The Spanish Armada (AQA GCSE History): Revision Note

The Spanish Armada is the historic environment for the 2027 AQA Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 exam.

For the historic environment for the 2026 paper, please read our guide on The Globe Theatre.

The historic environment question is a 16-mark question on the Elizabethan England c1568 -1603 course. 

Unlike other sites previously selected, the Armada is not a physical building or structure; it is a battle. As such, you should study the Spanish Armada in the context of the military, political, religious, and international tensions of Elizabethan England.

Your knowledge of the Spanish Armada should cover the following aspects: 

• The causes of the Armada

• The location of the campaign and its key battles

• The reasons for the Armada’s failure

• The short- and long-term consequences of the campaign

• People connected with the site 

• How the site reflects the culture, values and fashions of the time

• How the site links to important events and/or developments of that historical period 

• How those aspects have

  • Changed from earlier periods

  • Changed or stayed the same during this period 

The question will ask “How far do you agree” with the statement outlined in the question.

When the Spanish Armada was the historic environment for the 2020 Elizabethan England c1568 -1603 paper, the question was:

“Leadership was the main reason for success in battle during the Elizabethan period." How far does a study of the Spanish Armada support this statement?

Background to the Spanish Armada

• For much of the 16th century, England and Spain had shared common interests and a fear of France

• However, by the 1560s, their relationship deteriorated

Causes of the Spanish Armada

Religion

• England had become a Protestant country under Elizabeth I

  • This angered Philip II, who saw himself as the defender of Catholic Europe

• Tensions escalated after Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570

  • This encouraged attacks and plots against Elizabeth

The Netherlands

• Philip II ruled the Spanish Netherlands

• In 1567, he sent an army there to crush a Protestant rebellion

• Elizabeth began to support the Dutch rebels by providing financial aid

  • A large Spanish army so close to England worried Elizabeth and her government

  • Elizabeth was reluctant to send any additional support

• In 1585, due to pressure from her advisers, Elizabeth sent Robert Dudley and 7,000 soldiers to the Netherlands

  • This was seen as a declaration of war against Spain

Mary, Queen of Scots

• In 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots arrived in England

  • As a Catholic with a claim to the English throne, Mary was a figurehead for Catholic plots

• Her execution in 1587 gave Philip an excuse to invade

Privateers

• English explorers like Francis Drake and John Hawkins attacked Spanish treasure ships in the Americas

  • They were known as 'privateers' - pirates working for the government

• Elizabeth encouraged and rewarded raids on Spanish ships and ports

  • After Drake's circumnavigation of the world (1577-1580), Elizabeth knighted him on the deck of his ship, The Golden Hinde

• Drake attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz in 1587

  • He destroyed 30 ships

    • Drake also damages materials intended to make barrels to store the Armada's food supplies

  • His attack delayed the Armada by a year

Trade and exploration

• The English cloth trade with Antwerp (The Netherlands) was disrupted by Spanish embargoes

  • Wool was incredibly important to England's economy and Elizabeth's revenue

• In response, Elizabeth encouraged English merchants to seek new markets, including in Spanish colonies in the Americas

  • This threatened Spain's dominance over the Americas

  • It also limited their access to silver and sugar

• In 1580, Philip II added Portugal to his empire

  • This gave Philip more power

  • Elizabeth ordered her privateers to attack these colonies too

The development of naval technology

• In the early 1570s, John Hawkins advised Elizabeth to build a fleet of new ships

  • English ships needed to be faster and more manoeuvrable against Spanish galleons

Key improvements in Elizabethan ship design

• The size and reliability of ships

  • Galleons were larger than previous trading ships

    • They could carry more cargo for voyages

  • 16th-century galleons had a lower bow and stern than in previous designs

    • This improved the galleon's stability in stormy conditions

• Galleons utilised different types of sails

  • Square sails create speed

  • Triangular (or Lateen) sails improved the ability to manoeuvre the ship

• More sails and masts made galleons faster and more accurate

• The placement of the cannon

  • Designers placed cannons along the whole length of the galleon

    • This allowed sailors to protect themselves better from pirates or Spanish privateers

People connected to the Spanish Armada

Spanish

Philip II of Spain

• King of Spain and leader of the Catholic Counter-Reformation

• He planned the Armada to depose Elizabeth and restore Catholic rule in England

Marquis of Santa Cruz

• Philip’s first choice to lead the Armada

  • He was an experienced naval commander who had served in the Mediterranean

• Santa Cruz died in 1588, shortly before the Armada set sail

  • His death left the Armada without a leader at a crucial moment

Duke of Medina Sidonia

• Appointed after Santa Cruz’s death

• Medina Sidonia was a nobleman and experienced army commander

  • He had little naval experience

  • He was seasick and reluctant to lead the fleet

• Despite this, he followed orders and coordinated the Armada’s route through the Channel

Duke of Parma

• Spanish commander in the Netherlands

• Parma led the army that was supposed to join the Armada and invade England

  • His troops never joined the Armada due to:

    • English naval resistance

    • Poor communication with Medina Sidonia

English

Queen Elizabeth I

• Queen of England during the Armada

• Elizabeth gave a famous speech at Tilbury in August 1588 to rally troops

  • This showed strong leadership and propaganda skill

• She backed the navy and appointed trusted commanders

Lord Charles Howard

• Howard was an experienced naval commander

• Elizabeth chose him to be Admiral of the English fleet

• He ordered the use of fireships at Calais

Sir Francis Drake

• Drake became the Vice-Admiral of the English fleet

• He previously attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz in 1587

  • This was known as the ‘Singeing the King of Spain’s Beard’ 

  • This delayed the Spanish Armada by a year and weakened Spanish resources

• Drake played a key role in early engagements and in launching fireships

Philip’s invasion plan

• Philip’s Armada aimed to:

  • Sail a large fleet from Spain

  • Travel through the English Channel

  • Meet up with the Duke of Parma’s army in the Netherlands

  • Transport Parma's troops across to England under the protection of the Armada

• Once landed, the Spanish forces would:

  • March to London

  • Overthrow Elizabeth

  • Establish a Catholic government

• Key elements of the plan included:

  • A total of 130 ships carrying over 30,000 men and 2,431 guns

  • Over 27,000 troops under Parma waiting in the Netherlands

  • A crescent formation to protect vulnerable supply ships

  • Firepower and supplies sufficient for a short campaign

Location: Route of the Armada and key battles

The planned route

• The Armada would sail from Spain through the English Channel to the Netherlands

• It would join with the Duke of Parma’s troops and escort them across to England

• The joint force would land in Kent and march on London to remove Elizabeth

The actual route

1. May 1588: The Armada began its journey but was delayed by storms. It returned to Spain

2. July 1588: The Armada left Lisbon again and sailed up the Channel. It did not pick up Parma's troops

3. English attacks: Spain fought small-scale skirmishes against the English in Plymouth and Portland

4. Battle of Gravelines (8th August 1588): Defeat caused the Armada to scatter

5. Retreat: Strong winds pushed the Armada north around Scotland and Ireland

   • Severe storms wrecked many ships along the coasts of western Ireland

     • Only about half the fleet returned to Spain

Battles

• Key engagements took place off the coasts of:

  • Plymouth

  • Portland

  • The Isle of Wight

The Battle of Gravelines

• The Battle of Gravelines took place on 8th August 1588

• It was the decisive turning point, fought near the port of Calais in modern-day France

• The English:

  • Used fireships

  • Had superior cannons and faster manoeuvrability to launch a nine-hour attack

• The Spanish fleet:

  • Lost its defensive crescent formation, causing them to scatter

  • Suffered serious losses, with over 1,800 men killed or wounded

  • Were unable to regroup or continue the invasion

Why did the Spanish Armada fail?

1. English strengths

• English ships were smaller, faster and more manoeuvrable

• They used long-range culverin cannons to attack the Spanish ships from distance

• Fireships scattered Spanish formation at Calais

• Commanders like Howard and Drake were experienced and made the right decisions in battle

2. Spanish weaknesses

• Ships were large and hard to manoeuvre

• The Spanish used a crescent formation which:

  • Preventing the fleet from using most of its guns

  • Made it more likely the Spanish ships collided with each other

• The Armada lacked coordination with Parma’s forces

  • Communication between the fleet and Parma was impossible under English pressure

  • Messages took a week to reach their destination

    • Parma received Medina Sidonia's message that the Armada had reached the English Channel too late

• Medina Sidonia was not a naval expert

  • Philip gave very restrictive instructions to Medina Sidonia

  • The order for the Armada to anchor in Calais made the fleet an easy target for the English navy

3. Weather

• Storms before and after the Battle of Gravelines caused severe damage

• Winds blew Spanish ships northwards, forcing retreat around Scotland

  • The English called these ‘Protestant winds’

• Over 20 ships were wrecked on the Irish coast

4. Poor planning

• The rendezvous with Parma was never effectively arranged

• The Spanish had issues with their supplies

  • Poor-quality barrels caused Spain's food provisions to rot

    • Many Spanish sailors were already ill before the Armada reached England

  • Spain did not have enough cannonballs to fight the English ships

Consequences of the Spanish Armada

1. Boost to Elizabeth’s reputation

• Elizabeth’s leadership, including her famous speech at Tilbury, became legendary

  • She commissioned a portrait to celebrate her success

• The victory was seen as evidence of God favouring Elizabeth and Protestantism

  • Philip II of Spain believed that God went against his fleet by sending poor weather

• Medals were struck bearing the phrase “He blew with His winds, and they were scattered,” linking the victory to God

2. Strengthened Protestant England

• The failure of the Armada reinforced the Protestant identity of England

  • Catholic plots against Elizabeth stopped

  • Spain, or any other foreign powers, did not achieve a Catholic invasion of England

• Defeating the Armada raised England’s status internationally

  • It increased national pride

  • Spain acknowledged the naval power of England

3. Decline of Spanish naval power

• Spain lost many ships and experienced sailors

• Although still powerful, Spain’s naval reputation was permanently damaged

  • This encouraged nations like England and the Dutch Republic to challenge Spanish dominance in Europe and the Americas

4. Rise of English naval ambition

• England’s naval success promoted further exploration and trade, especially in the Americas

  • In the long-term, these voyages were the start of the British Empire

• Figures like Sir Francis Drake became national heroes

  • Their success encouraged more people to explore the world

5. Continued conflict with Spain

• Further expeditions were launched by both countries, including the English Armada in 1589

  • This was unsuccessful

• The war with Spain continued until 1604

6. Cultural and propaganda impact

• The Armada became a defining moment in English history

  • Artists, poets, and historians portrayed it as a miraculous victory

  • It became a significant part of Elizabeth’s 'Golden Age'