampton.
Spain responded by arresting English merchants in the Spanish Netherlands. England responded by arresting Spanish merchants in England.
The Spanish then closed Antwerp port to English ships.

Naval Warfare with Spain

Henry VIII had built up a navy of fighting vessels to protect England, and this growth continued under Elizabeth and John Hawkins, her naval commander.

Spain's invasion preparations

The Spanish army already had troops ready to invade, living in Ireland.
Cardinal William Allen had told King Felipe II that the British navy was in bad shape, even though they weren't, to try to encourage him to invade.

The raid on Cadiz 1

At sea, Sir Francis Drake and Robert Devereux (the Earl of Essex) raided Spanish ports and ships, including at Cadiz in 1587. They raided and plundered Faro on their way back to England.
They destroyed 25-35 Spanish ships during this incident and harmed their building of their Armada which was happening down the coast in Lisbon.

Lisbon and Faro

The Spanish Armada was preparing to invade England in Faro and Lisbon.
The Earl of Essex and Drake damaged Spain's shipbuilding preparations and this meant that Spain's ships in the 1588 Armada were lower quality than they otherwise would have been.
The raid on Cadiz, Lisbon & Faro became known as the ‘singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’. It delayed the Armada by more than 12 months.

Line of battle

During navy battles, a tactic called ‘line of battle’ was used. Ships, in a single line formation, fired together on the enemy. Surprise raids were also a common tactic.
‘Fireships’ were used, where an old ship was set ablaze and sent into the middle of the enemy. Such tactics caused great panic.

New technology

New technologies such as lateen sails allowed speed and agility, and more precise performance in battles and raids. More powerful cannons allowed more accurate fire at longer ranges.
Elizabeth encouraged the sailors, as she wanted the treasures they had stolen to enrich England.

Bad Spanish tactics

Spain's navy tried to board enemy ships and fight man to man.
English ships could simply stay out of range, stopping Spanish troops boarding. Then, they could fire cannonballs (broadsides) to sink Spanish ships.
Spain's sailors were also generally less experienced in war at sea (naval warfare) than the English sailors.

The Spanish Armada, 1588

In 1588, Philip II launched 151 ships, 7,000 sailors, and 34,000 soldiers, to invade England via the Netherlands. England had interfered in the Spanish Netherlands and the plan was to collect troops from Flanders before invading England.

May - July

The Armada was led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, who had little experience in the navy.
The Armada left Spain/Portugal in May, but bad weather meant that they did not reach the English Channel until July.
The Spanish fleet reached Cornwall in July. Beacons were lit all up the coast, sending news of the arrival of the Spanish Armada.
Philip had filled his ships with land weapons for the battles to come. He also had troops waiting in Ireland.

6th August

The Spanish fleet was anchored on the Dutch coast for several days, waiting for more soldiers from the Duke of Parma (the regent for King Felipe in the Netherlands).
They were not in a protected deepwater port and they could not anchor very safely.
Sir Francis Drake commanded English sailors to strike. He sent 8 fireships (burning ships) the next morning into the Spanish fleet.

8th August: The Battle of Gravelines

Firing from 100 metres away, the English damaged many Spanish ships. The Duke of Medina-Sidonia, commander of the Spanish fleet, turned his ships around to head for home. Only 65 ships made it back.
This attack coincided with a storm, which blew the Armada off course, and allowing the English ships to pursue them. Many ships were wrecked off the coast of Scotland and Ireland.

Outcome

Elizabeth I earned money to pay her navy and nobles by ransoming the captured Spanish troops.
King Philip II planned another attack but never invaded successfully.
Philip II prepared for a second attempt but never launched the mission.
The defeat of the Armada brought England together, and more Catholics pledged loyalty to the queen. During the news of the Spanish invasion, there was no uprising to support the Spanish as Cardinal Allen had predicted. The victory strengthened the sense that England was living through a ‘golden age’.

1Queen, Government & Religion

1.1Elizabeth I & her Court

1.1.1Elizabeth's Accession

1.1.2Elizabeth's Court

1.1.3The French Threat

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Elizabeth I & her Court

1.1.5Grade 9 - Elizabeth I & her Court

1.1.6Exam-Style Questions - French Threats

1.2Elizabeth's Opponents in Court & Parliament

1.2.1The Difficulties of Being a Female Ruler

1.2.2Mary Queen of Scots

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Elizabeth's Opponents

1.2.4Grade 9 - Elizabeth's Opponents

1.2.5Exam-Style Questions - Mary Queen of Scots

2Challenges to Elizabeth at Home & Abroad

2.1The Religious Settlement

2.1.1Henry VIII's Protestant Legacy

2.1.2The Religious Settlement

2.1.3Religious Threats to Elizabeth I

2.1.4End of Topic Test - The Religious Settlement

2.1.5Grade 9 - Challenges at Home & Abroad

2.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Religious Threats

2.2Rebellion & War

2.2.1Plots & Revolts at Home 1569-88

2.2.2War with Spain

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Challenges at Home and Abroad

2.2.4Grade 9 - Rebellion and War

2.2.5Exam-Style Questions - Northern Rebellion

3Elizabethan Society 1558-88

3.1Education & Leisure

3.1.1Leisure & Education under Elizabeth

3.1.2End of Topic Test - Education & Leisure

3.2The Poor & Living Standards

3.2.1Living Standards & the Gentry

3.2.2Paupers & Charity under Elizabeth

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Elizabethan Society

3.2.4Exam-Style Questions - Poverty

3.3Exploration & Discovery

3.3.1Navigation & Exploration under Elizabeth

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Exploration and Discovery

3.3.3Grade 9 - Elizabethan Society & Navigation

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